Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-02-28
VERMONT'S ROAD PROBLEM.

1G NlOIl1COI 10 SOIIN4liSS C1i%C AAiSAiy
of those persons who are discussing
the Vermont road problem, or to be
more exact, are knocking the present
system, have no substitute system or
plan to offer that looks like a real and
lasting improvement over the one now
in vogue.
Certain persons or interests seem
to have taken it upon themselves to
take the public platform in order to
agitate some great changes In our
road policy without knowing that the
change would be beneficial. The same
interests are trying to get into the
press.
For example "The New England
Motorist," volume one, number three
volume one of any publication is al
ways suspicious), takes tumble out
of our present system and closes with
this aragraph:
'If Vermont with it's beautiful seen
ery and native hospitality ever comes
to realize the great advantage OF
building roads that are good twelve
months out of the year, the tremen-
dous gain both socially and economl-
callv will astonish the present advo-
Gates of good roads beyond their fond
est expectations"
The criticism of our road system
because Vermont does not have good
highways twelve months in the year
shows utter lack Of knowledge Of con-
ditions here or an absolute disregard
for facts. Speaking from motorists
standpoint there is no possibility of
having good roads in Vermont for
more than six months in the year.
Perhaps no state in the Union has a
greater road problem than Vermont.
Look at the winter road expenses OF
anv town in the state this year and we
will begin to understand why Yer
mont summer roads do not show in
every respect the same result for
dollar raised in taxes that some other
states show. Our winter road eX-
pense is enormous and in the sense
of deriving a lasting benefit from this
expense we do not. We cannot. Tens
of thousands of dollars are spent in
making winter roads passable that
most other states in the Union do not
have to spend. And our winter roads
are none too good. In fact, this sea-
son, despite the great cost of winter
roads, it has been impossible to keep
our highways good"
The very fact, too, that Vermont
has this extreme weather makes the
road problem here a problem unto it
self and hardly comparable with the
road problem of any other state. The
havoc wrought by frost cannot be con-
ceived by the road men of other states
and the cost occasioned by it may not
always be taken into consideration in
counting results with a given sum of
money.
The Monitor is not defending the
present road system, either, but it can
see where some would-be road agita-
tors know little about the subject.
In the same article referred to
above in the New England Motorist
we find this paragraphs:
vermont, up to Jan. 1, 1916, had
built by state aid 1881 miles of the
$4,000 miles of roads in the state
New Hampshire had built 1176 miles
of the $4,000 miles in the state, but it
is much easier to find New Hamp-
shire's surfaced roads than those in
Vermont"
shire has $2,OOO,OOO road debt where
Vermont has none,and as for the
writer, who does several thousand
miles of touring over Vermont and
New Hampshire roads every year,
there is not 100000 difference
New Hampshire roads are wearing
out very fast, in fact, some Of them
even now are far from good surfaced
roads. New Hampshire is not en-
tirely satisfied with her system. New
York is grooming under her road prob
lem and while Vermont has not the
fine boulevards boosted by both states
in many places, Vermont has some
fine roads and they are improving
every year.
Our system is far from perfect no
doubt, and improvements are being
made, but the Monitor for one, be-
lieves the state should go extremely
slow in changing her whole system of
road building. Probably more state
controlled mileage would be to the
advantage of all but the Monitor be-
Iieves we should look into the ques-
ton very carefully before Harvesting
ourselves to some policy or system of