The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-06-17
INF MPR0VEMENT OF
VILLAGE STREETS
BEGUN TODAY
Lack Of Funds Prohibits Exten-
sive Work
TO GRAVEL MANY STREETS
win Use scarifier on North, South,
Union and Pleasant Streets
Fill Holes on Main

The local street committe and COM
missioner nave agreed upon and got
ten under way campaign against
bad roads in Bennington which should
result in great improvement of most
the village streets. This does not
mean that the town in going to have
new roads nor paved streets, because
II will not have and probably never
will have until the village is bonded
mooye which has been consistently
opposed by the voters. However, by
putting the gravel on some of the
streets, filling the holes in others.
and using the scarifier on some more,
the roads should be made noticibaly
better this summer.
The work on the streets viii be in
charge of Road Commissioner Frank
VI. Crawford So far this has been
bad year to work on the roads, and
at the first of the season, it was found
that the village tools and other equip
ment for this work were in serious
condition. necessitating some delay
while new paraphernalig9 was purchas-
ed or old equipment repaired.
This morning work was started on
North street between the corner of
County street aand Main with the
scarifying machine which was pur-
chased BY the village three years age.
This machine. the use of which is to
rip up the surface of the road to pre-
pare il for resurfacing. is hitehed be-
hind the steam roller and dragged
over the street. Although this ma
chine has bee nowned by the village
for some time, il has never been used
to any great extent and it is now
thought some valuable use can be got
ten from it, The streets upon which
Ifhe scahitler is to be used are North,
South, Union and possibly Pleasant
in the order named. felf 80
Work was begun recently toward
covering some of the streets with gra-
vel These streets will not be torn up
but the coating of gravel will greatly
Improve them for traffic Among the
streets that have already had such an
application or are 10 receive one are
Park, Valentine, Gage, Depot and
Branch. Al present this work is be-
ing done ON Gage street and after its
completion there, Branch will be the
next street treated
II is expected that an engineer from
the office of the State Highway Com
/ missioner will be in town in the near
future to advise the local authorities
concerning the work on Weeks street
A special appropriation was made for
the Improvement of this street at the
last annual village meeting and some
time this summer. this highway will
be put in excellent condition.
Little can be done to Main stheet
az the present time beyond filling up
sCme of the holes with gravel Benn-
ington should have a new main street
but ii is impossible to have one now
for several reasons, chief of which Is
lack OF funds. 1t would also be inn
possible to put in a new street there
until We have a new sewerage system
and until new trolley tracks have
been laid.
Citizons are apt to spend lot of
time in criticism of the Bennington
roads, but few of them have any ad-
vice to offer as to owthey may be
bettered. Any suggestions will be
gladly received by those in charge.
The road committee is we'll aware of
the existing conditions. but they can
not be blamed for this stat of affairs
when they are handicapped by insuf
icient funds and inadequate equipment
I@nhey are at present using all facilit-
les at their command to further plans
OF betterment. The program which
has been mapped out for this summer.
while It will not give Bennington first
class roads nor any pavements. will
materially improve most of the bad
streets. In the present situation that
} is about all that can be justly expect
CO.