Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-09-27
The following is the speech in full
Commissioner Paul ID. Sargent OH
Tho Road Problem in Maine.

NV Introduction to the problem OF
State Roads in Maine came 'h''us
after opening the office which | hold
some sixteen months ago. hcci"'l
at once that | must familiarize myself
with the work as outlined pS t''p
several boards of County Commits
sioncrs in the state for it appeared 10
me that requests for advice ana con-
sultation work would certainly be IN
connection with state roads.
Accordingly I invited each board OF
County commissioners to send me
such specifica tions and circulars as
tbcv had for the instruction and
guidance Of town officials in this work
To my inquiry. eleven replies were
received. three of them containing
printed specification. tho other eigh'
saving that when requested ny towns
their boards inspected the location Oh
the proposed work and gay" Such
verbal instructions as We're necessary.
These three specifications winch
received were very brief. non" OF them
containing over fifty words, Ih"E
varied i'm the matter of width alone, as
follows. I6. 20 and - feet and the
letters indicated that widths running
as high as %. 80 and 30 feet were"
dema ndcd in some counties. IL
seemed to me to be moro or less OF an
Injustice to towns working under IN"
same law and with the same reward
offered. that in one county tn" roads
must be Is feet wide and in the
adjoining county SO feet. The OPP
portunitv for trying to correct this
iniusticc came through an invitation
from the County Commissioners to
meet them i'm annual convention and
address them upon state Road Build
ing. | took for a Subject-tnform
Specifications for State Road Work.
and discussed with the commissioners
the various items that to my mind
should be included in specification
for this work. Matters Of width.
limiting grade, crown. sub grade.
proper application of surfacing
material. surface and sub -drainaCe,
culycrtS. bridge sub structures and
g,Iardrail5 for high entertainments We're
touched upon Upon request the con-
yention appointed a committee TO con-
fer with the State commissioner. To-
gether We drew up an outline SpcCifi-
cation touching the points already
mentioned and submitted the same to
the convention which voted to adopt
same as their standard for state road
work and to recommend to towns
building state roads this year that the
work be done according to this
specification. The convention also
authorized the Commissioner to sun
PIGMENT the specification with such
general instruction as should seem
proper. To my certain knowledge
many towns have built their State
roads this year IN striC: accordance
with this specification. and | am told
by County Commissioners who have
completed part of their inspections
that in general a much better class of
work has been done than ever before
Soon after opening the office. in
vestigation work was taken up with
the several towns in the State. In
uuiri"S We're made as to road mileage
and classes of roads, appropriations
expenditures for highway purposes
and ma, hincry and equipment owned
by the town. Some interesting in
formation was brought out by this
investigation which was tahulatcd
and published in full in a report issued
shortly after January LIST. TIL" main
point learned from this investigation
which may be of interest to this meet
ing is the fact that We have in the
State of Maine 2j530 miles of load ot
all classes and the further fact that
for four years prior 10 1905 the
average annual expenditure ot $l.$17-
600 WAS made on these roads or n
average expense of $500 per mile
1t is also interesting to note that dur
ing the same time the expense fol
handling snow was S2S2.000 each year
which is practically a dead loss as fal
rs road improvement goes. BY study.
ing the figures il was ascerlaincd ais,
that in our twenty cities having Al,
per cent of the total valuation of tn,