Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-23

of miles of roads, 70. which would be
S26.66 2-3 per mile appropriated. a little
more than 552 mills on the dollar for
highway purposes. The other towns val
uation is 1915; amount of assessments.
$6294; highways. $500; rate. two mills:
number Of miles of road 70. which would
be sSS.57 per mile appropriated a little
more than ~ mills on the dollar for
highway purposes. BY these figures you
will see that there is not anything like Il
uniformity of labor expended in these
towns. With my limited knowledge Of
the condition of the highways in these
towns | should say that the town that
appropriated $lI.li per mile should or
ought to have expended more than the
town that appropriated S3S.57 per mile to
have its roads in as good condition as its
neighbor which raised the largest amount.
These conclusions, or perhaps / ought TO
say opinions | have formed since ! have
had the honor OF serving kennebec coun-
~ as one Of its commissioners.
He was followed by ]. H. Barton Of
Windsor, whose experience has given
him valuable knowledge Of the sub
ject. He said:
My object in coming here today is to
receive, rot to impart instruction I do
not for 4 moment suppose that | can
teach The gentlemen present anything re
gardinG road construction or repairs. bur
as the secretary has called me up ! might
mention many things ! want to learn.
We want To know the methods that will
keep the ROADS in the best condition with
the means at our command. The tax in
which Is used on roads and bridges.
After keeping our 80 miles of road safe
for travel we have not enough left for
permanent improvements to make it an
object for US to know much about
McAdam roads or stone crushers. and
crushed stone roads. although We have
plenty Of material at hand.
IL seems u me that the first and most
inn inc
age. Get water into the bitches at once.
ana out Of the bitches ana away as soon
as possible. Frequent raking out of loose
stones adds much to the comfort of trav-
el at little expense. and ought not to be
neglected. Whenever We have anything
over we remove large stones from roads
or bitches, put stones in swampy ground,
where our fathers used corduroy and
cover with gravel. and cart some clay on
sandy hills where the roads wash badly.
we. in common with Other towns. are
making our roads a httIe better, as any
one Gan see who has Travelled them for
the last ten years. but the Improvement
is not as rapid as We wish it was.
! think the public needs education in
The public demands that money raised
for roads he expended about on the old
labor tax system: Each taxpayer to have
opportunity TO work out" his portion OF
the tax. If a man is able to bring u noe
onto the road and lean on it for five or
six hours, he thinks he must be paid for
"A days work. When taxpayers come to
see that money expended in that WAY is
ABOUT as husincsslike, about as reason
able as it would be 10 give each chance
To teach in the schools enough to pay
his proportion Of the school tax. those
having charge of the roads. will employ
the men and teams that can do the most
work Tor a dollar ana Improvement on
our roads will be more marked. OF course
they have the right to do 50 now and are
expected to do 50 theoretically. hut praC-
tically, one who docs business for the