HIGHWAY LAWS THE OLD AND THE NEW 87 



something as follows: With an ordinary or even weak man at 

 the head it would amount to a division of the money among 

 districts, with the advantage of a distribution each year accord- 

 ing to the needs of the several parts of the town. With a 

 strong 1 man at the helm the work would be systematized and 

 co-ordinated, and real progress would be possible. In any 

 case, as the sub-agents would be appointees of the highway 

 agent, and presumably his friends, they would to some extent 

 assist and restrain, while being in a state of mind open to con- 

 viction as to practicability of new methods suggested by their 

 chief. In this way progressive views would make rapid 

 progress, and we should have growing up in each district 

 men who were really competent to manage the roads of a 

 whole town. 



A good highway agent should be allowed more than one year 

 of service. In three years he ought to prove what was in him. 

 Under the limitations above suggested it would be reasonably 

 safe to require a two-thirds vote to proceed to the election of a 

 highway agent on each of the two years following the election 

 of such agent. Otherwise he might hold his place unmolested. 



Finally, we should strive to perfect the present law rather 

 than work backwards. The strong point in its favor, as it 

 Stands, is its elasticity. Under it a town can have the best sys- 

 tem if it elects the right man, but this very elasticity has proved 

 a strong temptation to selfish men to use the office for their 

 own advantage, and therefore I feel that some amendment 

 restricting or distributing the power is advisable. Until it is 

 amended we may perhaps wisely use our influence with our 

 agents to experiment in some of the directions I have outlined. 



PUBLIC OPINION ON HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE 



On the whole, it is my judgment that people in country 

 towns expect too much of highway agents. Unable or unwil- 

 ling to pay the price of skilled labor, and usually unwilling to 

 allow any one person to remain in office long enough to learn 

 by experience, our citizens often think that if only they could 

 take hold a different showing would be made. When they try 

 it, they find it is not easy to make a great advance with from 

 $15 to $40 per mile of road. I am sure that the number in 



