The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-11-24
THE FEDERAL GOOD ROADS BILL
A Communication in the Rutland Her
aid From c. A. MintIer Of Willis
the Editor OF the Herald

] Ton.
To the Editor OF the Herald
II should be Of interest to Vermont
to note that on November 10, Presi-
dent Harding signed the Townsend
good roads bill, appropriatins s75,
100000 from the federal treasury to
aid the state in road building.
The Townsend bill creates a federal
highway commission Of five members.
1t provides that the federal highway
commission shall have the exclusive
power TO designate the roads in each
state which may receive federal aid,
and also the type Of construction.
There is no definite system outlined.
but 1t is planned to expend all federal
funds on just two roads in each state
which are set apart and known as in
terstate roads.
One Of the qualifications a state will
have to comply with to receive that
aid, is that these roads will first have
to be under the absolute control Of the
state. Vermont today has no such
roads and cannot have them until the
next session Of our legislature.
The question which should be upper
most in the minds Of all Vermonters,
that are interested in our roads, is are
we going to elect legislative body
next year that will give authority TO
some commission to take over Yer
mont's first system Of state controlled
highways? IT is not going to be
question what Vermont's next gov
ernor thinks or does, or stands for, II
is going to be, whether Vermont is
going to adopt a state-controlled sys-
TEN Of highways and get the federal
aid that it is entitled to get, or 10
continue its present policy and get
what the federal highway commission
er sees fit to hand out TO us.
Get out your pencils, you good Yer
norters and figure for yourself what
vermont's portion Of $4,000 600
should be, and also remember that this
federal highway commission will be in
operation before next summer. and al
70 II you will, remember that our last
legislature was urged by progressive
.itizens 70 create a state commission
With power TO determine the location
4 system OF state controlled high ;
Ways. Their failure to handle this
question will probably place I,
ur present highway commissioner
nd highway commission in an en-
arrassing position before next sum-
ner rolls around IL, in fact, il does not
clay entirely Vernont's participation :
4 this SIS 100000 fund for one whole !,
ear. In making this statement, ]
ave knowledge that there are any
unber Of states that are Immediately
! position 20 conform 20 any request !.
he federal highway commission may !.
AXE and I know that Vermont Is not :
th1t position and cannot get in that
osition until our next legislature con
anes. :.
Our roads have divided control, s
lrtrol being in three hands First,
b town road commissioners, second,
II selectmen, and third, by the state !,
vhvay commissioner. The charces
-e that the federal highway commits .
oner will neither recognize. or have ),
u very little interest in any such
vided responsibility. =
I have been advocating for three
onths a 5oo-mile plan of state con
oiled trunk line roads. built Of hard
Irface and 70 be completed within
re years The issue Is sound or az