The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1920-08-19
FRANK w. AGAIN
His Views on State Highways

\ Every one in the State of Vermont is in favor
| of good roads, but hardly two men agree as to the
\ best way to get them Merely talking about good
H roads won't help things much Who's got real
\ plan? Who's prepared to give us ''new deal" in
i building good roads? Who's running for governor
without consulting the political road machine in the
State of Vermont?
Not Mr. Emery, whose district has the best
roads IN the state because the present road commits
slOner lives there;
Not Mr.. Rabbit, who merely proposes to extend
the present system and re-appoint the present high
way commissioner;
Not Mr.. Hardness, whose campaign centers
about establishing industries for Yer
mont and letting the roads take Of themselves
In his various speeches, Mr. Agan has pointed
out that bad roads wear out standard cars 8 per
cent faster than good roads, that the difference in
the cost OF gasoline is about 20 per cent to say moth
ing about tires.
Figuring 10000 Vermont cars at $1,000 each,
this yearly loss runs into something like $20000O0
year. Worth saving, isn't it?
What's the Aoan nlan? It's told in two words:
SURFACE and DRAINAGE.
Nothing new about that, you say? True enough,
France has had roads of the gaS-saving, upkeep-
saving type for years. French good roads helped to
win the war. Mr.. Agan favors the French PLAN
What's the French plan? Merely deep bitches
and side drainage with as good surface as your
money can buy, water prOofed if possible. That /.
plans good for stone roads, gravel roads and dirt
roads. It's good for selected highways county high
ways, crOss-state highways and town highways. 1t
tells the whole story of bad roads good roads and
how to get them.
Costs money, you say? True again, but we've 3
got the money to spend and can get as much more if
,,clCx l.; w Of
Improvement
If motOr-car owners could save any part of that "
S2;0000O0 wouldn't they be willing to pay tax?
Wouldn't you be glad to have more money spent for
town roads and cross roads?
AS a matter of fact, we're not using all the
money raise now, due to various causes. There is
money in the state treasury right than the
highway department knows what to do with.
Ordinary folks are paying all the taxes they can
stand at present; what as our tax system is not the
lack of something to tax, but the unequal way that
taxes are assessed
A man buys $4,000 house and is assessed-say
$4,000. At $3.50 on the grand list the tax on his
house would be $780, man buys $4,000 car and he
pays probably $40 horse power tax for the first year,
with sliding scale after that Anything right about
that?
Once more: The light car which costs less than
$1,000, pays a horse power tax of $40 The big,
heavy, expensive car, which costs more than five
times much and Injuries the highway ten times as
much pays perhaps $40 Is that fair distribution
of the burden?
Mr. Agan owns heavy and he says No.
So here's program: Better roads by better
methods; more tax, if necessary by readusting the
burden. No bonded debt. No heavier burden on the
ordinary taxpayer!
Has any one else a better plan?
Has any other candidate any definite plan?
If you want change, vote for Agan. If you /
want the sort of roads you've got now, vote for
one of his opponents. III
THE AGAIN CLUB OF LUDLOW III
Allen ID. Ball, Secretary HI