The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-17

from Hyde Park to Newport, from
MIDI essex to Warren from Yer.
gennes to Bristol, from Manchester
to Granville, n. f., from st. Johns.
bury to Guildhall, from Montpelier
to st. Johnsbury, from Brattleboro
to Londonderry, from Rutland TO
Ludlow, from LUDLOW to Bellows
Fails, from Burlington through tae
Islands, from Newport to Island
Pend, from Barre to Brad ord, enl
few other similar highways, alto.
gether we'll upwards Of thousand
miles OF trunk line Vermont roads.
Making O real start toward bund-
ing q hard surface road system 70"
Vermont would compel pairing down
| the mileage to the fewest that could
be considered genuine state sys
TEN. AS will be seen from the fore
going Ggnos, the irreducible mini
mum Is not much below 200 mi es
and the very size of the total cost
makes bonding formidable $40 OoOd
900, at the lowest estimate.
In the long run It would make no
di ference whether the bonding was
scattered along for twenty years or
was all In one lump The annual
cost for interest and sinking fund
would Do considerably greater than
to start building the same 100 miles
by direct tax at the rate Of 40 to so
miles year
We know II VIII be said lhat 1t Is
nonsense to talk OF bonding for any
sach large amount, that what we
shoud do il to bond for Two or three
millions to provide cement roads
where they are most needed. snd
then for two or three more million to
20 ahead with the work Such a
scheme seems TO me unfair to the
great majority OF the towns Of Yer
mont. Two or three millions VIII
build only tew miles OF road. II
placed where most needed i would
nroyide a cement road from Rutland
to poultney, from Barre to Mont
polier. from Montpe Ter to Mortified
from burlington to Wiillsion and
from White River Junction to Wind
sor or equal mileage In other select
Cd local ties. As thus outlined, only
~ Of the 2a7 towns OF Vermont
would get a sect on CT cement road
from a bond issue equal to the grand
list Of all the towns and cities OF the
state,
II can be readi y seen that bond
issue would not We Just unless II
wae large enough to yrogide " card
s1r ace road systcn' w'th rs bene'
r;s fairly Distributed o'er tho stale
ANYTHING less than > 7oo.m.le system
could hardly be cons derct and that
would mean bonding Vermont L
sjx or seven times is gra list. So
heavy debt could hardly be hoated
rnlese payments were distributed
over period Of thirty years or more.
Bends at pes cent on thirty year
basis means taylng the prime oai
and approximately 100 per cent n
interest. II the bonded debt we're
sls 100000 the total payments CT
prlncipa and interes. would be $3S,'
100000. To pay 40 huge deot
would mean heavier burden every
year for upwards OF thirty years
than would be required to build 200
miles OF cement road in dozen OF
fifteen wears under a pay.as.you.so
policy which would have the whole
bin paid when the system was com
pieted. The proposal to bond the
state to build hard sur ace roads az
pears to us emphatcal wrong bust
ness policy
The theory alat tho bonds could be
met BY the automobile registration
fses slll not work In TACT. Every
dollar OF that money Is neeGed for
maintenance purposes and always
win be. Even If the state could be
provided With 700 miles OF cement
roads, there would sti remain some
5000 miles OF sc-called selected roads
and 5000 miles OF other roads which
mast be kept open and usablc II
the motor registration fees were
used for paying interest on state
bonds, direct tax !or maintenance
would be absolutely certain
There is no ouija board process
BY whlcA Vermont can get a system
OF hard surface highways, The es-
genital necromancy IL to pay the cost
and the less interest and extra book
Keeping the better it will be for the
citizens and taxpayers.
II tho motor car owners of Yer
mont are wi ling to pay a two cent
tax on gasoline for term of years
as suggested in TIE Banner a few
days ago, ana The hisNwoy depart
ment can be coaxed 20 divert most
CT its SO called permanent road
work TO cement construction. the