The Portland daily press., 1899-09-18
CYCLE PATHS.
Maine wheeImsn WIN Make Fight
For Them.


The Maine division Of the L. A. W. is
to abandon temporarily the fight for
good roads, and instead will turn Its at
tention to building bicycle paths. This
is the latest talk among the l.. A. W.
members and elan that In all proba-
bility. will to carried out.
1t has been the endeavor OF the division
for some time to secure suitable legisla.
tion for the establishments OF q state road
commission. This move has received Wig
orous opposition from the very start,
mostly from the farmers. who would be
The most benefited by the good roads
movement IL carrisd out on the lines as
proposed by the division. The nghs In
the legislature has gone on for some time
but without SUCCESS land now the division
proposes to drop 1t.
movement will soon be stirted to
build bicycle paths from one end of the
state to the other, over which the wheel
men may ride The scheme In outline is
to build paths from Portland % Bangor.
and then extend from tile mein line
thoroughfares to other points. The mem-
bers do not propose to ask the aid OF the
state In any way In paying for thess
paths, but the individual mem hers Of the
l.. A. w. will pay all bills.
The plan Is first to have the clubs build
piece of road In their own locality.
One Of the first pieces If road which It is
proposed to build will be from Portland
to Biddeford. The balance of power In
the division has for a long time res ted in
that part Of the state, both regarding
numbers and influence For that reason
IL Is thought there will be little difficulty
In building the paths In that section.
when that Is once built 1t is felt that
other localities. seeing the advantage,
VIII be enthusiastic in haTing the paths
built in their section. Later 1t is pro-
posed to extend the roads towards the
eastern part OF the state.
As has teen said, the plan is to have
the individual members pay for the
paths. This Will be by means of license
tax, as In New York state. There every
member who 50 desires is charged 81
for the use Of the path. In return he is
given license and lioeEss ting, permit
ting him TO uss this paths. Each men,
Der displays his tag In a conspicuous
place on his wheel, so that 1t is known
whether or not he has the right to use
the paths.
There Is not the sill ghtest question in
the minds of the promoters CT the scheme
that great many who do not buy IL
censes will use the paths. The division
win make no attempt to stop those who
have not contributed to the building
from using the paths. but will simply re-
iy on the moral question as to whether
or not man Will have the cold nerve to
use the paths for the building OF which
he has not contributed anything. Those
who contribute to building them Will
have that right shown on the license tag.
Those who do not have the moral right
will not have the tag. 1t Is believed that
no one will have nerve to openly adyer-
tise the fact that he Is using something
he has not helped build, and, perhaps,
which he has even refused to help build.
1t Is anticipated that there will be sone
trouble through the farmers driving
over the roads, especially in the spring of
the year. 10 prevent that is is proposed
to secure suitable legislation.
The movement has already been start
ed. In Auburn there are already bicycle
paths. but they were built through the
efforts of the local clubs and not through
the concerted action Of the IL. A. W. 1t
Is planned to begin work on the paths at
once, so that within year the wheelmen
will not be troubled by sand or mud,
but Will hass such paths as the nature of
their vehicle demands.