The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-04

connection with the highway department
Is the safety of our bridges. The rapid
increase in the use of motor trucks, and
the heavy loads they carry, and the ex'
IRENE age of many of our bridges make
it important as II matter of safety to ex-
ercise the greatest care in their repair
and rebuilding, especially on our main
roads. The demand is for well built
bridges of a capacity sufficiently large to
meet the probable requirements for years
to come. 1t is false economy to build
for present needs only, and towns should
be encouraged by the state TO build for
the future, that our bridges, the vital
and dangerous links in our highway sys-
! TEN, may be absolutely safe and equal to
| any demands that may be made upon
| them in the future by the increased traf-
fic that the development of our state Is
sure to make upon them.
II, therefore, recommend that you care
fully consider the present state aid law
for bridges, and amend it so as to in
crease the per cent of aid to towns AS
much as in your judgment the impor-
lance of the matter seems to demand.
Maintenance
"The automobile law, creating main
tenance fund for the highways, which
was passed by the legislature of 1908,
has proved to be more satisfactory than
its warmest advocates anticipated. The
large fund it has created has made it
possible to keep our principal highways
in better condition than would have been
possible without it, while the taxpayer
is relieved of an extra burden of taxation
that would otherwise have fallen upon
him.
'The improved roads have no doubt
stimulated the use of automobiles, for
we have to-day about 10000 automobiles
owned in the state, 724 motorcycles, and
trucks-one automobile to every
twenty-three inhabitants. The increased
use of automobiles has made our road
problem larger, and more complex than
ever, and has led to the adoption of the
patrol system of maintenance. Under
the law providing for this system, accep-
lance of its provisions was made optional
with the towns; few towns took advan-
tage of it the first year, but the highway
department reports 1870 miles of road,
and 100 patrolmen on the list of 1915.
Towns are just beginning to realize what
the plan means to them. Maintenance /
by patrol has, during four years trial,
proven so satisfactory. and so much SUI
perior to the old town system, that /
the plan be continued, and
that no legislation be enacted that will
in any way hinder its development.
Town Roads.
sour state aid law has automatically
divided our roads into two classes-state
.oads and town roads. So much atten-
ion has been given during the past ten
Years to improving our state roads, that
,cant attention has been given to the
reeds of our town roads. In fact the
problem has been so large that the state
las adopted the safer policy of develop
ng the plan only as fast as public senti-
nent seemed to demand. The improve
nents on our state roads have served by
way of contrast to create demand for
letter town roads. | believe the time
las come when this situation should be
net promptly and intelligently. Let me
irect your attention to a few facts well
,nown to you all, no doubt, that bear
irectly upon the question.
"Our total mileage of roads in the
tate to be maintained to-day is practi-
ally the same as it was ten years ago;
heir use has greatly increased during