The Somerset reporter., 1908-05-07
The Road Convention.

Idul -. 1odTp6ul Vi ndCUlds, oLdpe
Highway Commissioner, addressed a
meeting Of selectmen, and road
commissioners and other citizens of
Somerset county towns Friday of last
week at the court house. Despite
the unfavorable travelling large
number were present and the meet
ing proved both instructive and
interesting. The proceedings were
under the auspices OF County Com
missioners L. C. Williams, Geo. T.
Tibbetts and Henry Crowell.
Among the municipal officers pre-
sent were the following; j. II. NORM,
selectman of Embden; p. \. Williams
road commissioner OF Concord;
Asher Davis and Fred Magoon, Sc
lectmen of Scion; Ed. I. French and
G. d. Perkins, sele ctmen Of Madi ,on;
q. Z. Folsom, road commissioner
of Cambridge; II. L. Colby, road
commissioner of Jaekman; G. F.
Bracket. road Commissioner of De
rot; Sylvanus Holden. road commits
sioner of Moose River; Harlan
Boyington, road commissioner of
North Arson; Perley G. Foss, road
co mmissioner of Moscow; Geo. II.
Webb, road commissioner, Skowhe-
gan; Orrison Gordon and 5. 4. Smith,
selectmen of Bingham; E. L. Willis,
selectman of Harmony; and Ernest
Hilton, selectman of Stark. There
were also many citizens present, not,
so far as known to the REPORTER,
officers of their several towns, but
interested, as all should be, in the
subject of road improvement Among
them we're j. r. Thompson, LEWIS
Anderson and A. E. Jewett of Skow-
hogan, c. c. Knsman of Cornwlle and
w +. Marble of Harmony.
State Commissioner Sargent, in his
beginning, explained the provisions
of the State Road law relative TO a
proposed change in the location OF a
State road. Upon petition OF a ma
jority of the legal voters of a town
that the so-called State road is not
the main travelled thoroughfare and
that public convenience would be
better served by the designation of
some other road, the State commits
sioner may order hearing to deter
mine the question. The board of the
State commissioner, the chairman of
the board of selectmen and a county
commissioner.
Each town shall set apart each yeBr
an amount of money for permanent
work on its roads. If State aid is
desired, an additional sum must be
appropriated. The amounts to be
appropriated for these two purposes
are designated in the State law. APP
plications for State aid must be made
prior to April Is. This year 44s towns
have applied. Although cities, be =
cause of the lateneSs of their annu al
appropriations, have until June Is for
application, five have already re
quested State aid. Thirty-tive towns
will not require State aid this year.
The state commissioner must be
appraised of the location, soil condi-
ton and poor features of the road
Payments are made by the State in
two installments. If the report OF
conditions given by the town is suit
able work will commence; otherwise
the faults will first be corrected. The
work is subject each few days to in
spection that the result may be- salts
factory to the State and the town.
First of all, the drainage must be
thorough. Cu!Verts should not be
constructed SO that water will be
stagDant. This condition, very poor
indeed, should not be permitted tC
exist. In one instance, in the
town of Readheld, disclosed that I
considerable slope drove water upon
the highway and thereby during GER
tain times of the year caused the roaC
to be in extremely poor condition
The commissioner urged that cana
be constructed to carry away thi!
water before it reached the thorough
fare. This illustration was given K
show that the money received from
the State may be expended outside
the road limits.
Culverts should be carefully built
They should have a suitable founda
ton; otherwise tn culvert will no
stand. An apron or cutoff wal
/ should be located at either end thui
dOlDS away Will any lIhCIllAOOd "
/ the base being washed from its posi-
ton. The culVert should be built o
stone or concrete Side cutters viii
outlets are necessary and sub drain
age must be provided for. The lattel
/ feature is all important for no matter
how well a road is laid any Watel
beneath the surface will ruin the
/ thoroughfare. Cutting down grade
would be an Improvement.
/ In the speakers own town, Machiae
/ the State road Is kept in good condi-
ton through the fact that gravel O
good quality is hauled from a pOin
/ three miles away. The distance il
long but results are compensation fol
the effort. Every time gravel il
spread upon road, Improvement il
/ forthcoming The commissioner con
cluded by stating chat the State cX
pected its money to be expended
with the result chat the roads Woult
be improved and the work should b,
done faithfully.
a general discussion followed.
At the afternoon meeting an inter
esting discussion of many features o
road Improvement took place, Sc
lectmen ana road commissioner
brought up respective local matter
and the opinion of Mr.. Sargent wa
secured.
One of the most interesting thing
spoken of by Mr. Sargent was the u.s.
Of snow rollers, which. he was conf
dent. would be much to the adVan