246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



first proposition. The second is, to select almost anybody who 

 happens to turn up as road-master. Until last year, when the 

 Legislature very wisely changed the law, the thing was done by 

 nomination. As I understand the law now, (I have not examined 

 it,) if a town fails to elect a road-master, the selectmen will ap- 

 point. The towns will fail to elect, so that practically, the power 

 will be in the hands of the selectmen. 



I do not think the Legislature could accomplish much in re- 

 lation to this subject by simply putting a law on the statute book. 

 I know that, three years ago, a prime remedy was offered -by Mr. 

 Stetson of Exeter, which he supposed would cure a great many, 

 if not all the difficulties in the way of road-making, and keep the 

 highways in a safe condition. He embodied his ideas in a statute, 

 which provided that for five months in the year, each surveyor 

 should go over his district, examine the roads thoroughly, and re- 

 move all obstructions from them. On paper, it was a very nice 

 scheme — apparently practical, useful and safe. There is the legis- 

 lation, and here is the fact before us, that the roads are universally 

 in the same condition to-day that they were five years ago ; so 

 that that legislation did not amount to much. 



The grand remedy is general instruction. Instead of legislative 

 acts, you should build school-houses, and appropriate more money 

 to educate your children. Whenever 3''ou have intelligence upon 

 the subject of engineering, you will have good roads ; I doubt if 

 you will have them before. 



That is the first great fault. The second is idleness. Formerly 

 the man who best stood out his taxes was the best fellow in a 

 great many districts. There was so much put on a man, and the 

 thing was to get the surveyor to wipe it out. In a village where 

 I lived, many years ago, I recollect they had a summary way of 

 working out their taxes. They appointed their own man as sur- 

 veyor, and they used to pay him in new rum for crossing out their 

 taxes. There was little or no work done, year after year, I only 

 mention this to show how utterly reckless men have been, and 

 are still, in a measure, perhaps, to obligations of that kind. 



Now it requires an engineer to build a road, and an engineer 

 must be an educated man. lie may not be graduated at a college ; 

 he may learn enough of engineering at a good school to make him 

 a fit road-buildor. I recollect riding last year with one of the 

 most accomplished engineers in the State over a highway very 

 much travelled, which a i)relty intelligent lot of men had. been at 



