The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-30
ROAD ENGINEER TO
BE WITH US FOR
WHOLE YEAR
Bureau of Public Works is Try.
ing New Plan
BENNINGTON COUNTY CHOSEN
Superintendent D. n. WlnsIow Is
Here to Assist Road Commission
ers and SeIectmen

Bennington county has been select
ed by the national government as
a section of territory in which to try
an experiment of trained assistance
in the construction and care of pub
lie roads. Assistance of this kind
has been furnished from the bureau
of public works for some years, but
the experiment to be tested in Ben
nington county is new one in that
the government has decided to make
it cover an entire year.
Trained road builders from the
bureau have been at work all over
the country, but in all cases the ser
vices of the experts have been avail
able for only brief periods, few
weeks or a month or two at the long
est, but the government has now de-
cided to take a new departure and
to put one of the men from the bur
eau of public works into Bennington
county and to keep him here for II
months.
This is the first time that any such
step has been taken by the bureau,
but 1t is in keeping with the great
progress of the government aid idea
in road building which is destined
to be one of the features OF our nat
ional life.
The decision of the bureau to try
its one-year experiment in Benning-
ton county is largely due to the in
terest in the road building subject
manifested by James b. Wilbur OF
Manchester, who was solely respon-
sible for the interesting gatherings
of road men held in this village
some weeks ago At that time two
representatives Of the bureau came
to Bennington and gave instructive
lectures at Apollo hall.
At the time of this meeting, II was
intimated that the county was like
ly to be given the assistance Of a
trained road-builder during the pres
ent year The proposal has material
lied, and d. II. Winslow. one of the
superintendent OF road construction
has arrived in Bennington and is al
ready making the preliminary inves
| tigation necessary to the work that
will devolve upon him during the
coming twelve months.
In the beginning, Mr.. Winslow
wishes to impress upon the people
of the county and upon the officials
Of the different towns, the road com
mssioners and the selectmen, the
fact that he has come to Vermont
in an advisory capacity. He is here
to give the county the benefit of hit
experience, gained from many years
| of actual service as a contractor, al
a road official in Massachusetts, anC
as a superintendent connected witt
the bureau OF public works. He is {
New Highlander by birth and was
wise enough to take Vermont WON
an for a wife What he has inner
tied from his ancestors, and the hom'
training he has received since hi
marriage, ought to have developed
characteristics that will enable hin
to get on" here in Bennington coun
ty At any rate he is going to max
the biggest kind of an effort TO no
only get next" to the roads, but 4
make a place for himself in tn
| friendship of the people.
, Mr. Winslow is not coming to Ben
nington county with the idea of ma
cadamizing the highways; in fact h
doesn't believe much in macadau
! roads for rural districts. His In
structlons from headquarters are L
, help the people m this vicinity {
, get the best possible roads with I'll
. money available for that purpose an
= to construct the highways from tn
4 material that is on the ground.
The main principle in the new ide
which Is to be tried out In Benninl
ton county will be cooperation. Nj
n Winslow comes from the bureau
!. assist the officials whose duty Il
: TO build and care for the roads ii
. will not attempt to advise the use {
n elaborate methods or expensive mi
4 chinery but will give to the roa
A commissioners and the selectmen th
;. benefit of what he has learned in Oh
r. years that he has been engaged
n the supervision OF road work.
4 The plan which the bureau will e
Il deavor to carry out In Benningto
n has some original features, II is M
Il confined strictly to road oonstructio
Other things which are related
highway traffic will be cOnsidere
such as the availability OF the sc
ton as summer resort, It's possib
tiles in the way OF agriculture and /
M dustrial development. Mr. Wlnslo
will take many photographs duril
the year to show the progress Of wo
ID on the highways In this vicinity al
. will also make pictures OF the far
Il. and the natural scenery From the
pictures, lantern slides will be ma
2 to be used In lectures given by {
70 representatives OF the bureau all oy
ee the country.
Id This experiment of putting ira
,r. ed road builder in single SIN
ny county for an entire year, the III
%. time such step has been taken
Nd the bureau. will bring Bennington a
Mt the surrounding county into unjust
or prominence wherever the art of TO
ne building will be discussed during
nd next ~ months. The value OF
Ies experiment to the people OF Benni
ton county, 90 the bureau and to
led country at large. will of course
aet pend largely upon the cooperation