Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-15
: STATE HOUSE,
Regarding the Bridges Of
the State.
Commissioner Sargent Sends
Letter 10 Se|ectmen.
Executive Appointments for Next
Two Months Will be Few.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council.
Tuesday, July 9 at 10 A. M.

| state highway Commissioner Sargent
| is sending out to the selectmen of the
| towns of the State a letter for the pur-
! pose of securing information relative
70 the various bridges of the State in
| which is included the length, physical
/ character and condition, original cost
| and annual cost of maintenance. etc.
| The letter is accompanied by two blank
| forms, one of which provides for the
| report of the detail OF cost in the re
! pal; and in maintenance of bridges
| i'll the town, the upper portion of which
| is to be used for the town record and
| the lower portion detached after being
| filed out and forwarded to the depart
| meht. This report is supplementary to
| the report of general bridge Informal
| ton which is provided for in the other
| blank. The text of the letter is as
| follows:
GentlemCn:--In the closing days Of
the last Legislature the following or
DER was passed:
"Ordered, the Senate concurring, that
| the State Commissioner of Highways
| he ana hereby is authorized and di-
rected to make an investigation to as
| certain the length, physical character
| and condition, original cost and annual
cost of maintenance, together with
such other information as he may deem
pertinent or necessary, concerning each
ana every bridge within the State.
THE results Of this investigation
shall be published as part Of the next
| annual report of the State Commission
| CT of Highways and one thousand
copies of the results of the investiga
ton shall be published in pamphlet
| form for the use Of the next Legisla-
| ture."
| In accordance with the above order
! the enclosed questions have been pre-
pared and it is earnestly hoped that
! careful ana correct answers will be
made to each question concerning each
| bridge.
| The reason for this investigation lies
| in the fact that q general bridge bill
| has. in one form or another. been be-
| fore the last three Legislatures and has
| in each instance been defeated becauS"
| the information as 10 the annual cost
Of new bridges and annual cost of
| maintenance of existing bridges has
been only fragmentary. We are IN
| clined to think that the matter Will
never be definitely settled one way or
the other until this information is
available and is as fun as it is posi-
BILE to make it.
| Pcsidcs the above order which direct
| w IMPOSES this duty upon rs our au-
thoritv for calling upon tn" municipal
| officers of the towns for this Informal
| ton. which calls for so much care ana
troubIe on YOUR rart and possibly some
| expense to your town. we get from
section four, chapter one hundred ana
| fortv-six If the Public Laws Of 1909.
which reads as follows:
| "Sac. a. County commissioners and
civ and town officers having the care
Of and authority over public ways ana
| bridges throughout the state snail. on
request, furnish said commissioner any
! information which they may possess
and REQUIRE by him. concerning the
WAYS and bridges within their juris-
diction.'
| We realize that very few towns have
ever kept the expense for the repair OF
bridges separated from the expense OF
highway renairs. and for that reason
we are sending to each of munclpal
officers n copy of the Detail of Cost
blank Is. II. D. Form No. 20) in order
that each board throughout the state
nav on uniform blanks work out their
bridge expense and return the results 10
This office where they will he COM
| ,ilod and in This way the total bridge
nxncnse for the state will be ascer-
tanned.
| AZ the old saying that "the strength
of = cb1in 4 tho strength Of its weak
est link is just as true now as IT ever
w,s we wish YOU would help us by us
ing ov,rv care to make your link in
this ohain Of bridge information a
strong rs vour severest critic could ask.
The exclamation and definitions CIV
on on tho report sheet are made in or
der that answers may he uniform.
In filling out the report please answer
all nuestions either by inserting one or
two words or the figures. If You nave
additional information. not covered ny
the questions and answers. please state
same as concisely as possible on
separate sheet.
| please fill out, with the exception or
questions Nos. %. 30. 81. 80. and return
the large blank marked "Report Of
General Bridge Information" (S. Fl. ID.
Form Ply as soon as possible.
The "DetaiI of Cost blank is to be
retained for your use and on or about
November 1st. or earlier IL your bridge
work for the year is done, You VIII
nlease fill out the report found on the
bottom of the sheet, cut it off at the
narforated line and mail to this office.
Very truy yours.
PAUL d. SARGENT,
Commissioner.
From present indications the list oil
arnointments for the coming 1--WE
months will. with the exception OF M
minor amendments, Of which there /