Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-24

THE BURLINGTON FIR
VERMONT NEEDS CAMPAIGN OF ROAD EDUCATION
and federal aid the good roads
based the longtime established principle that prov
idence helps those who help themselves AS every town in
Vermont must match the State appropriation if it is to Sc
the State must make appropriation equal yeonts
if we are to secure the aid Of the federal gov
S at is time a the
local. the other national One of these is the statement that
cont highway ready ss x to hand out
Journal gets trouble with the Vermont road system
will have lot of fun" but half million dollars expended
by competent State highway department. in place of these
246 4 local road would build large aggregate
This has been the chief of trouble Burlington
which proposed to remedy by providing competent
road builder to have charge work. which incident
ally will ente Burlington to its share of the State
priaton If the local road commissions would live to the
State regulations the situation would not be as bad at
the present time but has been the Burlington other
are allowed to prevent the respective
tiles from doing the work that would ene them to State
aid and not only the community but also the whole public
not dream Of hiring blacksmith to build house. but
We believe the propositions laid down by Street Commissioner
Unsworth stated in his interview in columns Saturday
Of highways the and
it makes little difference who are behind the work. provided
the same ''''''''
The second statement mentioned refers national aid for
to Richmond despatch the State Of Virginia is to take adj
vantage of national aid to improve no less than $3.50 miles of
Ths State determined the of those
that will for the construction Of the
plans for expenditures amounting to $50 during the
se aud f ts s f
they are based securing O00o0oO from the federal
the government contributing to the highway expenditures
of the various States.
Different characters of construction intended sug
availability of materials there tending toward minimizing the
cost The financing provides obtaining the through
and bonds the various counties certain
quotas which will be voted upon by the people,.
The State highway commission has been and active
in approving engineers plans and specifications for construct
ing roads, and is steadily awarding the county
the Legislature egaize the plan announced
goes WITHOUT saying that owing to CLIMATIC differences
two different things and yet the fundamental financial prn
%e @
the general public which the auto has made to the
gree fitness therefore in the proposition that the federal
government should bear fair portion of the expense of
livery and of the auto roads used very slightly by
the people of other States by the postal system Now all
pecay travelled by host of people
formerly never saw them and the general public now con-
tributes to the of our local. roads provided we show
Now would naturally say that State will be thor
construction of good roads: If intelligent people like the
citizens Of Burlington will let half the without
fortunes of the blamed in the toughest roads to be found in
fourteen countless wonder that rural communities with
gravel pits by the roadside and the soothest roads in the
country in favorable weather do not rise to the opportunity to
outside aid either State federal?
Plainly campaign of education in Vermont as to good
roads pressing need at this time shown by recent Ver
mont meetings and Developments tour of the State shows
striking features of road situation.
In places still building roads and hauling
heavy loads hill ways the fathers constructed when
either side, where the roadway might easily
make shorter detour about the hill practically water
level
In some sections we still wadng through mud low
places much of the when short stretch of stone road
foundation we'll drained would freedom from deep mud
at all times. short bit of deep mud spoil entire
trunk for the general public and especially for auto
travel.
In of places permitting loose stone to
main the roadway the round and forcing the general
public as ourselves out vehicles otng
the This has been true Of Burlington of some
other communities but hoping for grateful
change this respect These and other road evils will readily
suggest themselves to the reader needing remedy.
competent road authority has laid down these general
princpes every mile Of road integral part of
road system for the township county and State That
means State road SYSTEM and other things Avoid
heavy grades wherever possible Avoid troublesome water
n%oF