The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-29
10 MILES Of ROAD
CONS|DERED D BY
PUBLIC MEET INC
Effort to Get Pownal Road Built
in One Year
QUESTION is OF FINANCE
Plan Approved as Good Business
But State Has to Satisfy 9th
er Sections at Same Time

er OecllOIlS at came lime
Ten miles OF road between the vii.
lage of Bennington and the Massa-
chugetts state line was the subject OF
an interesting discussion at a rather
unusual gathering In the Putnam
House dining room Thursday after.
noon.
There were SO persons present and
the gathering WAS at the invitation of
the Bennington village trustees and
Village President Fred G., Martin as
executive agent.
The guests invited were the sena-
tors and representatives from Ben.
lnington county, the selectmen OF
Bennington, Pownal and SALISBURY.
State Highway Commissioner Thur
man W. Dix, Federal Road Agent c.
II. Stillman, Officials and representa-.
tiyes OF the Bennington and Man.
chester Boards OF Trade, Sheriff
Elect r II. Thompson and few
hotel men, manufacturers, etc.
The situation is that Bennington
county and all western and part OF
IL. tern Vermont is keenly interested
in this piece of road in the south
western corner OF Vermont and large
iy in the town OF Pownal 1t is the
Iroad over which the biggest chunk Of
summer travel comes into the state.
| il Is the road which has twice the
motor vehicle traffic OF any other in
Vermont and 1t is so located that in
case of being closed by construction
It is difficult of detour
Ii this road should be rebuilt II
will cut off more than half the tonr-
isl traffic into Vermont and prooab.
iy more than half the trucking III
which tho industrial plants or this
part OF the state have come to be to
considerable degree dependent
Il is proposed TO start this year at
the Massachusetts state line and lay
cement road in this direction for
wo to two and One-half miles. This
Is the section hardest to detour In
fact il is pretty much impossible.
Naturally all western and northern
Vermont wants to have this road
built There is no controversy on
that score.
Tho point IS that II will be better
or the whole state of Vermont to
nave this ten miles of road built In
me stretch and not in three or four
ectons. closing the road or half
closing II for several years and then
sending the travel around through
The stat of New York.
Under the state and federal appoint.
ment Bennington county Is not en-
titled to the 100000 or more neces-
sary to build this road but 1t is clear
ly the best business method for the
state of Vermont to build this road
in one year and then leave Benning
ton county ont of any share in the
state road money until the other
counties have shared equally as we'll
The other counties might say that
Bennington county should wait until
its accumulated share was enough
TO build the road but part of this
ten miles needs attention more than
any other section on the west side
trunk line and it is to be remem-
hered that this highway carries more
than double the traffic OF any other
highway entering the state and prob
ably six or eight times as much as
most of the so called trunk lines
within the state. 1t will not stand
the traffic strain to which 1t is sub
jected much longer in It's present
condition
As Commissioner Dix stated it is
wholly a question of financing this
road and other roads that must be
built The commissioner said that
he would like to build the road, all Of
1t. in one year and the coming year
but that the state department had Dc.
mands from every section of Yer
mont and that all the money the
state has to spend could be easily
useu in anv one Ct the counties. The
commissioner was sympathetic but
not very hopeful OF getting the whole
lob done in one year unless Rutland.
Windsor, Addison. Chittonden aud
other sections which get half of their
tourist travel over this road are
agreeable and back up the plan
After the excellent dinner served
/ BY Landlord Stafford the gathering
was called to order by Village presi-
dent Fred G. Martin who acted as
postmaster extended n cordial vel
come on behalf of the trustees and
Introduce the speakers. The speak
crs We're "A follows. no one taking
over ton m.actos and most of them
less
State Highway Commissioner Thur
/ man W. Dix. c. II. Stlllman, Of the
/ federal bureau of highways, l., G.
Treadway, vice president of the Yer
mont Hotel Mems association, Dr f.
r. Potter of Pownal dean OF the
county delegation in the coming leg
islature; Judge Edward Griffith, OF
Manchester; A, NJ. Iohnstono of the
Arlington Rcfrigerator company; w.
II. Shaw of Manchester; Fred y.
Moore of Williamstown; and George
NJ, Hawks. e. w. Williams. DR.. c. s.
Buchanan, Robert y. Healy Il. c.
Bennett and Frank f. Howe of Ben
nington
Judge h. c. Bennett offered the fol.
lowing resolution which was unani-
mously adopted.
BE it resolved by those present
here today that this meeting go on
record as favoring the completion of
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