Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-26

and every bridge within the State, tnt
result of this investigation shall b,
published as part of the next annua
report of the State commissioners Of
hiehW avs ard 1000 copies of the resrl
OF the investigation shall be published
in pamphlet form for the use of the
next Legislation" On page 102 of thi:
report I find ITS bridges over 80 feet
in length reported to have cost 81. 337,
042.S2. On page IS of the same report
| find that PAS towns report an average
maintenance cost of all bridges for the
year Of 190456 of 31a per cent. on cost
| of bridges. Taking that as a basis or
tne reported cost of bridges over 81
| feet IN length we find their maintain
ance to be $151, 763.41 Now take it 70,
! the year 1907 and as we are aware thai
each year bridges are built more sub
stantial and cost less to maintain
| find on page is the cost of maintain
| ance only 212 per cent. of the cost. OF
sos, 426.07 for all bridges over 80 feet
so it Will be seen that by this and also
| the assessors careful compilation OF
| figures, which was ordered by q Leg
| islature previous, all covering a period
of nine years that a systematic bridge
inspection was made, and there can be
| no mistake as to about what the
maintenance cost will be, and I wish
to state that, although we over-esti-
mated the cost two years ago our fig
ures We're substantially correct.
One of the main objects of this bill
is to have the vast wild land interests
| in unincorporated townships pay their
share of the expense of the building
ard maintaining these bridges, which
cannot be done by the county taking
on the bridges except county tax,
where timberlands are or in any other
Wav except as the Governor suggested
by a mill tax, but the bill provides
that the county commissioners, under
the direction of the highway commits
sioner, shall look after and care for
them.
In New York the state builds part Of
the bridges.
Vermont has a law which provides
that the state may pay one-half of the
costs. On page IL of the commissioners
report the following is written by the
highway engineer of Iowa: "Such a
law as you suggest would be very
desirable one to have" In Minnesota
the state highway commissioner had a
fund Of $4,000 for 1907 and $4,000 for
1908 for roads and bridges. California
highway commissioner writes: Il be-
lieve it would be a vast Improvement
and saving for the state to have charge
of such construction In ontario one
third of the cost is paid by the govern
Are city bridges built for cities
hrtI frTS
built for people living in their town or
rural districts? Do they want only
business from those who live within
these borderso No they all share alike
in using them Then why not all COM
bine including the wild land owners.
in building up system of good roads
aid bridges? After two years of study
and correspondence, / drafted this bill
and believe that one was never offer
ed to Legislature with more justice
and merit: ard after a long hearing
it passed the committee to 8. Who
builds up our cities I want to ask? Is
it not the food of money that is poured
into the factories, wholesale and re-
tail houses from the country towns
aud districts? Does Portland appre-
ciatc the business they get from coun-
try towns? What is good for the coun-
try is good for the city How many
travelling men have they crossing our
b1 Idges. and do they not find fault if
they are not kept in good repair? I
believe that most of the people of that
beautiful city on the coast have no OBJ
lection TO an equal taxation on all
property including cumberland for
maintenance Of bridges. Portland
claims that this measure would cost
them onc-sevcnth of the preparation.
Does not Portland expect to get Sood
part if not all of it back? The State
belongs to us all and we should know
no North, no South. no East no West.
and 10 nolitical party when it becomes
a question of public benefits to our
whole State.
The rural part Of my town has not
been narrow in the needs of the vii
lage, in fact. have often thought that
they wore doing too much. but by
working together we have made Eing-
ham one of the brightest busiest and
best towns Of it's size in Maine. To
those who have no bridges but cross
their neighbor's, I say, go thou and
do likewise"
| am not expecting nelp LOT my own
town, we have q beautiful new bridge
across the kennebec. The people OF my
county want no charity; we simply
ask for recognition in the matter of
equalization of taxes. Look at the
large special appropriations? Is it
right that your town should get a large
special appropriation for a bridge ana
another town bankrupt itself in build
ing one for public travel for anybody
and everybody to cross? IS it not better
for all to help where help is needed?
The powers of a Legislature to tax
ought never to be used to confer IA
yors on individual towns or cities but
should be used always, and only, to
secure general benefits. The money
would be assured by a mill tax and the
wild land owners will pay their pro-
portional part. No doubt some of the
senators object to this but these lands,
the assessors say, have increased IN
valuation over 120 per cent. in the last
10 years. The Governor, the State as
SCISSORS, the Tax Commission, the
Grange, legislative committee, all the
papers and many of the wild land
owners themselves believe that the tax