Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-18
Highway for Rapid Transit?
Bangor Commercian


The proposition regarding the build |
ing Of a state highway across Maine
from Portsmouth to Houlton, is one
which has had much careful thought
on the part of the leading men of the
state, boards of trade and other local
bodies ard organizations for some
time. Now that the Legislature for
190S'09 is not far off the plan receives
new presentation through the press and
there is some prospect that adequate
legal steps for authority to construct
such a highway may be obtained from
the legislature the approaching winter.
As at present appears the scheme pro-
poses a thoroughly built highway from
the western border of the state to
Houlton, at the extreme eastern bound
ary in ArooStooll county. 1t is propos-
cd 10 build the road in sections; the
first to bc constructed from Ports
mouth, n. H.. to Portland. while other
sections will be built later until the
whole line is completed.
Even a superficial consideration of
such a scheme will embrace several
features There are the objects for such
a state highway: the cost; the charac
ter of the soil over which the road
passes, and whether it is to be a free
highway or one for travel over which
autos and similar rapid transit vehicles
shall pay toll, tax or license.
One of the first questions to be con-
! sidercd resolves itself into this PROPOSE
| ton: is the state highway to be built
| for the benefit Of automobliStS. pleas
| ure travellers and summer tourists? !?
one public statement has been made
| that thousands Of tourists the past
summer have not come to Maine be-
cause of the bad condition of the roads,
| and have gone to other states. Moreov-
cr it has been said that while formerly
| summer tourists visited Maine by Pull
man cars on the many trains, they now
| come in their own autos or do not come
| at all
OF course it will readily be asked. is
this proposed state highway to be built
for the purpose Of accommodating own
ers of heavy autos which are destruc-
tie to good roads; or is it to be built
parity at least, for the benefit Of our
own peOple-those who ride for pleasure
or business, who go light when riding
to town or heavy when the wagon il
loaded for market.
If q million dollars is to be spent fol
this highway. a part to be paid by the
state and part by the towns, can We
afford to build it? Is the benefit to be
received from tourists who visit Maine
by auto sufficient to warrant the out
lay; or are they expected to pay tol
, for the distance travelled over this new
but expensive highway? A state roat
should be for the benefit Of all the peo
: pie of Maine, not alone for tourists ant
! summer visitors who live in othe
: states. We welcome all such visitors
: summer residents, sportsmen. tourists
campers, but must we build an eX
= pensive highway for them?
The old highways of Maine were no
built for the modern rapid transit ca
q or vehicle. They are narrow, often con
structed over Indifferent localities. an
- generally badly built. In large section
OF Maine-like much of that betwec
: Portsmouth and Portland--the land
e level and sandy. not suited for a goo
Il earth road. while to build road {
hard road-bed or crushed rock bottom
e would be very expensive.
II In other sections of Maine the soil
II hard and rocky: the land firm and the1
u is a good foundation on such soil for