Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-03-27

GOD ROADS IN VERMONT AND FEDERAL AID THEREFOR
The federal authorities set aside 100000 for
improvements Fort Ethan Allen including material sum
for the construction better roads the mil
question whether the State the towns of Essex
and Colchester will match the road work to be done by the
federal authorities thus providing gooo roao from WI
We thus have in miniature form the situation which con-
fronts the State of Vermont whole in broader way
attention has been monopozed by OF the
League of Nations and the play OF politics about
has been practically submerged and lost to view
sona Wartime appropriations in terms that ap
preparation by Congress Of as fund available
@ sy no
tucked bill of in %t6
The late United States Senator Redaed Proctor
csomed to warn and other New England States
against day when the sparse settled western States with
their measureess stretches of plain and the southern States
would ask Uncle Sam to build their roads them This
before the an the 5 had made
Senator Proctor did not relish the idea Vermont and other
wen we ha @
of our own highways, such as they were.
auto truck and the palace touring auto completely trans
formed the road situation in every State We thought we had
build heavier bridges and make substantial roadways,
precisely as have the steam railways in order to
the heavy mogu to haul the long freight
trains demanded by modern conditions of transportation bust
and labor
ton in the different States will be of injustice
than State aid for highways construction in the respective
towns whose roads used by the residents of all other towns
IN oneyaton in Vermpnt Part Of vermont road money!
must be matched by town appropriations in order to be
cured In the Congress has provided that federal
aid can be by any State only through the
federal apportonment
The federal part Of the road fund made available by
whether the States provide large that ap
propriated by the for their respective needs
plan Expenditures in New England alone will total 1420
ture $4o5s,542 will be in Massachusetts, 1t is pro-
posed also to build roads in Maine costing in New
in Rhode Island costing se4os7l and in Connecticut costing
$169o.1o4 Some officials estimate that with federal aid
will 1 hs bo
An important effect of the federal road act accord
which class highway had qualify the benefits
should actually be carried on the road or that there be
reasonable prospect that mail should be carried it with
in short time after the Improvement was completed.
The act that the term rural post roads" shall
Ss eb st to he yed Public o tho ed % portion o
Excluding every street and road in place having popula-
road along which the houses than feet
apart More important it raises the government limit Of
the higher Of labor materials It authorizes the
secretary of to transfer to the secretary Of agriculture
provement and not needed by the war department.
The time has come when Vermont needs the co-opera
interstate travel well the postal service The orig
na federal aid road act which became law july 1916
popriated $0O000 aid in the construction of post roads
during the veyear period ending June 3d. 1921 and $OOOO
900 to aid m forest road building during enyear period
ending June go 1926 AS 100000 of the original
had been expended prior to 1912 100000
plus 100000 total of 1921 900 of federal funds
will be available Of which 1000 will be available dur
ing the next three years.
The gives impetus to the DEVELOPMENT
of national forest road systems makes 100000 avail
able for roads and trails within partly within the forests
The 100000 may be used for maintenance well
and construction The legislation authorizes the
building of roads and trails for the and develop
ment of national forest desirable for the
administration protection and Improvement Of forest
where cooperative local contributions be obtained In
addition contains feature of much importance
hitting the secretary of agriculture without cooperation
of local officials to build and maintain any road trail with
national forest which he finds for the
administration protection and Improvement OF such forest
which in his opinion is of national Importance"
Vermont profit in material degree from this federal
for road development and the of
resources Our Safe seldom witnessed road
dons than exist at the present time in sections We
of autos being stalled in mud between
| Burlington and Sheburne. We using this stu