The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-31

this policy, why should Vermont CON
tinue to hesitate in adopting like pol
icy?
"The only arguments have ever heard
advanced in opposition to bond issue for
highway purposes are first that we
should pay as we go, and, second that
Vermont has no bonded Indebtedness and
should not have. This means nothing
and the arguments are childish. can
not conceive of any Vermonter, and il
matters not from what section Of the
state he may have gone, who, having
listened to the big men present at the
Chicago highway congress listened to
their expressed desire to build for the
future could return home with the feel
ing that we should continue our present
patchwork policy and pay as we 60
I'VE listened to speeches on all phases
OF road building, regarding material and
the proper machinery for handling the
material. But we listened to no speech
or no argument, favoring dirt roads
Speaking about machinery, il might
be we'll here TO remark, that Vermont,
expending better than a million dollars
annually at the present time on our high
ways. owns no road building machinery
not even hoe. Even if the next legisa-
ture is adverse TO the adoption of new
policy, and continues to depend upon the
towns for whatever machinery is used in
the building OF our highways il would
not be right II would not be playing
fair with the towns.
Throughout the entire congress, both
while in session and when discussing road
building outside the meetings, the univer.
sal sentiment was for efficiency in con
struction and a continuance Of that same
efficiency in maintenance. While this
theme Is in mind cannot help but recall
what at the time seemed to be good road
building in our state was, as soon as
completed, apparently forgotten both by
state and town officials and was not re-
called TO mind until that particular piece
of road was completely worn out and alb
solute reconstruction necessary in order
to make it passable This, certainly, is
not efficiency But if il is, then efficiency
means something different to me than it
does to the individuals building our
roads.
4 see no reason why a dollar expended
on the highways of Vermont should not
show up as dollar well expended for
either material or labor, and this applies
to whatever policy Of road building may
be adopted,
Il am informed that approximately
one million dollars is available yearly for
highway work in the state. Even this
expenditure, it would seem, if properly
applied, should give us highways that
would be serviceable in the early spring
and late fall Under the present system
our highways are quite impossible until
May and they again become quite i'm
passable in October, or even earlier, as
certainly was the case the present year,
/ am speaking of automobile travel.
Heavy travel or heavily loaded
trucks, was subject of considerable at
tention in the congress. Some favored
practically unlimited tonnage, while 9th
ers would restrict the tonnage to as low
as three tons, but all with the idea of
constructing the highways to hold up
under these heavy loads.
"In building a new highway policy for
Vermont the coming heavy travel feature
of the future, and this is near at hand,
should be given careful consideration.
I'm closing, | may say that | am
strongly OF the opinion that only hard
surfaced roads will meet the require
ments of the future, If the state CON
tinues the construction of dirt or gravel
roads they must be given substantial
foundation and adequate maintenance.
And maintenance win be necessary and
economical no matter what kind of high
way is constructed
Rebuilding the same highway every II
months, or to be more accurate, every six
months, is not economy nor is il good
business from any viewpoint.
Again, ! see no reason why Vermont
should hesitate at a proper bond issue.
with the hope that Vermont will keep
pace with the more progressive states of
the union in its road building, am, very
truly yours. James Il. Kennedy"