The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-03-13
VILLAGE NEEDS
OUTLINED BY
PRES. HOLDEN
Continued from Page onej

]
preservation OF the trees which beau
tify our village is of great import
ance. And while other municipali-
ties are expanding thousands of dol
lars for this purpose, we can at least
afford to expend Il few hundreds.
There is nothing from which the tax
payers will get any greater return for
the small amount invested than In
spraying shade trees.
In addition to the above sums,
there has been available for expendi- |
ture by the trustees for highway pur-
poses $SS1397 which includes an
appropriation of $1,000, made at the
last annual meeting, from the Gener- !
al Fund They found at the outset.
that because of government require
quirements it would be impossible to
purchase road oil for oiling the
streets or the necessary materials
for constructing macadam or asphalt
pavements. The expenditure upon
the streets. therefore, has been neces
sarily confined to re-surfaclng with
gravel and coal cinders. The street
commissioners report will show upon
which streets this re-surfacing has
been done. In this kind Of work the
auto.truck purchased for the street de-
partment during the year has done
good service With it there has been
hauled upon the street from the Bush
nell gravel bed over 1900 cubic yards
OF gravel at an approximate cost OF
$l.2l per cubic yard | believe this
to be less cost than IL could have
been hauled that distance by teams
if in fact teams could have been OBJ
tanned at reasonable prices during
the summer, The village team has
also hauled from wherever they could
be obtained, 357 cubic yards Of coal
cinders. These have been used to
good advantage, are inexpensive and
seem to be equally as good IL not bet.
ter than gravel on streets with clay
soil
At best, it is only expected that re-
surfacing work will be temporary
and that kind OF work requires con
slant upkeep. All streets and high
ways that have constant traffic do.
and more attention should be given
to the upkeep Of newly-built streets
that they be not allowed to go until
their usefulness is gone before be-
ing repaired.
During the coming year II would
seem advisable that the village again
undertake the construction OF per
manent highways and street paving
of some sort The necessary mater.
ials are now obtainable aud many
cities and villages are planning ex.
tensive work in this direction in or
der to give employment to returning
soldiers upon discharge and other
unemployed during the present In
dustrial depression So an import
ant question for your determination
in The village meeting will he how
much OF tax or appropriation you
will vote for this purpose ! am sure
your trustees will also be glad to
have you designate upon which
streets such tax is 10 be expended
and what material Should be used or
what kind OF paving should be built,
II is also important that a suitable
way leading from the center OF the
village to the Putnam Memorial hos
ptal should be provided SUCH an
open winter as we have just had
brings forth prominently the immedi-
ate need of putting the streets in that
direction in a proper condition of re
|, pair. Difficulty has been experienc.
ed thru the winter by ambulances.
physicians and hospital attendants
as well as other people desiring to
30 TO the hospital. and many autOmo-
biles have been literally stalled in
the mud" ON the streets leading to 1t.
= it is of great interest to every
citizen to make the hospital easily
accessible to all who have occasion
Ito visit IT, Some sidewalks have
been built for this purpose but more
, are still needed
When the streets are to he brought
= to grade and permanent construction
"A maui plONioiuH ouNulN We Hluut iOi
. taking care OF the surface water. for
: unless II is pavement or street
/, more quickly gets out Of repair. The
!. surface water drainage system pro
= posed by Boston engineers some
years ago ought to be carried ou
where practicable IL 1t does not in
: volve too large an expense.
! cannot resist This opportunity t,
I again call your attention 10 The
| necessity OF new charter and or
dinances for the better administra
ton Of village affairs. The presen
one granted In 1884 may have boei
sufficient for that age but the yillag,
has outgrown It. At that time thori
were 10 telephone or electric wires
water. sewer and gas mains in thl
street or no motor vehicle traffic Il
be regulated. All other cities or VII
lagos OF the size OF this one in In,
state have new charters suitable 70
present day needs. There ought 4
| be some effort made to bring thi
about during the present session o
the legislature, and commend thi