The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-23
+. c. Smith Urges Bonding
to Build State High7guys


in his message OF platform, then l con-
lclude he does not know for certain. At
any rate, people who have achieved sub
stantial success i'm the Vermont business
world disagree with this conclusion. |
Suggest. to settle the question, an exEaus-
tive survey and investigation by Il nom
political and diSimterpSted tribunal made
economic expert, a man fully converSant
with Vermont and the capacity of the
Estate to respond to the financial needs OF
extensive road building. a farmer who
holds the respect and confidence OF that
element of our population and n manu-
lfacturer Of like qualifications. These to
make a thorough and exhaustive survey
of the situation i'm all its relations, IN
Guiding the reformation Of our taxing syS-
tenn, and with the general tacit agreement
of all disputants, political and non-po-
litical to abide by the conclusions of such
whole question from politics. which for
20. years has messed up the whole bust
ness of road construction in Vermont.
The conclusions of such Il commission
will be worth a hundred times what it
will cost. no matter what sum that is.
The investigation must necessarily be
non-poltical absolutely impartial and
irrespective of results. Such an examin-
alton into the questions involved will de-
termine whether Vermont is right in her
policy of road building in opposition to the
policy of practically every enc of the re-
naming IL states in the union. The adj
ivantageS and disadvantages to the farmer.
the merchant, the manufacturer. the
tourist and the laboring man will be dem
OnStrated: the savings in cost of trans
! pOrtatiOn, in gasoline, in oil. in repairs.
! in requirements and upon the wear and
! tear of our golf vocabulary will be clearly
shown; the increase Of farm values and
. oil cd ~ m
highways will be examined and reported
in a word. the whole subject will be IL
lumined by authoritative and impartial
conclusions which volumes of newspaper
articles and editorial comment only serve
to obscure and becloud.
> and 6. Mr.. Howe'S figures on inter
est charges are beside the mark and en-
, tirely erroneous. Vermont will NOT be
obliged to pay per cent for 3O-yearI
money. Doubtless before anything can
come of this matter an abundance of
funds can be procured at t per cent,
so his allegations in regard to this phase
of the subject are subject to 20 peri
cent discount.
Howe's Town BorrOws.
| I. Mr. Howe says the only way toI
build roads is to pay for them as we
build them. His own town and village
recently borrowed SD. 600 to build &c
oppose mourning this debt? Manchester
recently created a debt of $4,000 to build
cement roads. Did Mr.. HoweS newspaper
fight the sister town against this crime
upon its people? The bonded debt of the
Rutland railroad that runs through MR.
HOwe'S town and permits him to ride tot
Montpelier occasionally is approximately
t$l0,000,O00. Would Mr.. Howe, if he had
been living when the Rutland railroad
was built. advocate that its projectors
build it on the pay -yOu-go" plan?
How many towns and cities in Vermont
have issued bonds to build school houses,
water systems, sewage systems. etc :
Would Mr.. Howe create these public ser
vices only as they could be paid for by
taxation year by year, All these things
wear out and must be renewed. They all
cost immense sums III upkecp and inter
est charges. Are they worth while in Ben
ningtOn or anywhere else; The wires
over which Mr.. Howe's newspaper re-
ceives its. news are. bonded; very likely
the paper mill which furnishes him with
news print is bonded CT mortgaged
maybe there is a mortgage on the building
which shelters his plant: once | had al
mortgage on my home If debt and NORTH
cages and bonds are taboo to Mr.. Howe
thank God there are other enlightened
souls in America that have not been5
afraid of the spirit of progress which Mr.
Howe to the contrary Notwithstanding
after all is really no ghost. Because of
this / have home and Mr.. Howe has a
newspaper. Neither of us would have had
either if we and everyone else had fol
lowed the slogan of ''pay-as-you-g0" and
no one had built the Western Union Teie
graph or the paper mill or the business
block or the home
The state of Vermont is the individual
multiplied by 3J2.42S Not one of this
entire number, of adult age and mental
a nd moral bal1upn lint would ba 1,,,p,co.g
urably better off with a debt to pay in
CURED for some good utility. provided
only that the condition of debt is cock
lstent with a purpose and determination
and disposition to pay and liqudatc it,
| maintain this as an economic trllsm
Likewise the states of this union most
progressive and most desirable for resi-
dence and business are the states which
have followed the policy of rapidly build
ing pubic improvements and all the other
means to right living and broad culture
IN the most prodigal way. Bondsr Yes.
by all means. Let us stop cheapeaing
Vermont by "A persistent and inexcuSable
obstruction TO the attainment of the best
things of life. Give us better schools. bet
ter hospitals, better institutions of all
kinds. the things that promote better
health, better conditions for labor. better
ways of living and good roads which i'm
this day contribute so largely to the profit
enjoyment and contcntmcut of our people
| These reflections upon the highway
| problem of Vermont may supplement in
some degree your own treatment Of the
subject and terrifying your own conclu-
sions. | hope they will not be without
| benefit to the cause.
| Very sincerely yours
January Is, 1922,