The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-02-28
VERMONT HIGHWAYS
New England Motorist Says System Is
Anticipated.

Anticipated.
1t is indeed unfortunate that the
state Of Vermont does not extend to
motorists the same invitation in the
| form OF good roads that the state OF
| New Hampshire extends. says the
| New England Motorist Vermont ia
nous for its scenery and points of
historical interest, the home OF Ethan
| Allen and the Green Mountain Boys,
| is known by reputation throughout
| the country
The beautiful Green Mountains
| themselves, even with the present
condition of the Vermont roads, are
well worth seeing, but very few motor
lists care to risk their machines on
reads that are for the greater part
narrow full of ruts, extremely dan
gerous in wet weather and bordered
on either side with deep bitches.
Under the present system of con
structing state roads, state high
way commissioner is appointed by the
governor for two years. He appoints
annually one supervisor in each
county who assists the highway com,
missioner in directing the expenditure
of the funds The work done in the
individual towns is under the super
vision of the selectmen or town road
commissioners. subject to the control
of the state highway commissioner.
Thus, the state highway work re-
solves itself into town units.
In this respect, the Vermont sys-
TEN closely resembles that which was
unsuccessfully used in England 200
years ago. The state highway tax is
raised by assessing q per cent tax
on the grand list of each town and |
city in the state and this is reappor-
toned in the ratio that the mileage of |
each city. town or village bears to the !
total mileage OF the state The |
grand list is arrived at by tax |
of 1 per cent of the assessed valua-
ton of the town or city.
In addition to the state highway !
tax. a special appropriation is made
by the Legislature. Any town may
raise money in addition to that re.
quired by law in amounts of not less
than 500. and not more than $1,000 |
for one year and this money is met
dollar for dollar by the state from
this special fund. If there is any sur
plus at the end of the year from this
fund, IL may be expended on improved
roads under such terms as are agreed
to by the towns and state highway
commissioner.
The automobile license fee after
having the administrative expense de.
Quoted is used in the repair and main
tenance OF the main thoroughfareS
and state roads and is extended I'M
der the supervision and direction of
the state highway commissioner. In
addition TO this money. the towns are
required to raise funds to keep in re-
pair all roads improved with state
money '--sses'a
If the selectmen so desire. the roads
may be put in the care of patrol
man who Is under the supervision of
the state highway commissioners The
towns are required to put in on such
roads an amount equivalent to the
average amount appropriated per
mile OF all roads in the town. the
state paying any money in addition to
this that may be required
1
state are now trying to bring about
the reorganization of the Highway
the new organization to
consist OF three commissioners who
will serve without pay. They will APP
point a chief engineer who will en-
ploy such assistants as he needs. The
present roads are built entirely with
out engineering supervision except in
such cases as building bridges, etc
There is no engineer officially con
nected with the present highway de-
partment. although road building is
purely branch of the engineering
profession.
During the year. 1915 Vermont
spent a total of $4S5,000 on 200 miles
or roads. This is at the rate of $2175
per mile of road New Hampshire
during the year 1915, spent a total of
1863 1867 on 1852 miles OF roads, which
Is at the rate of $3745 per mile The
state of Vermont had no funded debt
in 1915.
New Hampshire for the year ending
September |, 1914 had a net indebt-
edness OF s963,503, yet New Hamp ,,
SHIRE loI Tue year 1919 spent u tOtdi .
on state road or state aid road work
of $1,113,413 against vermont's $780,
l45. One has only to ride over the
roads of New Hampshire and Yer
mont to see which has the better sys.
tenn of highways.
New Hampshire leads Vermont in
the value of its manufactured pro-
ducts, but Vermont surpasses New
as agricultural state.
The total value of farm property in
Vermont in 1910 including land, build
ings, implements, machinery, domes-
tic animals, poultry and bees, was