Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-19
GOOD ROADS A LUNCHEON TOPIC
Commissioners the Guests of
Merchants Association.
State Highway Commissioner Gates
Explains system under which YER
mont Cares for Roads and How
Money liz Apportioned.

The largest attendance ever attained at
Merchants association luncheon was
achieved Thursday. Good roads was the
topic of the speaking, and State Highway
Commissioner Charles w. Gates and sixty
road commissioners and scectmen Of the
towns of Chlttenden county were the
guests of the association. A number Of
engineers who were in town for the En-
cheering society's banquet were also
present The total number present at the
dinner was 125.
The main speaker was Mr.. Gates. Pro-
fessor j. w. Votey and Franklin II. De-
wart made excellent fve-minute speeches.
Judge Palmer volunteered few words,
and Road Commissioner James Cassidy
of Hinesburg was called on but declined
to detain those present by speaking.
Mr.. Gates explained how the Vermont
road system IS based on the idea that the
town is the unit. He showed briefly how
road development happened to grow up
along those lines and told of the benefits
which had come of the system. He ex-
planned the manner OF taxing for roads
and OF parceling out the money, making
1t clear that by distributing state money
proprlated by the towns the people Of the
towns had been encouraged to act and
kept Interested.
lie then told of the work which Ia being
done In correcting grades, correcting
alignment Of roads, and providing drain
age
Mr. Gates touched upon the difficulties
of road-making work, and showed how
there is so much to be done and so much
expense In doing it that years must elapse
before all I a roadS are az good as we
would like - have them. He showed the
pitfalls to be avoided, cited the experience
of other States to show that the best way
of doing the worl, IS not always to sped
the most money.
According to Mr.. Gates, the Vermont
method of harding the road problem has
been to put the roads we have in shape
and keep them good. Gravel or even earth
which was available has been used.
The principle Of caring for the ordinary
road has been immensely successful. es-
pecially when compared with the more
ambitious efforts of other States.
Mr.. Gates then showed how this eau
tlous, less extravagan method Of road
making is being taken UP now by en-
gineers in other parts of the country, and
even in States with great resources at
their command. In this connection he
quoted from a statement of the Minnesota
state engine Mr.. Gates explained why
the old idea that 1t is possible to build
solid road that will take care of itself
Is fallacious. He showed that the cost
encountered by other States in their eff
forts to keep these expensive roads in
condition was even greater than the cost
| of keeping our type Of road.
! He went on to speak of the automobile
law, the benefits OF applying the tax on
the roads and the increased cost of keep
ing roads. He also told of the new patrol
system by which if the town pays certain
proportion of the expense the State may
put man on a section of road and keep
him there to look after it, In concluding
his remarks showed how much the
State was doing for Chittenden county
and how much more Chittenden county
might do
! Professor J. w Notey spoke enthu-
siastically Of our method Of road-making
He told Of the change in public road max
ing and gave Mr.. Gates unqualified COM
| mendation.
Franklin II. Dewart in an excelen,
speech told Of the need Of leaving some
things 70 the engineer, and spoke in high
est praise Of the way in which road max
ing has been carried on here in Vermont
! Judge Palmer told of overwhelming on
the train the talk Of two Massachusetts
road commissioners. one of whom said
| that in his opinion Vermont was getting
more out of one thousand dollars invested
In road-making than Massachusetts was
getting out OF ten thousand