The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-10-10
A NOTABLE MEETING

The Manchester Board Of Trade and
Mr.. J. B. Wilbur Of that organization
did good piece Of work when they
succeeded in getting together nearly
100 representative business men from
the western side Of Vermont on Thurs
day evening to discuss good roads and
kindred topics near TO the heart Of all
Vermonters.
Mr.. Wilbur rather sounded the key
note Of the meeting when he called
attention to the fact that since 1905
the state has spent over 100000 on
its roads, which, taken in connection
with the statement Of James l.. Davis,
highway engineer from Bennington
county, that there are 1000 miles OF
road in the state, gives perhaps the
first idea Of what Vermont roads have
cost per mile in the past IL years.
The figures, $3.50 per mile, cover
both construction and maintenance
and are perhaps not large, compared
with other states which maintain
trunk line roads, but when all's said
and done, in this particular month we
haven't any better roads now than VIC
had then. In other words, outside OF
some grade improvements, cut offs
and few stretches of surfaced road,
we haven't anything that corresponds
to a permanent investment, OF any
adequate comparison TO our expendi-
ture of five millions.
That is the trouble with the great
bulk of our expenditures-they go
mostly into temporary work, patch
work Of one kind and another, and, il
the department succeeds in getting a
piece of macadam or surfaced road
built, everyone promptly forgets all
about it and it is never repaired until
it goes to pieces.
Mr.. Wilbur's offer to give $4,000 to-
ward the salary of a competent high
way engineer, the state to pay an
other $4,000, was Of the most generous
character, but even trained engineer
cannot build roads that will stand up
without patrol and frequent repair. ,
The chances are that Max L. Pow
ellis fayorite plan of bonding the state
to build permanent roads will not get
much further than it did two years
ago. but it is fact that the money
raised and spent each year on state
roads would pay the interest on q
large bond issue and provide sink
ing fund to take care Of the bonds at
maturity. Mr.. Powell was insistent
on the good business Of highway
bonds. but there was no burst OF APP
plause when he mentioned it.
Collins NJ. Graves of Bennington.
James p. Taylor of Burlington and
Lucius Z. Wilson of East Dorset, had
a good deal to say about cooperation
between the farmers and the business
men. and no plan of highway improve
ment will ever succeed which is not
ACCEPTABLE to them both. In fact, such
success as has attended the present
town system of handling road money
has been largely due to the fact that
every town in the state got some part
of ,the state funds The trouble has
been that in most cases it has been
spread out so thin that it has done
very little good.
Mr.. Davis defended the highway de-
partment at some length and with
friendly knowledge Of the situation,
but he failed to disturb the proposition
that the department keeps no books
in the sense that business men UNDER
stand books. He also failed to show
that there is any proper audit OF the
expenditures or any competent inspec-
ton of highway work except in the
two or three counues "hi'h D"P'"S
competent engineers.
He told the assemblage that the
highway work was done according 10
a properly formulated plan, but with
only $4,000 worth Of engineer TO
spread himself over all state depart
ments, it seems fairly clear that this
service is also pretty thin.
Former Governor John A. Mead
made one Of his notable tributes to
the natural resources Of Vermont and
congratulated the state on the TACT
that il was TO have business man
for governor at time when busi-
ness administration was badly needed.
Mr.. Clement probably pointed out the
most practical solution OF state prob
lens. which is 10 organize, decide what
is necessary to be done, then TO pa
troll the Legislature" until they get
what they wanted.
That remarkable veteran, Joseph W.
Fowler Of Manchester, made the mo-
ton which put the ball in play, and II
the boards Of trade in Burlington,
Rutland, Bennington and Manchester