The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-03-02
FINANCING PERMANENT
ROADS IN VERNON

Ne more important subject siiI
come before the American people fo'
consideration and solution the next
Eve years than the question Of how
best TO build and maintain permanent
Highways and keep the expenses incl
dent thereto within reasonable limits
20 that taxation necessary 70 the pro
gress Of this great work shall not be
come an unbearable burden. IL is q
great problem to solve and requires
the very best business thought Of the
citizenship Of nation and state In
1894 New Jersey passed a law creating
a highway department under the man
sgement Of highway commissioner
In 1892 Massachusetts and Vermont
passed a similar law; California and
Connecticut in 1895; Maryland and
New York 1898. These were the first
seven States, and the only ones prior
10 1900, that enacted legislation for
the deininte purpose Of improving
h6hW1y0- ~ HiNsN NC itAhthibtfNN'
however, that the contemplated roads
were not for automobiles but horse
drawn vehicles. II was practically the
old macadam road. The Vermont law
In 1892 merely enacted that per cent
be assessed upon the grand list Of all
towns and cities in the State and re-
distributed again TO them upon tieir
milesge. There was no State super
vision, nor did the State contribute any
money from the State treasury TO CON
struct and maintain roads. For four
teen years until 1906 90 far AS the
permanent highway construction was
concerned the State merely marked
6me. In 1906 an appropriation Of
$50, 900 was made 10 be met by the
several towns. There was appointed
for each county supervisor who had
charge Of the roads in mis- county
under the supervision Of the State
highway commissioner. The law Of
1906 is practically the law Of today
modified somewhat by amendments,
but the underlying principles are the
same. Vermont unquestionably made
mistake in allowing the principles Of
this law to control the highway policy
which it has for the past sixteen years.
The vital defect in this law is the local
option feature which makes it impera-
tive that the 24S towns and cities in
the State have practically a determin-
ing voice in the laying out and con-
struction Of the roads. 1t is utterly
impossible under modern requirements
to get satisfactory results unless this
policy is changed entirely and central
lied under State management. This
means that all trunk lines should be
built, controlled, and maintained by the
State. The subsidiary lines in the diff
ferent towns can remain under the
control of the officials of those, the
same as today The basic principles
of highway construction are the same
as the building of railroads and it is
just as imperatively necessary that the
highways should be built under engin-
eer supervision as railroads. Why
not? When New Jersey and Massa-
chusetts, thirty years ago, built their
roads they cost from $4,000 to $4,000
mile New Jersay last year opened
road from Newark TO Trenton sec
tions of which cost $4,000 a mile-the
average cost was over 100000. Last
November it opened 81 miles from
Camden to Atlantic City which cost
s57 900 a mile. Massachusetts is
building the road from Boston to
Springfield, also Boston to Newbury-
port, costing over $4,000 a mile, and
over Shelburne Mountain 100000 a
mile. The 100000 miles Of railroads
in the United States-the average cost
was $4,000 a mile. This comparison
ought to be conclusive evidence that
Vermont, in order to meet the de-
mands Of the traffic on trunk high
ways, must adopt the same policy that
kas been found necessary in other
States. Vermont itself has a concrete
illustration of the principle Of State
control in the building Of it, bridges.
Under the first State law extending
aid in the building Of bridges the
selection Of an engineer was lrfc en-
tirely TO the towns. This was found
absolutely impractical as very few
towns possessed selectmen that we're
qualified to make sn intelligent selec-
ton. The law has been changed so at
the present time cur bridges are not
only built under plans made by
State engineer, but under his super
vision. All bridges that are not so
built the State will not contribute
towards their buildings. This has
proved a very satisfactory and salu-
tary law. efficient and economical IN