The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-26

| invite development by means of SUI
! perb system of the most approved mod
ern highways. A project should be
carefully worked Shy engineers and
road building experts, acting under a
commission to be named by the COVER
nor, after the state has definitely adopt
ed the idea in general. Just so far as
humanity possible, the matter should be
removed both from politics and from
local and community pressure. We
want a highway system that will best
serve the state as whole without re-
gard to other interests.
In working out the project attention
should be given the secondary high
ways as well as the main trunk lines,
from professional standpoint, though
the construction and maintenance of
these highways should be left with the
town authorities, the towns being re-
lieved altogether of the care of the
trunk lines. There should be an equal
ization of the burden of road mainte
nance among the towns, more encour-
aging to outlay by the poor and weak
towns than at present.; also the same
general state supervision and control, to
the end that the funds be wisely ex
pended. It will never do to slight or neg
} lect these necessary arteries of travel
and transportation, which in many
cases are the only roads that serve our
home residents directly.
When it comes to the trunk lines as
before mentioned, a project should he
definitely worked out for a system
which, when completed, will thorough
ly serve the state for purposes of state
wide or through traffic Fortunately.
the scheme cannot be very involved or
present many troublesome problems.
Vermont needs one main permanent line
of highway up the state on each side of
the mountain range; from the south
western corner as far north as Bur
lington on the west side and from the
southeastern corner as far north as
White River Junction on the east side.
From Burlington northward, one fork
should lead through the island route,
and the other by the mainland via st.
Adams On the east side, q branch line
should follow the White river valley to
Barre and Montpelier, forking there to
lead in one direction down the Winooski
10 Burlington, and in the other east
ward, connecting at st. Johnsbury with
the easternmost branch, which should
follow the Connecticut from White Riv-
er Junction and the Passumpsic In
should extend from ST. Johnsburv to
Newport, from Newport to Richford,
Enosburg Falls and st. Adams; also
from Waterbury past Mansfield to Nor
risviile, and northeasterly to Coventry
and Newport. Across the mountain
range in southern and central Vermont
there should be two or three connecting
links-via Peru to Manchester, via
Woodstock to Rutland, via Bethel and
Rochester to Brandon.
A survey of these routes would prob
ably total considerably more than 500
miles We predict that it would be
easier to secure the adoption of practi-
cally the whole scheme than to lop off
any considerable part of it. Of course
it couldn 7 all be built at once; it would
involve the labor of several years and
be a task of much magnitude, vet one
hat other states tackle without hest
fancy and accomplish without distress.
We have much of the road materials
right here. Convict labor could be en-
Ployed. Most of it is done by machin-
cry anyway.
But do you know what all this is go
ing to cost asks the appalled, taxpayer.
No not exactly and nobody can
know in advance. Many millions of
dollars, doubtless-perhaps twenty or
thirty before it is completed. At an cs-
innate, one dollar on the dollar of the
grand list of the state if raised all at
once. What is that? A mere bagatelle
Many town is raising tax of that
amount every year for some special
emergency. But it 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 OPP
posed bonding for permanent high
ways. 1t 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
feel it. 1t has not suffered by the ex-
penditure of probably as much money
by individuals for motor vehicles in the
mast dozen years. The registration and
fees from these would alone help ma
terially in the public outlay.
Whatever it costs it would be worth
the cost, and that is the main thing.
The value to Vermont of a properly cor
related and distinctly modern highway
systematic best in this part of the
country-cannot be overestimated. We
spend scores of thousands of dollars in
this state each year for this and that,
with nothing to show for it. Now let s
lay down some real hard substantial,
all the-seasOn roadway that we can see
and use. Let's ask our neighbors in to
use it; let's treat them white; perhaps