The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-01-16

: ceipts for money received for th
, state by departments and persons en-
ployed by the state should be covere
: directly into the state treasury.
1t would be tiresome 10 10 into IN
full details Of such system o
accounting, but 1t can be worked 'ou
with the help Of expert accountants.
: believe that instead Of examina
tions by the Bank Commissioner
whose duties in connection with tn
: examination of state banks Shout,
take all of his time, the state shoul,
J have a certified accountant make ex
lamination Of all state books ant
accounts relating to the receipts ano
disbursements Of money at leas. twice
Ievery year.
4 All material in state institutions anc
departments bought and on hare
should be made matter of careful!
Inventory, so that the exact condition
Of such department and institutions
In relation to state property could at
MI times be determined by an examin-
tion. This has already been done in
state institutions during the year 1918.
Highways
The problem of good roads is one that
Affects every citizen and resident in
Vermont, and has direct influence on
every kind Of busines and every public
and private activity. Our present
system of highway construction is an
outgrowth of the township form of
government, which, while it represents
the purest form of democracy so far
as internal government is concerned,
is very difficult to adjust to the neces-
sites of highway construction, now
that the automobile has brought all
parts of the state close together, and
the motor truck is fast taking the
place of horse drawn vehicles for the
transportation of produce and other
merchandise over our highways. The
value of farm or manufacturing prop
erty is measured somewhat by its dis
tance from the market where its pro-
ducts are sold. A farm which is To-
Gated ten miles from its market center
on road which is good and passable
for a motor truck is in fact nearer the
market and more accessible than a
farm located three miles from its
market center upon road impossible
for such vehicles six months in the
year.
Under the town system we are
likely to have 247 different kinds of
fJ.tds, owing to the different ideas of
247 road commissioners, and although |
the provisions for state and county
represent decided ad-
vance, we are nevertheless faced by
the necessity of changing our plan of
highway construction and maintenance
so that we shall have, not only better
town roads in our 247 towns, but con-
tinuous highways from town to town
and from county to county, which may
be travelled with safety and conven-
ence at all seasons of the year.
To this end it seems desirable for
you TO consider whether it would be
veil to place the construction Of GER
ain selected highways in the hands OF
/ state board, to consist OF the state
highway commissioner, the state en-
yineer and the governor ex oificio.
We are spending in the vicinity Of a
million dollars a year for highway ,
and survey of conditions
n Vermont during the months Of +,
october and November in the year
91S must convince any student of -,
Dad building conditions that there is .
radically wrong with our {
resent plan of highway construction I
nd maintenance. The results accom- /
lished for the past ten years have not |
cen commensurate with the heavy /
expenditures which have been incur n
cd. You should consider some radical I
hange to be made therein, and wheth- O
Il the state should adopt policy re- |,
aaring its highways as profitable
iyestinent and not entirely as per-
etual expense. o
am not advocating bond issue q
or do | consider it necessary for the n
ate TO borrow any large amount OF o
ioney at one time. But it is fact r
lat the money collected from auto G
iobile licenses, from the state tax, r
I'd from legislative appropriations, is ST
Efficient to maintain all the perman- m
1t roads of the state, considerably ir
lproye the town roads, pay the inter- II
i on such loans as you may consider bl
,cessary to authorize for permanent pt
ghway construction, and provide q HI
hiking fund for retiring the bonus at tr
cir maturity, should you consider it bi
ise to authorize such an issue. fr
do not conceive il my duty TO m