The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-01

4Le STATE llElNdf engineer shQulo
be empowered 90 appoint All 81 his as
sisiautS after proper examination and
with the advice and consent Of the
commission. to recs-iVr all bids and %
award contracts. O. supervise the Work
u construction and maintenance. and
in fact. b. should b. given fun authori
n In all executive work Of the depart
ment. The state highway engineer
should prepare a map u such Of the
main highways % the state as should
'oost properly constitute a system 81
state OF trunk line roads 10 be improv-
81 either IN part or wholly by the state.
STATE road Improvement should he car
he'd forward with the ultimate idea of
developing continuous system of
trunk lines running throughout the
state aud connecting. IL possible. with
similar trunk line roads iu adjacent
states and with tie necessary lateral
roads ia each county.
The state highway engineer should
De- given authority to cali on county 0r
township road officials for information
concerning the roads under their super
vision aud 30 should be made mauda-
tory on such officials Go furnish such iu-
formation upon request This Is very
desirable as b. is necessary FOR the
state highway department 10 keep post
td as 90 conditions existing in different
counties.
Zoo most of the state a.l laws the
initiative IN obtaining state aid rests
with The county or township 0uthori-
t.e, This is % wise provision because.
Ia the first place. the Ioca, Authorities
are iu better position 90 know what
roads 70 viii bc to the greatest advan-
tagc of the county or township To im-
prove. and m the SECOND place. they
are best able Go determine the extent
Of tne couuty'S ability TO share Ia the
expense of such an Improvement An
other consideration of great importance
In this 'lnnection Is that If the initia-
tive We're 10 rest entirely with the
state there would Doe certainty Of
conflict Of authority between the state
and the counties. resulting in the ulti-
mate failure OF the state aid plan.
The only case in which the roads can
be built 10y the state without the full
and hearty cooperation Of the coun-
ties COP townships Is where the state
pays the entire cost OF building and
maintaining the roads Most OF the
laws provide that state aid shall not
Dc granted until the application Of The
local authorities has been approved by
the state engineer. which enables the
engineer 20 exercise % sort Of superyis-
DRY power over the selection Of the
roads to be improved % the end that
the various roads throughout the state
shall conform % general system
All surveys. plans, specifications and
estimates Tor state roads and bridges
should Doe made boy the state highway
engineers Office thus iusuring uni.
formity and a high degree of excel
lencc All Improvements 10 cost over.
say. $1,000 should bee let to contract.
as Il has been found that this means
economy both I'm time and money and
with proper supervision will usually
give better results than could be OBJ
tanned otherwise.
Some Of the states provide that the
whole cost shall be- paid in the first in
stance by the state. the counties or
townships being required TO reimburse
the state for their share at fixed
time after the road is improved
Bridges aPd culverts should be con.
sidercd as "a part OF the road and the
state should aid la their construction
within proper limitations in the same
manner as for the road itself When
the work is let to contract the contrac-
tor must OF necessity advance money
in the performance OF his contract and
IS therefore entitled 10 receive partial
payments thereon as The same progress
es. bat rot over - per cent OF the con
tract price of the work should be paid
in advance of its fun completion and
acceptance
THE ,H.e highway engineer should be
required 20 keep aIl roads built by the
aid of che state in proper repair. Che
total cost OF such repairs to be paid by
tlc state the counties and townships
to reimburse the state u the same man
ror os for the construction of the road
1'hp reason Tor this ls that road main
tpuaucp is of ms 1reot or even greater