Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-28
Good Roads.


ant matters pending before Congress,
are propositions looking toward en-
listing federal aid for good roads.
The states have taken uD the prob
lem of furnishing suitable highways
for business and pleasure traffic SO
far as limitations of the state treas
uries will permit The state aid has
generally been furnished to stimulate
further expenditure by the municipal
tiles or by the counties and has taken
the form Of funds of the state con-
tributed in some proportion to the
amount appropriated by the smaller
units. In this way nearly all states
have progressed to some extent in the
campaign for better highways.
The men who have studied the good
roads problem realize that there is
need of larger expenditures, and that
in many instances the funds available
or that can be made available, will
be so small that extensive good roads
projects will be compelled to wait
completion for many years. Again,
many states have as vital an interest
in the good roads in an adjoining
state as in their own. For instance
trunk highways which connect a large
portion of state with the nearest
large center of population in another
state, should be as modern and as
permanent as the good roads to be
found in the state which has seen fit
to advance along these lines if the
expenditures of the first state are to
be enjoyed to the full.
Large projects are delayed for years
because it is practically impossible
for states to get together and agree
upon any common plan of procedure.
Lately the New England states have
discussed the matter and eventually
something will! be done For instance
there are trunk highways prog ected in
each of the principal river valleys and
along the eastern boundaries of
Aroostook and Washington Counties.
These will eventually be considered as
feeders for a highway which extends
from Portland to Boston. If Maine
puts this magnificent system into the
best possible condition and New |
HAMPSHIRE and Massachusetts fail to |
do their share, the Maine system will |
be as effectually cut off, so far as
inter state traffic is concerned, as
though it were on an island. AS a
matter of fact, at the present time,
that portion of the system which lies
between Portland and Portsmouth is
at least no better than that portion
which lies between Portsmouth and |
Boston.
1t is in such instances as these, but |
on larger scale, that some good |
roads advocates propose that the fed |
eral government shall take action. |
Trunk lines of road are proposed be-
tween centers of population such as |
Washington and Boston. A trunk line
of this character would certainly lead
to the construction of similar roads
adjacent and leading into it. The one
question as to the ACCESSIBILITY of
building such read would seem to
be the large amount of money in
volved. 1t seems to us that eventually |
the road will be built anyway, though
it will be built in sections and as parts
of the various state systems. The
people and taxpayers will pay for it,
by the nation. 1t is simply Il ques-
ton of distributing the cost among
a larger number of people,
Another proposition for federal aid
is very similar to the work now done
by the Department of Agriculture.
That is purely of an advisory charac-
ter The Department of Agriculture
collects information regarding road
building management, investigates
road construction, tests material ana |
issues publications on the subject.
Those who believe that the federal
government should not undertake the
actual building of roads point to the
excellent work now being done by
this department as an example of
what the federal government can do
safely without a large expenditure.
Enulish Justices Of the Peace.