Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-09-22

deal towards giving us better results
ON our highways. This would lead 10
careful selection of men for the posi-
ton and would offer more inducement
for good men to aspire TO the Office. A
| man could then on taking once deter
mine On certain lines Of Improvement
| with the assurance that he wouiu d'
least have time to carry through 10
| completion such lines or WORK as re
| sho,,id law out. Unde. the present sys-
| tom a new man coming INTO ONCE OFTEN
thinks he must do something different
from his predecessor. and many times
undoes the other mans work not
knowing the object in view when the
| work was started. AS we can elect a
| man for only one year we should make
every effort to see thlt the office Of
road commissioner is filled by good
| man.
| If the time is not ripe for such sepa
ration of politics and road building as
outlined above, then let every party
man do his full duty by seeing that the
best possible man in his party is NOM
mated to care for the roads and then
use every honorable means to secure
his election.
| The feeling exists in many towns
that TIER road work is too expensive.
or in other words, that each particular
| Job costs more money than it ought TO
cost. This may be 50. | have seen
cases where it was so. Ii we had
| law authorizing municipal officers IL
| let on, cor structiOn work-State road
building, for MISTAKENLY contract on
competitive bids whenever in their
| Judgment it would De for the interes.
Of the town, l believe we would get
better results. AS | understand thu
present law, towns may authorize their
road &C mmissoners or other persons To
make contracts for Orcning or .fn;iir-
ing ways and without such 2uthorlZa-
ton no legal contract can be made by
Its officers. This necesSitatCS knowing
in advance every job that may come
up during the year in order that au-
thority may be granted ct the annual
meeting TO town officials TO do any or
all jobs by contract; or else the calling
of a special town meeting with its con-
sequent delay each time a construction
job comes UP.
There does not seem to be much
doubt tha' contractor accompanies
results at a less cost than can a public
corporation like a city or town. This
is due largely to the fact that the con-
tractor has made study Of organiza-
tion and system as applied to con-
structiCn work He selects his fore
men on the SAM considerations that
have suggested should be given weight
in selecting road commissioners. ii is
q dollars and cents proposition with
him and he can afford to employ only
the best foreman.
| In some Of our towns | fear custom
has made n rule that a days work on
The road shall include going from home
to the place of work and returning
again at night. No contractor would
'ountenance SUCH a days work but
where is the road commissioner de-
pendent on votes who would attempt
to break up this practice. especially if
he We're looking for a reelection?
The following case was aid before
nc WITHIN the last two weeks and will
serve rs ~ cyampl- Of the difference
in cost Of the two SYSTEMS of doing
road work
\ town was preparing to build state
Dad. Their commissioner estimated
that it would cost $4,000 to do the work
|
work With any less money to draw on
she sel"ctmen found a responsible I1an
VINO would contract to do the job for
$2!5.oa and give bond insuring COM
rletion Of the work. The selectmen
telt that they ought to let the contract
and were searching for authority to DO
50. However. they frankly admitted
that they should expect to be retired
from office At the next annual election
should they do so. The voters would
lot appreciate the fact that $500 nal
been saved for the town. but would
charge that $500 worth of labor had
been taken away from the town--a;
least they felt the chances We're very
strong that majority of them would
so decide.
In discussing this question with the
loiiicers Of another town they ackn1wl-
dyed that they fully understood that
| work cost the town mora than il ought
TO AMI that loing work by contract
would reduce the cost materially bu.
they declared the taxpayers were not
in favor of contract work for the same
reason as given in the case just noted
Her then is one Of the problems in
connection with getting good roads
to devise some scheme for getting
value Ger each dollar expended on the
roads--and more cspo clally to make
the people understand that the scheme
whatever it may be is 4 business prop
OsitiCn.
| Now as to ordinary repair and
maintenance Work-reSurfa cling streets
or roads, ditchinE. etc How are we
going to know what this work costs
ana how much is done each year? The
statut" provides that the Road Com
missioner shall keei. accurate accounts,
showing in detail all moneys paid out
~ him. to whom and for W hat purpose.
| Or i'll case no commissioner Is clecto I,
that the selectmen must do the sama
thing.
From inquiries made in several
towns | fear this is a dead letter.
Some sort of an account Is kert 10 be
sure to show to whom money is paid
hut rarely is this supplemented by a
record Of the work done. In one re-
port | Rave seen detailed statement
Of all street work done, but no cost
| was carried out with il.
| If in ear n TOWN some record was