Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-14
Discussed at Meeting d
The Board Of Trade.
Henry Richards Delivers an
Interesting Address.
Telephone System, Federal Build
Ing and New Depot Considered.

The meeting was preceded by light
| collation..
While the members of the board
were gathering, the Gardiner Band
| rendered several selections in front of
the hall on Water street
| After the luncheon had been done
| ample justice to, Vice President John
| E. Cunningham called the gathering to
| order. while our Board of Trade has
made a record, that record is not yet
complete unless we are ready to write
| it's epitaph. There is nothing too great
| for the Gardiner Board of Trade if se
are a unit" Mr.. Cunningham urged
| the building of a new railroad station,
| and two new approaches to the Gar
| diner and Randolph bridge.
| Mr.. Cunningham then introduced
Henry Richards who spoke on Good
Roads" Mr. Richards said he was
glad of the opportunity to address the
Board of Trade on this question.
He said that the problem resolved
| itself into two propositions; the care
of the existing dirt roads, and the
question of new permanent roads. The
speaker took up the question first from
a historical standpoint. He attributed
the existing dirt roads to the fact that
they were developed from the pioneer
| roads, further developments being les
sened by the advent of the steam rail-
road, which furnished for the time be-
| ing a temporary solution. He believed,
however, that the time had come for
| more permanent road building.
| On the blackboard the speaker drew
| a diagram of a permanent road he had
IJar &c q
strip of permanent roadway 10 feet
wide, with sides of less permanent ma
terial. The speaker criticised the pre-
vailing method of putting hlgh crown
upon a dirt roadway.
THE theory of the permanent road,
then, is to crown the road slightly, and
have the road itself OF such porous
| material as to allow the rains to go
| down through, the slight crown being
to shed the heavy rains, which must
be taken care of at once SAID MI
| Richards. THE problem is, how to
get rid of the road machine. 1t is I'M
! philosophical and expensive. Hauling
gravel to put on our roads is most
extravagant operation. The mixing Of
fine and course gravel is not the prop
| er method.
| IL IS hopeless 10 dtlelllpl " So q
good permanent road without employ
| ing an expert.
| In answer to the objection raised on
! the score of expense, Mr.. Richards gave
| the figures which he submitted in his
recent address before the city govern
ment. and published in these columns,
showing that since 1880 $l4,1i6.6G per
mile mad been spent on the roads with
iii the city. which could have been
made permanent for $4,000 per mile
The speaker quoted from the annual
report of the town of Farmingdale of
the use of the King drag as opposed
to the use of the road machine, and
said that in his opinion the purpose
| of road machine was to exhaust the
appropriation.
! Mr. Richards drew n diagram of the
King, or split log drag. Questioned as
to the cost of the Massachusetts roads
per mile under conditions similar to
the conditions in Gardiner, Mr.. Rich
| ards said that an expert had told him
| about $4,000 per mile. He did not think
| that the cost of maintaining such a
| permanent road would be as much as
| 500 per mile a year. For $500 under
scientific methods, sidewalks, snow and
| dirt roads could be taken care of, the
remainder being available for pernla-
nent roads Mr.. Richards concluded his
| address at this point and was loudly
applauGed The speaker was then ask
ed q number of questions by members
| of the board; and this running ques-
| tioring covered a variety of topics.
Il believe that the mayor and city
government should have authority over
the street commissioner. (Applause). l
do not think that the appropriation
should be overdrawn $1,000, with to-
tai expense of $4,000" said Mr. Rich
ards rmphatically.
Hon. O. b. Clason called attention to
the growing interest in permanent
roads over the State, and urged that
Gardiner fall into line. 81 am sure
that in the near future we shall have
a large increase of suitable State
roads," said Mr.. Clason. ct is good
roads that are going to bring the peo-
pie here"
The subject of Good Roads" was
temporarily dropped at this point, and
the subject of telephones of the COM
mon battery system was brought up.
Hon. George w. Heselton> reported
for a special committee previously ap-
pointed that the committee had con-
ferred with representative of the New
England Telephone Co. who said that
the new system would cost $4,000 and
that it could not be installed for sew
eral years longer. the present Gardiner
switchboard having been recently in
stalled.
Hon. T.. L. Russell recalled the good
roads question. and urged action by
the board on this matter.
M. A. Haraden moved that the Chair
appoint committee to present set
of resolutions to the city government
regarding good roads. specifying the
use Of the King drag and the disuse
of the road machine.
Hon George w. Heselton urged bet
ter sidewalks. and said that $500 in
damages had been paid on account OF
poor sidewalks since the annual meet
ing of the board.
M. A. Haraden. George w. Heselton
and f.. L. Russell were appointed as
n