The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-23
Bic TRUCKS PLAY
HAVOC ON ROADS
New Hampshire Highways
Ruined by Heavy
Traffic
STATE HAS FUNDS
FOR REPAIRS ONLY
Commissioner IrGc.,ses Scheme to Tax
Large Vehicles by Weight Rather Than
by se-Pawer-MOuntain Roads Es-
nor

!
Large Vehicles by Weight Rather Than
by HOrse-P awer-M0untain Roads Es-
cape.
CONCORD, \. H, March 23-Lack
of funds for the highway department,
outside of what is absolutely necessary
for maintenance, means patchwork on
the state roads this season.
Such was the substance of a state
ment made today by State Highway
Commissioner Frederick E. Everett Mr.
Everett was discussing the boulevards'
condition as the result of heavy truck
! operations this winter.
Until the legislature makes an appro-
| priation for the highway department it
will be impossible for Commissioner Fv-
erett to lay out full program for the
coming seasons maintenance work. He
| expects, however, to have sufficient
funds to make necessary repairs and is
! proceeding on that ASSUMPTION
Commissioner Everett discussed spe-
! cifc instances of damage done the high
WAYS by heavily loaded trucks.
Inc sections OF road on the Daniel
| Webster highway, must be rebuilt. but
| that cannot be done this year for the
reason that we have no money aside
| from what must be used i'll mainten-
anee,' he said. I'VE have, to be sure,
| funds which must be used in the com
| pletlon of federal projects, but none for
new construction or rebuilding.
! I've have already started the work
| OF repairing the road between Concord
and Nashua and have one crew at work
| in the town of Merrimack and another
/ IN HOoksett. Within six weeks we will
have all of the bad spots in the state
/ roads repaired, but such repairs will be
only temporary, and should we get an
other winter without snow next sea
: son, the highways will again suffer be
| cause of the heavy truck traffic. but not
as much as has been the case this win
| ter, as we have Just enacted a law Civ
| ing the highway commission authority
to regulate the Use of, trucks during
certain seasons of the year.
| We have photographs, which were
| obtained by the committee on revision
of the statutes. of sections of the high
way between Manchester and Concord
! showing how the damage done by heavily
| loaded trucks operated on what is
! known as water bound macadam road.
| To repair this damage it viii be neces-
sary TO serarify the damaged sections.
| roll them into shane and give them
! treatment of tarvia, in other words
/ they viii be yeneered and made smooth
| But this is only Temporary treatment.
TO rebuild the damaged sections
| would cost at least $4,000. It is posi-
| BILE that we may be able 10 spend half
| OF that amount on repairs on this
! highway, but probably not more than
/ that
Webster Road Ruined
! The commissioner was asked if the
/ damage done by heavily loaded trucks
to the Daniel Webster highway was.
the state. He said it was, for the rea-
son that the truck traffic Is heavier
| both in volume and weight of vehicles
! on that section of the state highways
than upon other parts of the system
He said that the superb section of
| state highway known as the Lafayette
| road, running from Portsmouth into
| Massachusetts, shows sions of the traf-
| lie over 1t by heavy vehicles and that
cracks have been discovered in many
| places which indicate that further dam
! age NAV be expected unless there Is
some restrict ion placed upon the loads
! which may be carried on motor vehicles.
Commissioner Everett said trucks us
| ing the Lafayette road the past winter
| have. in many instances, carried load
of $4,000 pounds, thus making the
groSs weight upon the highway of such
| loaded vehicles about l6 tons
Asked as to how much money there
/ would be available for repair of state
! highways, Commissioner Everett said he
| could not say. as he had not received re-
| appropriated for highway work.
What roads will he first to receive
| attention this spring." was asked, and
| Commissioner Everett replied:
we are getting our mon out rs fast
as we can upon all of the roads. and
within a very short time our spring
work will be in full operation
Mountain Roads Escape.
Commissioner Everett said that there
| has been practically no damage done the
roads in the White mountain section
this winter by trucks, and it viii not re-
/ quire more than ordinary treatment TO
/ put such highways in proper condition
for tourist traffic in ample season for
motorists who visit that part of New
! Hampshire as soon as weather condi-
! tons are conducive to pleasure travel.
! Commenting upon the proposed motor
| vehicle law. which would change the
| basis Of registration from horse power
to weight of vehicle and regulate the
weight of load carried, also put the bur
| den of maintenance expense upon the
! heavy truck Commissioner Everett cx-
pressed the hope that the legislature
would pass the bill without amendment
He anticipated a revenue of consider
+ ably more than half million dollars
/ from the registration of motor vehicles.
all of which, with the exception of what
IL -