The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-16
GOLD WATCH FOR
BEST RECORD ON
THE ROADS
James 3. Wilbur Offers Prize
For Highway Commissioners.
TOWN OFFICIALS ORGANIZE
Representatives Of Bureau of Public
Roads Give Interesting Lecture
at Apollo Hall

The final session of the annual
gatherings of the listers and road Of
hcials of Bennington county, which
have been held here this week, took
place this morning when the listers
assembled at the court house for fur
Their instruction and discussion with
State Tax Commissioner J. Il. Cush-
man of Burlington.
The meetings have been remark
ably enthusiastic and the attendance
has far exceeded in size the gather
ings at any previous county meetings
of the same nature Much or the en-
thusiasm is, of course, due to the
efforts of James B. Wilbur of Man
chester to awaken an interest in mod
ern road building in Bennington coun'
ty. He has not only given the pro
iect a good start but his offer OF Fri
day afternoon of substantial prize
TO the road commissioner making the
best record for the coming year
shows that he is intending to main
tain the interest that he has been IN
strumental in starting.
The road commissioners meeting
with State Highway Commissioner
Charles w. Gates Of Highgate was
held Friday afternoon at Apollo hall
and was attended by a much larger
| number than the morning SEES
sion at the court house. Many of the
commissioners and the town officials
arrived here on the noon train and
when the meeting was called to order
the hall was comfortably we'll filled.
Commissioner Gates continued his
course of instruction along the same
lines used at the morning session. La
ter in the afternoon he turned his
audience over to Mr. Wilbur who pre-
sided while a county organization
comprising the road commissioners
the supervisors and the selectmen was
formed with the following officers:
President, F. NJ. Crawford OF Ben
nington.
Secretary, W. c. Peck Of Sandgate
Executive committee, Robert Bene-
dict OF Arlington, George Harris oil
| Landgrove, n. NJ. Garfield OF Man
chester, William II. Whipple Of
SALISBURY and K. ]. Sanford of STAN
ford
Previous to the organization Mr.,
Wilbur stated that he had decided to
offer a prize of a gold watch TO the
Bennington county road commission
err who should make the best record
during the coming year. State High
way Commissioner Gates was select
ed by Mr.. Wilbur as the referee to de
eide upon the comparative work OF
the highway commissioners and to
make the award.
In the evening an illustrated lee
ture was given by ]. H. Dodds and
Lawrence |. Hughes. representatives
of the bureau of public roads, at
Apollo hall Mr. Dodds spoke primar
lily of road construction. He stated
that the United States possessed the
greatest resources Of any country or
the globe and the poorest roads. He
showed a number Of views OF high
ways in European countries which
plainly showed that the older couh
tries we're far and away ahead Of
America in road construction. He
spoke briefly OF the different meth
DDS Of road building
Mr. Hughes devoted his attention
to the administrative features of high
way construction and the great loss
sustained by the public through the
ineffective and slack methods that
are used throughout the country. In
closing he put before his audience
the possibility now before the peo
pie OF Bennington county of securing
from the bureau of public roads the
services OF trained engineer for an
entire year. This expert service car
be secured without direct expense
but there must be a manifest express
sion Of public opinion and willing
ness on the part of the people to put
this service to profitable use.
Every seat In the hall was taken
and the audience took keen interest
in the remarks of the speakers.