Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-09-27

\
towns; in 1902. 80 towns; III l'oo' vt
| towns; in 1904. 24i towns; III i'V'' ~
| towns. This year appropriation was
made for the work by 33' towns OF al
| Increase of 81 towns over last yc'i'
In the first five years of state arc
| the sum of $2S+000 was cXpehuc' o'i
State roads. This year appropriations
| by towns amounting to *l2so"o nav
been made for this work and und"upt-
eddy the expenditure will go I" sl"oo'
| or practically half of the total lor lhe
preceding five years.
| Tn most frequent criticism thal
have heard of the state ROAD law -
| that the money must be expended on
one line of road. In many OF our
country towns. especially in iarm'hs
| communities. there are two or three
| Parallel roadS-all of them through
| roads or main roads leading To olhcr
| towns In such cases 1t Is diIilcui'
| sometimes 70 select the road carrying
| the most traffic. The one which really
carries the most through traffic
nav be one of the least I'M
| portant locally In such cases
the voters do not see the point
after making appropriations for state
| ROAD two or three years in continuing
| TO soend money where it is of little or
comparatively no benefit to any OF the
tax navers i'm their own town. Indeed
| there are forty-flve towns in the state
which have made Appropriation III
wears past which refused TO vote money
this year t. continue the work q"
not say this is the only reason That
| these A. towns are not in the work this
| year but it is the only reason that
have been informed of.
| | might add here that to my knowi-
edge in New Hampshire. Connecticut
Vermont and Michigan the Sclectmen oi
| the towns annually select the section
of road to be improved. subject TO the
approval of the State commissioner.
| He must be satisfied that the section
to be improved is on some nam road
and not one of purely local Importance
| The Commissioners of several states
have assured me that this is one oil the
wiscst and most important provisions
in their law. From the last report OF
the Connecticut state Highway Com
mission l quote the following IN reia-
ton 10 letting towns select thelr own
| roads for improvement This Is one vi
the wisest provisions of our la" ana II
the selectmcn did not make a DIVISION
of the appropriation from year 10 yea
and spend the money on dlf1crenl r"'''
/, would soon negative the Whole lucd
of state aid
Another point in the problem is pro-
| viling for proper maintenance Oh the
state roads. In some towns cohlihi9-
sioncrs have been severely crlliciSeo
for spending money in manufactures
"narmanent state roads, Anyone VINO
knows much about road building KNOWS
tina, the term permanent ROADS Is d
uisnom,r. The best construction tna'
can be put into highway WORK can Only
h. 1sent good by constant malntet-
,nce and repairs. 1t is short-slgh'eo
rol;cy if we do not take care OF VIA
~, already have. Somebody should u.
o;r., authority to see that state roaus
,lreadv hui!t are properly maintained
These points are some whlcn NAY
lappearcd to me in connec'loIl VAIN WV
state road problem
nv way of consultation WORK sum.
.cventy-fiye towns have been ViS1leo
lin most of these towns the S'ic' ,'''.
,nd Road Commissioner have peer
met and the state road III eat" Wv
1dr;ven over from one end to the other
The location of the current se"i
work has been examined ana sue6
ltions made as to the proper coilS'lu w
ltion to be used. All places hecdihi
lattention in the future have also peer
Hacked over and proper treatment ioi
these places outlined. In many towns
cor+ain uarts Of the town roads haN'
neon examined and proper treatment
for them suggested. l might also auo
l,bat have had calls to go to SeNefa
Towns this wear in which work was
done last wear according to our rec
Communications 1t might also be Oh
interest to know that during the
imonth Of April n county ROAD lnee'ihk
was held in each Of the shire towns OF
1.-The state. two meetings beng helh II
Aroostook on account of its size IN
yitationS were sent to all ScieC'i'''
land Road Commissioners III eaci
coIntv bv the County Commissioners
urginc each one to be present al th'
meeting and suggesting that it Woul'
be perfectly proper to charge per dien
land EXPENSES against the town Whli'
attending the meeting. Between ciGh
meetings and a good degree of inter's
was manifested. Each one OF these
meetings was opened by discussion
nv the State Commissioner of tn" dlf
fcrcn, points taken UP in the spccili'
cation for state road building, eros
sections Of typical roads drawn u
half size scale being used for illustrat
ling the various points diScuSSon
Proper treatment for all classes %
earth roads was also discussed
Valuable points on road bulidlhs
based on the experience of those
present were brought out in Response
TO the query What point have yol
learned from your experience will
roads which you believe would ID
valuable to every other road builde
and member in the Stat, of Maine:
We have been gratitied this summc
to find commissioners in several part
of the state prosecuting work alon'
lines suggested at these meetings
think certainly that they should b.
. continued.
| have tried to indicate some of tn
. points in the problem of state roads a
they have appeared during my con