The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-25
REFERENDUM ON
ROAD POLICIES
Chamber of Commerce
Members Express Their
Preferences
IMPROVEMENT OF
TOWN ROADS DESIRED
Sharp Division of Sentiment as to
Whether Special Commission Should
Designate State Roads and Whether
Roads Should BE in Charge of Board.

Highway laws and policies have been
given thoughtful consideration by mem
beIs of the Brattleboro chamber of Com
merce during the past few days as shown
by the return yesterday of individual bal
lots pertaining to referendum No. l of
the Greater Vermont association, which
were mailed to the members late last
week. Out of 1870 ballots sent out SO had
been marked, signed returned to the sec
retary's office and tabulated mp to last
night
While the referendum on the subject OF
highway laws and policies on statewide
scale through the different organizations
of the state each of the various organiza-
tions is taking It's own vote and the bal
lots are returned TO the organization
which sends them ont, which III this case
! is the Chamber Of Commerce. James p
| Taylor, secretary of the Greater Vermont
association, telephoned here yesterday
urging that the Brattleboro ballots be
| tabulated as soon as possible that the
results might be announced in the news
! naUers of the state bv the middle OF the
week. 1t is desired that all the organi-
zatious east their ballots before Feb. /.
/ The opinion of the members was asked
| ON the following six questions:
/ I. Shall more attention be paid to the
Improvement OF secondary and town
,. Shall the town road tax be expended
only on secondary and town roads
| 3 Shall the state avail itself of the fed
eral aid offered by the national govern
/ mentz
| /. Shall the state of Vermont take over
| a system of state roads. and the eXpendi-
lures of all funds available for such roads
be placed under the management and lHr-
| isdiction of the state highway commits
i sioucr,
; Shall the roads in this system be de
tcrmined by special commission ap,
tpontcd hy the governor:
8. Shall a state highway board be ere
ated TO have charge of the construction
and maintenance Of roads in the state OF
y cTmuatr
Attention was called to tie fact that in
ease the sixth question was answered II
the affirmative question four would bt
construed tn mean highway board instead
Of state highway commission
OF the 50 ballots returned Gne Was
blank but a desire was EXPRESSED tor the
improvement OF roads in this part of the
| state, and the remaining 70 voted on one
or more of the questions. In the case o.
the first question 60 favored mprovms
| secondary aud town roads. hvc were op
Il posed and six did not vote ut all.
| In reply To the second question - were
in favor. u were against. and nine die
Regarding the third question -oertainin.
to federal aid Is voted i'm favor, ont
against. and three did not vote,
In the case of the fourth question as t
: whether the state should take over a sys
tenn of state roads and the expenditure o
funds for same. y voted in favor. fou
against. and three did not vote.
Question five as To whether roads IN
state road system should he determined
| hv a special commission. was answered n
the affirmative by IS while > were IN tn
| negative. and four did not vote
| The question as to whether "a state hlgh
way board should be created to tax
charge Of road construction and manten
-, | ance was answered yes by %. white
said no and one did not vote.