Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-02-16
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Does Not Favor Federal Road Aid
Mr. Editor.

Mr.. Editor:
1t would be impossible for an or
dlnary voter to answer all of the
questions on the individual ballot sent
out by the Greater Vermont Asso-
citation with intelligence and accurate
judgment. One says it would take
could. l think it would take high
way expert of wide experience, who
has had chance to study and observe
precedents and experiments along the
lines suggested by these questions. l
do not pretend to answer them with
any degree of accuracy. / can only
say what l think. Our legislature
should not be influenced by this poll.
If any of these suggestions have
been tried out in any of our neigh
boring states, they should be studied.
Two of these questions have been
tried out in this country. III, most
fully on the Orleans-C Coventry strip of
federation road, and Nv, to an extent
sufficient to give US an idea as to
what outcome would would be expect
ed from such on the ballot-in their
order.
I. Shall more attention be paid to
a course-the cement bridge in Cow
discuss these later under their proper
heads. Let US discuss the questions
the improvement of secondary and
town doads / consider it a wise
plan of the state to help out what we
call "back" or cross roads. The state
should cooperate harmoniously with
the towns on these roads, as they have
with the towns on the so-called State
roads. / live on such a road as the
latter, and can see how it has work
ed out as / described in another let
ter. The farmers living on the Sec
ondary and town roads ought to feel
feel that they have an interest in
these roads to the extent of getting
out day or two each year and help
improve them. ] think it all rests
with hte commissioner and patroman
to lead the way. The patrolman on
the Coventry-Irasburg road gets
right after the farmers and leads
them right to it. Figure what it
means if everyone helps a little,
MANY Meikles Make Muckle."
The dripping water drop by drop,
Will wear away the hardest rock.
Over 1000 farmers in Orleans Coun-
ty, means about % men and teams for
Is days, OF six and one-half months,
q longer time than could be found in
one season suitable to work on a road.
Then all auto owners who are not
farmers should help or hire the same,
which would mean probably, at least,
15 or more men all summer, making
total of over 40 men and teams all
summer for Orleans County alone.
II. "Shall the Town Road Tax be
expended only on secondary and Town
Roads? No. leave the town to have
an interest in these so-called State
Roads, for reasons / have outlined
above and in my previous letter of
January 21st, as applied to what has
been done on this Coventry-Irasburg
strip.
Nv. "Shall the State of Vermont
take over a system of State Roads,
and the expenditures of all funds
available for such roads be placed un-
der the management and jurisdiction
of the State Highway Commissioner?
/ take this question next, instead Of
three (IID, because it really belongs
with Question II-corelated with it, so
my comments on IL and letter of JAN
uary 21st, would be my answer to
this one
However, I would add a few COM
nents upon the cement bridge referred
to above. Coventry was given $4,000
by the State to build this bridge, but
Coventry had no say in its construc-
,tion or upon the outlay of it's funds.
All are sure it cost much more than
had the selectmen been given juris-
diction, some say about double. Talk
with any of the Coventry people and
see what they say.
III. Shall the State avail itself of
the Federal Aid offered by the Ma
tional Government? My letter of
January 21st is part answer to this,
but l wish to add to that, and review
some statements in that letter. This
as we'll as that embodied in
Questions ii and Nv would be confer
ring autocratic powers upon higher
governments than town, and we as
towns, surrendering all rights, priv
leges, and jurisdiction on these State
Roads or Trunk Lines, and thereby
eliminating forever the get-together
plans suggested above, and leave an
opening for red tape and bureaucracy
10 creep in. AS it now is the select
men have charge of the permanent
petent man to take charge of it.
ection, and the selectmen are respon-
;ible to the voters every March meet
ng. | am told that some one has
made a trip to Montpelier to ascer-
ain as to whether my intimation was
correct, in the letter printed Jan q,
hat the extra cost of this Fedral job,
,bove the contract price was borne by
he State, and he claims he was told,
It must be borne by the Contractor
intimated this, because l had been
old by several parties that the con-
ractor. did not, for several reasons,
lave to stand all the extra expense,
,ut however, that may be, it does not
change, in my opinion, the argu-
nents against the Federal aid propo-
ition, on single iota, for the simple
eason that if that contractor had had
1ast sums of money rung out of him
" the Federal Government, Uncle
Sam may experience some difficulty
n locating another victim for those
five Million Dollars worth of roads,
Vermont accepts the Federal aid,
lnless they pay price based upon
he cost of this famous strip, other
hings being equal, or build it them
olives which ayaruona nr1uht tn