Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-06

State aid law. The law was very brief
and rather crude. but believe it has
accomplished all it's trainers had in
mind. 1t provided that any town
which would appropriate and expend
not less than 500 dollars nor more
than 5000 dollars in permanent i'm
provements of it's main travelled thor
oughfare. which should be designated
by the county commissioners as State
road, would receive from the State
one-half the amount SO expended pro-
vided the work met with the approval
of the county commissioners.
This law was passed so late in the
session that few towns were able to
take advantage of it that year. The
number which applied for and received
State aid the first year was II. The
next year 90 towns took advantage of
the law. The succeeding year POS
towns received State aid and the year
following there We're 244. In 1905, 27O
towns built State roads and in 1906 the
number was 322. In 1907, 32S towns
took advantage of the law: in 19OS 1855
applications were received and 46U
pieces of state roads were built in as
many towns; in 1909 sol applications
were filed with the highway depart
ment and All sections of State road
were completed. This year the appli-
cations number 513.
Each session of the Legislature has
amended the law, by broadening and
strengthening it. In 1903 the limit of
expenditure was raised from $4,000 to
$4,000. The next session it was raised
to 1900 90
In 1876 the Legislature created the
Office of state commissioner Of high
ways and directed that official to make
Investigations and compile statistics
pertaining to highway conditions in
the State and to report to the Govern
or needed legislation. AS a result OF
these Investigations it was found tina,
highway taxes bore very unequally on
the various cities and towns of the
State. 1t also provided for State su-
pervision over the construction of all
State aid roads. This supervision is
exercised through inspectors who ex-
anime and report to the State high
way department OH the condition of
Zach piece of road to be improved
after which specifications are prepared
by the department by which the work
must be done. The inspectors also Wis
it the work as often as local conditions
require and circumstances permit, and
no State aid is paid until the work is
approved by the department. This has
naturally resulted in more uniform
kind of State road improvement, than
was possible without supervision
Tn 1Q01 tho T,noic1at,1ro oil
$4,000 to meet the payment of State
aid. This amount was more than suf-
ficient Each Legislature has in
creased the appropriation and this year
it amounts to 1921 .000. OF this amount
about 100000 will be necessary to meet
the payment of State aid. Under the
law the balance of the appropriation
may be expended upon the construction
of trunk line roads. About $4,000 has
been apportioned for this purpose, and
eight separate pieces of trunk line
road varying in length from u mile
to five and one-half miles have been
completed or are under construction.
The expenditure for State roads up
to and including 1909 has been s1,169-
1868 of which the State has furnished
s484,2e2.77 A total of about 524 miles
Of road has been reconstructed. So
much fer State roads,.
OF our $4,000 miles of road about
200 miles Or only about IL per cent.
lave been designated as State roads.
FROM this point of view the mainten-
ance of our ordinary roads should be
seven times as important as the con-
struction of State roads. Our expendi-
t,Ir thic rnodc 1,,hit,I,
will be larger than ever before will
probably be 100000 or only about one
quarter as much as our regular an
'ual maintenance expenditure. From,
this point of view the maintenance of
our ordinary roads should he four
times as important as the construction
of State roads.
At its session in Bangor last Decem-
Der the State Grange after discus
sion of the matter the state master
was authorized to appoint committe'
to confer with the State commissions
with the object in view of ascertain
ing whether it is possible to procure
better results from the expenditures
of our ordinary road moneys. This
committee has had several meetings
and each of the questions suggested
this morning has been thoroughly, i'm
partially and honestly discussed. Til.
committee has been aided in it's de-
iDerations by a committee of the
state board of trade and also of the
automobile interests of the State
The conclusions reached are brief'
Is follows: The expenditure of $1.317.
400 annually for road maintenance
should he made according to some def
mite plan and under some uniform
system rather than according to tn
vhims or fancies of five hundred in
lependent road commissioners, or
,oards of selectment whose average
term of office as shown by statistics
two years and eight months, a term
'ess than is demanded of apprentices
in any trade. 1t seems to the com
mittee that the only way to secur
more uniform results will be by exer
cising state supervision over the main
tenance work, and that this can onl!
be brought about by the payment o
state aid.
1t also seems to the Committee that
t we could have a state appropriation
If about 100000 which would net
,bout s4 per mile for every mile OF
road in the State, the money to be pay
able to such towns as would accep
State supervision, that the PROPOSE