Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-12
State Road Bill.

pieSSlS putS upon MIN tIle uuty vi
recommending needed legislation. This
he has done by drawing a bill which,
after study of other State aid laws,
seemed to him to be in line with what
was needed in Maine. The underlying
principle Of the bill is that the State
should grant larger percentage of aid
to the financially weak towns than it
does to the financially strong ones.
The bill also looks towards the equali-
| cation of taxation by asking that
State highway fund be created by levy
| ing a tax OF one mill on each dollar of
valuation in the State.
We believe the theory Of this bill is
right. In fact no other comment in
relation to the theory of the bill has
| been heard. If anyone doubts that the
| financially weak towns are the ones
| needing assistance in the matter of
| highway construction and repair let
| HIM consider for a moment the follow
| ing figures which we find on page "A of
| the first annual report OF the Commits
sioner of Highways.
| In the twenty cities of the State are
| found 1896 miles of road of all classes
or sc per cent. Of the entire road mile
| age Of the State.
| In the rest of the State there are 23,-
1913 miles of road or 92.4 per cent. of the
entire road mileage of the State.
In 1904 in the twenty cities there was
expended upon this sc per cent of road
| mileage OF the state SO per cent. Of
the entire highway appropriation mad"
| in the State leaving for the other 92.i
per cent. Of the roads, GA per cent. Of
the entire highway appropriation.
| In the twenty cities during the same
year the highway expenditure averaged
SOD. - per mile Of road. In the rest Of
| a. state or upon the 92.4 per cent. of
the roads the expenditure averaged
SHE'S per mile In other words the
cities expended ca times as much per
mile rs dill the rest Of the State ana
this with an average tax rate for high
| way purposes in the cities of .OO33 as
| against an average tax rate in the rest
OF the state fer the same purpose of
| .60ii1. This shows that the burden of
maintaining the highways outside OF
our twenty cities is on an average two
| &c
twenty cities 50 it is hardly fair to say
that the country towns are niggardly
ana mean about doing their share on
the highways.
BY referring once more to the table
above quoted from we learn that in
1904, AIS per cent. of the valuation of
the state was found in our twenty
cities leaving $50 per cent. OF the valu-
aticn of the State outside the cities
In other words IS per cent. of the road
mileage of the state was maintained by
tax against AS per cent. of the
property of the State and 92.4 per cent
Of the roads by tax against $50 pei
C. MT. Of the property.
With these figures in mind it would
seem next to impossible to expect much
IMPROVEMENT on the 92.4 per cent. OF
the roads without aid from some
source: and from what source. pray, i
not from the State?
We believe nobody in the State is OPP
posed to State aid. Indeed, we learr
from tables compiled by the office 81
Public Roads, Washington. d. c., anc
published in the Good Roads Magazine
for January that twenty-five states
have accepted the principle of state aiC
for rural highways and we are proud t.
note that Maine was the seventh STATE
in tho Union to adopt the principle
ard to appropriate money for this rur-
pose.
Whence comes objection then, to tine
new state highway bill? From &
: number of our Democratic friends who
prior to the election We're quite vocifer'
Gus in their advocacy Of the equaliZa
ton of taxation. They must admit
that cuualiZat ton of taxation can only
:, come through a general tax leVief
against all property and if not by way
of a mill tax. how then shall we equal
} ize taxes?
Objection is made by the opponent;
Of this measure. who, by the way
r"nresent the cities. which Of ncces
sity must be at a disadvantage on any
scheme of equalization. that the bill
uniu.tly diScriminates against th'
cities. a comparison of the financia
bearing Of Thu; bill upon the cities a'
against the New Hampshire Ia" aft"1
which this is modelled is interesting an{
instructive.
: The two bills impose identically thu
same rules for raising a State roac
fund as far as the part to be raised by
the town goes. State aid is appor
. = III ta.L