The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-15
GOOD ROADS ASSOCIATION

Louis sept. 2S-3O-it iS HOpeu 10
Have Large Representation at This
Time-Why Not Send State Road
Commissioner Gates!- Vermont
Should be Represented Prom
ises to be a Notable Gathering-St.
Louis to Put Out The Latch String.
An important meeting of the Ma
tional Good Roads Association will be
held in st. Louis September $3.50.
The following has been issued by this
association to the American Automo-
bile Association:
At the Third Annual National Good
Roads Convention, to be held in st.
Louis. September % to so, there will
be discussed the ways and means of
providing the necessary funds for the
general improvement of highways
throughout the country. The consen-
sus of opinion seems to be that in the
construction of the main travel high
ways. or trunk lines, the expense of
such work should be borne in part, by
Federal appropriations and State APP
preparations. Up to the present time,
no Federal appropriations have been
made for roads construction, although
a bureau is maintained which furnish
es advice and tests road materials.
This bureau is under the direction of
Logan Waller Page, at Washington,
d. c., and has been of the greatest
value in stimulating interest in the
good roads movement throughout the
Union.
The best results on trunk lines,
heretofore" states George c. Diehl,
chairman of the National Convention
Committee, have been obtained
through large State appropriations, Ill
the form of State aid to counties and
towns. 1t has been suggested that the
extension of the State aid system to
several States in various part of the
country, and the appointment OF
State, which will Systematically and
state, which will Systematically and
economically eXpcNl highway monies,
will result, in the Ii aar future, in large
Federal appropriations; for such Fed
eral appropriations will not be por-
toned and sent to the several states
unless such States have the organiza
ton. and also demonstrate the ability.
to wisely and usefully expend such
National monies
"The most satisfactory State high
way laws have been those centraliZ-
ing State highway commissions, which
exercise control and authority over all
highways; exclusive, of course, OF
cities and incorporated villages.
"In some instances it has been
found advantageous to divide the road
into three classes, which may briefly
be described as State. county and town
highways
The State highways include all of
the main trunk lines, connecting the
different centers of population of the
several counties. 1t is estimated that
such trunk lines would comprise
about per cent of the total mileage,
and that these should be constructed
solely at the expense of the State; or,
under Federal governmental control,
at the JOINT expense of the State and
the Natioa.
"The second class OF highways. cal
led county roads should be those ar
teries of travel which comprise the
main market roads of each county,
which will form a properly divided
and )nnecting syst~m of county high
ways, taking into consideration their
value for the purpose of common traf-
fic and travel. Such highways should
be constructed at the joint expense of
State and county and town, the pro-
portion borne by county and town to
be based upon population and total
mileage. 1t is estimated that such
highways would comprise about per
cent of the total mileage Both of
these classes of highways would, of
necessity and by reason of the great
amount of travel that they would be
called upon to sustain be of an ex-
pensive and durable type. The roads
should be wide. with low grades, but
properly surfaced with some durable
dustless material
"The remaining roads, constituting
about 80 per cent of the total might
be classed as town roads, and the eX-
pense of their repair and maintenance
should be borne jointly by township
and State, and all work should be un-
der the control of the State Highway
Commission
There is now expended throughout
the United States about 100000 900
annually in repair and maintenance of
dirt or lateral roads. Much of this
money is wasted by reason of its be-
ing expended in temporary and MI
necessary work When such work is
under the control of a State Highway
Commission, the requirement could
I.