Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-15
The Good Roads Movement.

The cause of good roads seems to be
getting a setback in the State Of New
York. where Governor Odell declares
that the state cannot afford to continue
its aid to good ROADS, and that he can
not permit a substantial appropriation
for this purpose this year. Additional
interest is given to the situation by the
fact that the rural members of the
New York Legislature declare and in
sist that the work which has been be-
gun i'll the past shall be continued. BY
the New York law, the State pays half
the expense of the permanent improve
ments Of the highways. and the coun-
ties and towns pay the rest. In New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, as in our
own State, similar legislation has been
enacted, though in each the proportion
of the expense borne by the state
varies.
Here in Maine, If a town will make
appropriations for permanent highway
improvements. in addition to its usual
appropriations for highways and
bridges, the State will add half as
much to it, to u sum not to exceed $500
Thus, IL d town wants to get 5000 from
the State, it must appropriate $500 from
its OWE treasury for permanent high
way Improvements in addition to the
usual sum expended. To aid in this
good work the state appropriated
$4,000 in 1903. and the same sum in
1904. There has been some confusion
over the understanding of this Law i'll
many OF the towns, but we feel that it
will come out ali right, and that more
and more towns will seek to avail
themselves Of the opportunity offered
until even larger sums are demanded
from the Legislature for this purpose.
and the cause of good roads get sub
stantial impetus in our State.
In the other states noted. they have
been paying much more than we are
paying here in Maine. New Jersey
pays one-third of the improvement cost
of good roads, as we DO here in this
state, and already it has been grid
ironed with improved highways. In
Pennsylvania, the state is more gener-
Gus IL the matter than New York, New
Jersey or Maine, as it pays two-thirds
nd in<
roads, dividing the rest between coun-
ties AMI towns. To prove that it meant
business in the good road improve
ment, it appropriated $65O0,C00 in
lump sum for road improvements dur
ing six years. 1t has the most liberal
state aid law that has been enacted,
but We understand that rural Pcnnsyl
vania fights shy of it, not yet wholly
and approaching its
purpose, and that but little of the
money appropriated has yet been
called for. The subject of good road is
ougil education among the people be-
fore its Importance will be understood
to a degree that money will be spent
literally and wisely in the work.
Here in Maine, where the heavy
snow bills of winter are a great burden
to many towns, the prospect of spend
ing any sum Of money. other than sums
dc tua:iy necessary in summer to make
roads passible. is not pleasant to tax
payers, but it is greatly to the credit
of the Maine municipalities that SO
many of them have entered into this
and claim the state aid
whic., the Legislature has put to their
disposal. The matter of good road i'm
pro,eincnt means much to Maine, as ii
does to every part of the country, for
better highways will greatly help our
summer business. There is the pros
poet that Congress may take a hand in
the good roads movement in the near
future as the Journal pointed out. the
other day, and appropriate money to
help the states and municipalities in
the work