Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-05-03

profitable.
"What is the New York situation?"
VERY puzzling. Everybody in the
business knows the really enormous cost
of repairing the fine road which leads
from greensboro Bridge to Belmont
Park after the great rush of motor cars
which Travelled on it during aviation
week. That aviation week at Belmont
Park was an expensive thing for New
York city. The road was literally worn
down to the quick.
'Herkimer County roads built two and
three years ago, are in some instances,
already practically ruined. Monroe
County has shown more intelligence
than any other section of the State, and,
because of its effective system of main
tenance. 1t has 1000 miles of road,
not only well built but well cared for,
and serving admirably the needs of
some of the most prosperous farming
country in the world.
Connecticut has had some sad ex-
periences. The main road through Con-
necticut, from the New York State line
to the Massachusetts State line, has
cost vast sums-the expense of its re-
pairs has been the means of making it
impossible for the State to build good
many miles of other roads long planned
and very necessary.
Such experiences are common
throughout the country as whole.
Everywhere we find road surfaces dis
migrating because of unexpected wear
and tear, due to high-speed motor traffic;
everywhere we find the cost of main
tenance exceeding the provisions for it.
'There is another problem in the
highway question which wish especially
to call to the attention of the public.
That is that no highway may be called
well built which crosses any railway line
at grade.
"We have grade crossings near New
York, each one of which has claimed its
victims, and not few of which, have
claimed their many victims. New York
State is progressing in the matter of
eliminating crossings of the sort, and
the railroads are cooperating with it in
the work, but the grim necessity for
speed at such work is told plainly by the
dead and injured figures which continue
to mount up.
Sin 1911, for instance, SO were killed
by accidents at grade crossings of high
ways and railroads, while l0S were in
jured. Seventy-nine vehicles were thus
destroyed, of.which 33 were automobiles,
AZ horse drawn vehicles, and trolley
cars.
"In New Jersey the same year AZ
were killed and 118 were injured while
the accidents demolished 10 automobiles,
II horse. drawn vehicles, and trolley
cars.
'Itiis.. rather startling to discover that
such accidents are increasing in New
Jersey. 1t is comforting to know that
in New York State they are upon the
decrease. Twelve have been killed and
20 injured in New York in 1912, against
25 killed and like number injured for
the same period in 1911, with II vehicles
demolished in 1912, against 10 de-
molished in the same period of 1911.
"In New Jersey, on the other hand,
for a!likestime IS were killed and II in
jured in 1912, against killed and in
jured in 1911, with II vehicles demolished
in 1912 to in 1911.
There is a lesson in this, obvious to
all who know the circumstances. In
New: " rk State the railroads are not
called upon to do the whole work of i'm
provement at such crossings, nor is it
right that they should be, for the cross
ings.were. Originally constructed in the
dangerous fashion with the consent of
New. York State, which when the roads
were first established was glad to get
them to build lines in any way that
suited them. What we wanted, then,
was railroads; it did not much matter
how we got them.
"But the railroads were as anxious as
the people were to get rid of grade
crossings, and when provision was made
by the Legislature, whereby the State
shared with them the expense of altera-
tons, the work of rapidly eliminating
dangerous grade crossings progressed
energetically.
"In New Jersey, on the other hand, a
bill was passed last week which called