The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-05-20


On The east side Prom burlington
northNard. enc fork should lead
through ihc island route. and the other
- the mainland VIA 81 Adams On
the east side. a brsnch line should fol
low the White river valley 70 Barre
and Montpelier, forking there 70 lead
10 one direction down the Winoosh 20
Burlington, and in the other eastward,
connecting At St Johnsbury with the
eastcrmost branch. which should fol-
low the Connecticut from White River
Junction and the Passumpsic. In
northern Vermont branches and later
ais should extend from ST. Johnsbury
70 Newport, from Newport 10 Rich
ford. Enosburg Falls and St Adams;
also from Waterbury past Mansfield
10 Morrisville. and northeasteriy TO
Coventry and Newport. Across the
mountain range in southern and cen
trail Vermont there should be two or
three connecting links-yia Peru 70
Manchester, vii Woodstock to Rutland.
via Bethel and Rochester to Brandon.
a survey OF these routes would
probably total considerably more than
500 miles. We predict that il would
be easier 20 secure the adoption of
practically the whole scheme than TO
lop off any considerable part Of IT, OF
course il couldn't all be built at once;
il would involve the labor OF several
years and be task of much magni-
tude, yet one that other states tackle
without hesitancy and accomplish
without distress. We have much Of
the road materials right here. Convict
labor could be employed. Most Of II
is done by machinery anyway.
But do you know what all this is
going TO cost ? asks the appalled, tax
payer. No not exactly and nobody can
know in advance. Many millions of
dollars. doubtless-perhaps twenty or
thirty before il is completed. At an
estimate, one dollar on the dollar of
the grand list of the state if raised all
at once What is that? A mere baga-
telle. Many a town is raising a tax Of
that amount every year for some spec
ial emergency. But il would have to
be raised that way. The only feasible
method--the method universally fol-
lowed in these large public improve
ments--is bonding. This paper has
opposed bonding for permanent high
ways. II now recants. We need the
highways and bonding is the best way
TO bring them. The project could be
easily and safely financed. Spread
over period Of years, Vermont would
never feel it. 1t has not suffered by
the expenditure Of probably as much
money by individuals for motor
vehicles in the past dozen years. The
registration and fees from these would
alone help materially in the public
outlay.
Whatever il costs il would be worth
the cost, and that is the main thing.
The value to Vermont of properly
correlated and distinctly modern high
way systematic best in this part of
he country-cannot be overestimated.
We spend scores of thousands of dol
airs in this state each year for this
and that, with nothing to show for il.
Now let's lay down some real hard,
all-the-season roadway
hat we can see and use. Let's ask our
leighbors in to use it; let's treat them
white; perhaps they will come and
'tay with us. Anyway, well have the
highways ourselves.
Remember. France, Europe, civiliz-
.tion were saved by the permanent
-oads over which the poilus were hur-
led in motors to Northumberland &
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