Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-24
MAINE ROADS.
First Annual Report Of
Highway Commissioner.
Paul D. Sargent Gives interest
ing Review Of Years Work.
Contains Large Amotnt Of Valuable Stalls
tics Regarding Highways.

The first annual report Of Paul d.
Sargent, commissioner Of highways for
the Stale Of Maine, has been sub
mitted to the Governor and Council.
The report makes Il book of 2G3 pag IS,
and is finely illustrated with halt-tone
ongravings. Being the first report OF
the kind that has been published in lf''
Stat it is something OF Il novelty, ami
its appearance has been awaited with :,
feeling of general interest, ana Ii is
safe To say that those who peruse itS
pages will not be disappointed. The
subject is ona that should be Of inter-
est To every citizen OF ;he state. and is
handled in Il way that not only renders
the report a valuable publication from
Il statistical point of view. but also
renders ii good reading. Following is
an abstract:
The total mileage Of all classes OF
roads and streets i'll the State is 45.5"o.
The mileage of village and city streets
is returned as 1.:iJS; of country roads
5.4ao. These two figures do not bal
ahcc the total mileage. The dis
Crcrancy occurs because StEeral muni-
(llllli les lilNt' Ilbt ii6ttt
ana their mileage appears only in IN"
column of total miles.
The reports also show that there are
29;;,o miles. of gravel roads; - miles "f
| granite block pavement: 81 miles of
! macadJm streets: and 2l."9l miles of
| ,liii roads. This shows that for IL long
time to come, dirt roads will b. 4 large
! factor in oar public roads system and
that the proper construction :l,d main
| t,uante of these roads must command
| 3tttnti,tI.
! l;n;l,t Acrountiug.-OU uIiestioaG
! asked to have. appropriations and OK
pcnditl,trs classified rs to roads.
i.ridgr; ana siGtWulk%. in sivir.; this
| information 343 towns gave only one
a'nnunt and stated ltiat no classiiica-
ton MAS kept uf these several OK
| i.emditurrS-that one general apprn-
rfidtion was made ANA one general ar-
count Was kept which showed only to
| Whum iuullcy had been paid.
| Thirty-iiNe of the towns report rd
Sc par,ite appropri;.t ti"ns for each Of the
| items; Il towns showed separate ap-
! preparations for roads ana bridges aid
nothing for sidewalks and i1 reported
:, joint appropriation for roads ana
bridges with Il separate appropriation
for sidewalks.
| In making this division of answers
| We nave put into som. one of the
! cl;lsailcatiuils of towns making divided
| appropriations every Town that reports
such an apiropria ton for any one of
| the last five yearS-for example, or The
4, towns making one appropriation for
roads and bridges ana another for .,ide-
walks, less than half have made an
appropriation for sidewalks each of Ihc
FIVE years: many showing special APP
Irupriation for only one year. The
! same is true of the other groups of
| towns.
Accordingly ii was thought best for
purposes ct comparison To put all :p-
lrupriatio!;S Of the several towns !nio
one lump sum ana to figure the result :
ing amounts as the Appropriation for
highways. This has been done and
Will he found in the table. We have
also figured the rate OF taxation for
Highway purposes on the basis of Valu-
ationI and appropriations for 1901. 1t
appears TO Us that this rate of taxa
ton is the tru" measure of the burden
Of maintaining the public ways in each
town, and should be used in making
comparisons.
| Road EXpeniitures.-Upon these
roads, including bridges and sidewalks
an average annual expenditure of
$l,%U, ,l96.14 has been made for the past
five years. Deducting $2S2. 2.O0419, the
average annual expense on account of
snow. leaves 81 90. .19I 80 as the yearly
expense Of maintaining our highways
including bridges and sidewalks.
This amount is sufficient to build
over 200 miles Of macadam road per
annum. If but p per cent. OF this
amount We're expended for permanent
improvement, the result would be an
average of 20 miles Of macadam road
per ahhum in this state, and we would
then De making some advancement
toward permanent roads. There is nc
prospect Ct the road appropriations be-
ing less during the next five years. than
they We're in the last five. Is it not
wen 10 consider whether we Shouli de-
vote some portion OF the annual :tppro-
priatlon. Tor example 25 rer cent. &
doing permanent work. If appropria-
tons Tor the next five years shall be
equal 10 those of the last five, and ..
per cent. or the amount should bt. *
pended permanently. we should fine
ourselves as State at the end of thai
period. with 80 miles of permanent,
improved road. The increased ~.
pendlturc on account of State roads
that may be expected during the next
five years would probably add another
100 miles.
1t Is time the people Of the State ot
Name shouid decide whether they vii
continue 10 pat over Sl.oOO,O0 per an
mum into mud. or whether they vii
take some stand which will give tbap
a good start ON system of permanep
roads.
Gravel and Gravel Pits.-Of the A.
municipalities that assess and exnp,,,
tt'their own road money, ll0 own sra ye
pits. and 243 buy gravel for higbwa,
purposes.
The prices paid vary from one cent f.
- forty cents foy- tiOuhla i,,.1 :,