The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-03-02

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many have 10 be consulted and there
Is no opportunity for the highway
commissioner TO formulate. In accord
ance with his best Judgment. con
tinucus highway plan. This would
mean that In a few years the con-
struetion Of all the main lines through
out the State would be completed IL
would also enable him. where neces-
sary, 70 increase the expenditure Of
money on those roads that carry the
heaviest traffic. Under present condi-
tons waste is very great. Anyone
who has observed the work on our
highways for the past ten years must
acknowledge that our present system
is very expensive and has not con-
formed TO the well recognized engin-
eering principles Of scientific road
building. 1t has been computed that
the State has not received the equiva-
lent Of over IS per cent Of the money
expended on roads. Local option not
only Is a failure in Vermont but In
every State where it has been tried.
The State Of Iowa in 1904 enacted a
State highway law with the county
local option feature. The result has
been just the same as in this State.
They have not been able 70 build con-
tinuous trunk lines. They begin at
county lines and end at the county
line, the State highway system de-
pending entirely upon county action.
Some counties being progressive have
built modern hard surface roads while
the next county joining would either
continue the dirt road or build gravel
roads. Another feature under the
present local option conditions is the
entire lack Of Standardization Of the
engineers work To realize the great
difference, from an engineers stand
point, Of Vermont's standard Of high
ways, as compared with New York,
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New
Hampshire, all contiguous States, a
trip should be made from Barre to
White River Junction, from there to
Concord over the New Hampshire
State roads, back by way Of Massachu-
sets, and see how entirely lacking Of
finished highway Vermont roads are
compared with the States named. The
good name Of the State demands that
Vermont highways should be built at
as high standard, from an engineers
standpoint, as any other State. II
must be remembered that conditions
that obtained in 1906 have changed
entirely compared with the present
day and road construction that would
be satisfactory at that time would be
an utter failure now. About 100000
automobiles and no trucks were then
in existence throughout the United
States. Over 100000 automobiles
are in operation today with 1000, 900
trucks. Thirty-seven thousand Of the
automobiles are in Vermont. Under
such conditions it would seem to be
criminal folly to hesitate to bring
about drastic change Of policy Of
building our highways so as to bring
Vermont roads to the standard re-
CURED for modern traffic.
Bonding For Highways
PROFESSIONALLY the prepondering
sentiment Of the citizenship Of YER
mont is in the favor Of good roads.
Roads, such as the financial ability Of
the State will warrant, relatively
equal to those of other States, espec-
tally those that are contiguous TO Yer
mont, where there is a great inter
change Of traffic. II is also indisput-
ably true that trunk lines in certain
sections should have hard surface
roads. but this does not imply that all
trunk lines throughout the State must
necessarily be Of that character. Yer
mont should build hard surface roads
where needed. Build roads according
to the traffic should be the controlling
policy. Other States of far greater
wealth than Vermont have adopted
this policy. The vital question with
which the people are concerned is how
these roads are to be built and financ-
ed-whether it is necessary, in order
to obtain the desired standard of
roads, that the State should bond. The
expressions that have been given pub
licity in the State papers indicate a
division of opinion. This is reassur-
ing and heartening as it assures the
whole question will be considered in all
its phases by the electorate before
final determination is made Of a State
policy. The first question that invites
our attention is the comparative abil-
ity Of Vermont TO build hard surface
roads. As 70 Vermont's financial abil-
ity without mourning an intolerable