The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-26
Hard Surface Roads

Quite naturally after the rapid
strides made by the State of Yer.
mont this past season In the construc
ton OF hard surface roads comes a
discussion on whether the state
would go on with the work next year.
1t has been suggested and even urged
IL some quarters that authority be
granted by they state legislature when
1t next meets for issuance of long
term bonds to cover the expense of
4 comprehensive road construction
program whItr will benefit Vermont
ers from the Massachusetts state line
to the Canadian border.
Speaking recently before the Rut
land Chamber of Commerce, Frank
L. Howe Of Bennington, formerly
lieutenant governor, went on rec.
ord as opposed to the bonding Of
Vermont for any such purpose. not
because hard surface roads are not
desirable. but because the time has
come when the state must live with
in its income. Furthermore, Nv
Howe said that II would not be worth
while to bond people for something
which the citizens OF the state must
pay money for even after the period
OF usefulness OF the article bonded
for had passed
Both of these arguments contain
all the elements of hard headed bust
ness sense and are even worthy OF
more than usual consideration at
this particular time of the states
and country's financial condition.
We do not believe. however. tlat
Mr.. Howe ever meant to go on rec
ord as opposed to the construction
CT any more hard surface roads In
Vermont in the near future
1 There are those who labor under
the deusion that a good gravel road
can be built at the cost of approx
imately nine or ten thousand dollars
mile when the facts of the case are
that a mile of such road costs in
the neielbGrhood OF $4,000 to
build. The cost Of a mile OF cement
road is not greatly in excess of
this figure and n cement road prop
erly built will outlive gravel road
many seasons. There lis further
more the item Of upkeep In the care
OF gravel roads that quickly eats up
the economy of their original CON
struction.
As matters stand today, 1t would
seem that the best course for the
state. highway department to follow
would be to keep the gravel roads
that we have at present in as good
,AeyflIA anI anA,,1
the larger part. of the highway
money for hard surface roads where
their need Is most keenly felt, Such
nrogram would not means scores Of
miles Of new road built per year.
but IL would mean many miles of
road we'll built, highways the upxeep
of which need not worry the states
res N''laNrr fN~ some time to come,
If the state has money to build
III u a.. es of gravel road. let tho
department build q number OF
miles of hard surface road with the
funds, keeping the states gravea
road in good repair and adding
yearly to Vermonts mileage Of &C.
ment concrete highways.
Such a program if carried out
will give Vermont in a few years
the same kind OF roads and as many
miles of them as would bond issue
OF several millions of dollars which
the state cannot afford 1t will
take q longer number OF years, but
when these highways are completed,
they will be paid for and at no per-
iod of the game will The voters Of
the state be stared in the face with
millions Of dollars worth of bonds
that eventually they must dig down
into their pockets to pay. Rutland
News.