Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-25
Interest Manifested Re-
garding Bridge Legislation
The Leading Features Of Doni-
gan and Chase Bills.
State Highway Commissioner Fav.
ors Standard Board On Tax Rate,

Much interest is being manifested
throughout the State in regard to the
proposed bridge legislation, which is
now before the present session of the
legislature. For the last four sessions
of the Legislature some form of q bill
nrovidins tor State aid in the building
maintenance OF bridges has been
brought up for consideration and al
though the present session is but three
weeks advanced there are already two
bridge bills, which have been present.
Cd, one in the Senate introduced by
senator Donigan of Somerset and the
other in the House by Representative
Chase Of Scbec. Although the bills
have the same end in view, aid to
towns in the maintenance of highway
bridges, they are radically different in
their nature.
The Donigan bill as presented in its
original draft was practically the same
as that introduced by Mr. Donigan
when he was in the House two years
ago The original draft of the bill pre-
sented in the Senate this session pro-
vided that the State take over all
bridges 30 feet in length and longer;
all new bridges to be built by the
comfy commissioners of each county,
the expense to be borne equally by the
town or city, the county or the State,
and the state to pay all the cost of
maintenance. After discussing the bin
With the committee on ways and
bridges last Thursday Senator Doni-
gan decided to present his bill in
new form before the Senate, which
was done Friday.
The principal changes made i'm the
new draft are: The elimination of rail
read bridges from those. taken over
~ the state, which was an error which
crept into the first draft, where road
way bridges" were undoubtedly meant
by the Trainer of the bill; the provi-
sion that bridges of 40 feet in length
instead If 80 feet be taken over; the
charge of the section providing for
maintenance of bridges by the state
50 that tn" new draft of the bill pro
1id,S that the town or city. the county
and the state will each pay one-third
Of Ih" cost of maintenance.
tn" Dongan bill in its original draft
world have included. it is learned from
figures in the office of the highway
department., 995 bridges of these now
constructed in the State. while, as
there are i'm the state 2G6 bridges be
tween 40 and so feet in length, the bill
i'll its new draft would affect altOgeth-
er 1.Gl highway bridges.
Friday morning in the House another
bridge bill was introduced. This bill
was drafted in the office of the state
highway commissioner and was pre-
@erted by Representative Chase of Sc
bee. The Chase bill differs in many re-
SpectS from the Donigan bill and
makes the standard by which it shall
be determined when aid shall be paid
to the towns the proportional amount
which the town pays for highway
taxes Section l of the proposed act is
as follows:
When public convenience and neces
sity require the building or rebuilding
of any bridge in any town, said bridge
being located on any main thorough
fare, the cost Of said construction. to-
Pethcr with all other moneys raised for
the construction and repairs of ways.
highways and bridges in said town
makes tax rate in excess of four
mills on the valuation of the town last
made by the Board of state Assessors.
tWo-thirds of the cost of construction
Of said bridge shall be borne as fol-
lows: third by the county in
which the town is located and one
third by the State.
In Section of the Chase bill the mu-
nicpal officers. together with the coun-
tv commissioners and the state com
missioner Of highways are constituted
board to determine the necessity of
building or rebuilding bridges, which
come under the scope of the act, also
the form of construction.
Section 3 is as follows: If the board
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