The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-10
vERMONT'S HIGHWAYS.
Shall They Be of Gravel or More Ex-
pensive Material.

The Hon. Fuller c.. Smith of st. AL
bans had communication in Saturday
Free Press which that newspaper, with
an irony quite as fine as that of tho
article itself ran under the heading, "A
Genuine Tribute to State Highway Com
missioner Gates and His Methods" Mr.
Smith. in his peculiar style, poured out a
| full measure OF keen sarcasm, aimed at
this same official and the kind of high
ways he has built and improved, as head
OF the state road department for the past
| several years. The occasion was the
general state OF the roads at this season
| OF this particular years in many locali-
! ties most difficult for traffic; in some ac-
tually impossible.
OF course there is plenty of opportuni-
tty for the play of Mr.. Smiths keen sat
ire. He does not favor Mr.. Gates high
way IDEAS and methods and never has.
Mr.. Smith believes in permanent road
building of the most lasting--and most
IeXpensiye-kind He would say that such
highways are least expensive in the
long rum He SCOTS at Mr.. Gates per-
manent gravel roads, which, he claims,
have no permanence whatever, and are
at best merely improved dirt roads.
No one will question but what, with
the outlay of hundreds of thousands OF
dollars few miles OF real permanent
road-such as Mr.. Smith favors-eould
be built in Vermont Yet this road
would be permanent only if carefully
maintained and looked after at consider
able expense, that would grow from year
to year. If so built and maintained,
however, it would as far as it went, be
greatly superior to the highways we
have, even the best OF them; no question
about that. A road that would come
out well every spring and be ready for
heavy teaming at any and all seasons
would do something that almost none
we now have do.
Yet what a task to undertake--to pave |
or asphalt or macadam any considerable |
portion of Nermont's highways. Where |
are the millions upon millions coming |
from to do it And while the task is |
slowly being done over a relatively small |
area, what about the thousands of miles |
of roads that must be travelled in order
to get about the rest Of the state? In
stead of attempting the, at present, i'm
possible, is it not better to make gen
eral improvement at more rapid rate.
even if the results are not all we would
like; better fer the state at large and :
the people as whole? OF what avail
would be few miles of perfectly SPLEEN
lid road in, say, the neighborhood of
st. Adams, while the Improvement of
he other hundreds of miles is deferred
until the present generation is dead We
must handle things along practical lines.
Vermont's problems and her ability to
,ope with them are her own and unlike
hose of other states.
Not even Mr.. Smith we imagine, in
lis saner moments, would contend that
here has been no improvement under {
'Ir. Gates in the matter of highways. !
Iost people so believe, at any rate. We
on't think Mr.. Gates himself would
that the end has been reached,
II anything like it. We do not under
tand he has any prejudice against !
nore permanent material than gravel in |
Dad construction. Mr.. Gates chief aim I
as been TO bring to Vermont the quick {
st and best returns for the money ex- |
ended, and to encourage and inspire a I
ublie sentiment that would lead to the c
est possible system of highways as
nality. He has had to cope with indi- Q
iduals as much as with the natural j
dement's. He had to build a sentiment t
efore he could build a system. A less
actful and discreet official would have d
revoked reaction long ago. Instead, a
ne state under his lead has gone ahead
ipidly and willingly, as the benefits of
ates' ideas and Gates methods have
cen seen and appreciated. B
of course Mr. Gates does not satisfy
reryone. nor anyone wholly; that is
npossible; but the best possible answer
, the whitening satire of MIR. Smith is u
he stauneh and cheerful backing the II
ghway commissioner has had up to the f.
resent moment by the state and her q
,ople. He could not command it if his n,
stem were Enthusiastically Her Il
d.