Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-15

In the Senate Thursday Senator
Donigan Of Somerset introduced an at
to provide for State ownership ana
maintenance of highways and bridges
and construction of the same by State,
counties and towns. The act provides
that the municipal officers of the vari-
Gus cities and towns shall make an in
spection and prepare a list of all the
highway and railroad bridges so fe>t
or more in length. constructed prior %
Jan. 1, 1909. Such measurements shat!
be exclusive of approaches and said
bridges must be part of some legally
established road Duplicate copies Of
these measurements and result of in
spcctions shall be filed with the county
commissioners Of the rcspectiv"
counties and the commissioners cf
highways of the State before the first
day OF July 1909. On the first day "f
July 1909 all such bridges shall be
come the property of the state Of
Maine in consideration Of said state
maintaining and repairing them there
after. All bridges under construction
July ] 1909, shall, when completed be-
come the property of the State. The
act provides that all repairs and re-
newals shall be made by the county
commissioners of the different counties
under the supervision OF the stat"
highway commissioner and shall be
paid for by the county treasurer there
of. The county commissioners in the
various counties shall on the first days
of January and July of each year
render to the commissioner of high
ways an itemzed statement Of all
money so spent and upon approval by
the commissioner the Governor and
Council shall authorize the state
treasurer to reimburse said counties.
The act gives county commissioners
same rights in laying out highways
and taking property for the same as
they heretofore possessed. but proVid :
that damages therefor shall be paid By
the state. 1t is provided that upon
petition of 10 or more inhabitants ri
any town or towns the county COM
nissioncrs shall notify the State COM
missioner of highways that the con-
struction Of a new bridge 50 feet "r
more in length is desired at that point.
A hearing shall be held and if sal |
commissioners decided that public
necessity requires the construction Of
said bridge. they will inform the State
commissioner to that effect. In the
event of the State commissioner not
approving their decision the county
commissioners have the right within II
days to an appeal to board of three
| members of the Executive Council t
| be appointed by the Governor, whose
decision shall be final. The act pro-
vides for the method of making con-
tracts for construction and repair 81
| bridges In cases where petitions are
for construction OF such a bridge tt
1 be located in two or more counties the
act provides for a joint hearing under
the direction of the commissioners %
all counties so Interested. In case!
where toll bridge is to be taken Owe
the county commissioners are to fl,
the amount to be paid for the same
the owners of the bridge having
right of appeal to the Supreme court
which shall appoint commission Z"
three men to fix the price to be 50
paid 1t is provided that in the even
of the destruction of any State bridg'
the commissioner of highways shat
investigate and authorize the count.