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

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thcSe 20 per cent of roads is expended
$50 per cent of the total highway OK.
penditure of the State.
OR To put it another way ou,s side tho
twenty cities is found 92.4 Der cent. NJ
io'is supported by tax on $50 per
cent. OF the total valuation of the State.
1 III "a per cent. of roads serves local
! - '.'' per cent. of the population. Yet
| 'nc '-'' PCT cent. of population from the
'iu." nave perfect freedom to the use
| VI 'He0e ROADS and are coming to use
| ,he'h more and more especially since
| 'He ADVENT OF the automobile One
punt III the road problem is how to
| MAINTAIN ms ". per cent OF road by a
| TAX against 3S2 per cent Of the property
anu sNc q satisfactory road to all
users.
IL rs tins point which the principle of
STATE aid for roads is designed to meet
| ana overcome as fast as possible.
| IL is this point no doubt which the
| Kramer OF our State aid law had ir,
mind when the law was originally
| passed, though the point was not prob
| apiy put in such definite shape as
| have just stated it,
Our present law is in many RESPECTS
| good and is suited to conditions in this
State One particular in which the law
is good is that every town in the State
| may have State aid. if it so desires. I
| am sure from my study and inquiry in
| to this matter that any law which did
rot contain this provision would not
meet with the approval of the people of
our State. In other words our law must
| De general in scope and so designed
that every town in the State may take
| advantage of it ii it so desires.
L am not prepared to say that we
have the most equitable law in exist
ence. 1t may be said truthfully that
| our present law gives much larger
| percentage of aid to financially weak
| towns than it does to financially strong
| ones. But in just the same proportion
| in case State aid is desired, is the bur-
| Gen upon the poor towns heavier than
upon those financially strong. For cx-
| ample, Bangor with 4 valuation of
| SIG 000,0 600 and its neighbor Hermon
| with Il valuation of 1898. 900 must each
| in order to draw 800. 5000 or $500 the
maximum permissible amount, of State
aid. appropriate and cXpend 5000. S400
or $500 OH the State road. With Ban
gpr's ordinary appropriation for high
way purposes of $4,000 and Herman n s
of 1880. the first making tax OF
| 203S and the second of .0044. it is easily
seen that the burden for the town Of
| Hermon is many times what it Is for
the City of Bangor. and without doubt
the need for State aid rs between these
two localities is nearly in inverse pro-
| portion to the burden.
This may perhaps he another point in
the road problcnl-naking an equitable
distribution of State aid or such dis
| trbution as will accomplish the most
| good where most needed. | do not think
i il would he practical to try to give
| such a problem out. | know because
town as would make the highway taxes
Of all equal. 1t would cost half the
present State appropriation to figure
such Il problem out. l know because
have made some study of it.
In Connecticut State aid is given on
the basis Of valuation-cities and towns
. having Il valuation of over one million
dollars receiving from the state 2-3 the
cost of Improvement and those under
| one million in valuation receiving from
the state "a of the cost.
In New Hampshire the distribution
of state aid is on the basis of Vaiua-
jtiun-townS with Il valuation OF less
than 100000 being granted $500 "i
state money for each dollar they ralS-
towns of over 100000 and less than
s250, 900 being granted $l.2o for each dol
| lar they raise-and so on down unti
to cities of over S3000,000 valuation th'
. state pays 20 cts. for each dollar the!
| raise The amount to be raised In eac'
town in order to be entitled TO stat,
aid is also fixed by law and depends
IN the valuation of the town lhoS'
in the class under $2.000.o00 valuatici
having to set aside from their regular
highway appropriation Sl.OO for eacf
SIooO of their valuation and then make
special appropriation equal TO one
half this amount. Towns in the neN'
, lass have, to set aside u less afhouh'
nor $1,000 Of valuation and make spec
: ial appropriation of "ne-haif tha'
amount.
In Vermont a general tax OF y NIL
IS levied IN all property III the state to'
n state highway fund. This Is reap
;,or5 toned to the several to"nS vi! Wv
basis of road mileaEe-a town "l'h W.
miles Of road receiving twice as Hiucr
from the State as q town with % niieS
. Another point which comes up in th'
r,b,on, is how much Of an approprl'
: atom should the state make Tor this
work. Both of our leading p'i'i."
narties in their platforms TINS year DC
| cIared for an extension of the Systf'i
Of state aid to roads. From soi''
); quarters I have had SUGGESTIONS VI
(, mill tax for this purpose. FROM o'ic'
uuarters that the state Shonld at iea0
| allow $500 per annun to each t'"h ".
: tho basis of the present law. of cour:''
, This is A matter which the ieelsiatui
: ar it's coming session will consider aii'
!, no doubt settle for the best Interests
of all.
ii Another point of more or less ln'Poi,
! ,nce is what degree of authority Si'a
. tho state exercise over the expenh1'
. ,ure Of state highway money. II
. ,a;r,y tha state should have some'hii''
! ~ say about how this money is TO d.
p cxnended. Fifteen states IN the : IN" ~,
: hare state commissioners directing ',i'
,,.nditur.. of the state highway 1unds
In some states the COMMISSION ~
Tho expenditure of the money thr"us
ha.rds of County Commissioners ="
y | =, nncor--tle state COnllillS