The Republican journal., 1910-02-17
THE STATE ROAD LAW.
Commissioner Sargent Calls Attention to
Amendments by the Last Legislature.

amendments by the Last Legislature.
Commissioner Paul D. Sargent of the
State highway department is sending out
to the chairman of the municipal officers
of thes various towns of the State the
following letter calling their attention to
the State road law as amended at the
last session of the Legislature, pam
phlet copy of which is enclosed in the let
ter:
Dear Sir:
Enclosed herewith you will find pam
phlet copy of the State road law as
amended by the last legislature. The
principal amendment which would inter
est the towns at this time is that regard
ing the manner of making town appro-
priations.
Instead of the provision for setting
aside from the regular highway money
and making special appropriation it is
now necessary only to make special ap-
preparation of a certain amount in order
to entitle the town to State aid. On the
last page of the pamphlet you will find a
financial statement which shows the
maximum amount which may be raised
by any town and against which State
aid will be apportioned.
If you read section four of the law
carefully you will see that it is not neces-
sary for the town to appropriate the
maximum amount, the word may"
being used in the section. If the maxi
mum amount is not raised, however,
State aid will be apportioned only on the
basis of the amount appropriated
The last paragraph of section five reads
as follows:
at shall be the duty of the selectmen
OF each town to insert in the warrant for
each annual town meeting an article call
ing upon the voters to vote yes or mo-
on the adoption of the provisions, of this
act relating to the appropriation of mon
ey necessary to entitle the town to State
aid for highways, for the year in which
such meeting is to be held
1t would seem, therefore, that the fol-
lowing articles should be inserted in the
warrant for the town meeting in order to
bring the matter of State aid properly
before the meeting.
''Article To see if the town will vote
provisions of chapter 112 of the Public
Laws of Maine, for the year 1907, as
amended by chapter SO, Public Laws of
1909, relating to the appropriation of
money necessary to entitle the town to
State aid for highways for the year
$780,"
"Article To see if the town will
raise and appropriate, in addition to the
amounts regularly raised and appropri-
ated for the care of ways, highways and
bridges, the sum of S being the
maximum amount which the town is al
lowed to raise under the provisions of
chapter 112, of the P. L. of Maine for
the year 1907, as amended by chapter 50,
Public Laws of 1870"
If the above appropriation is made,
State aid, as shown by the financial state
ment above referred to, will be appor-
toned to your town.
If the town sees fit larger appropria-
ton than that indicated may be made,
but the amount given above is the maxi
mum against which State aid may be
apportioned under the law.
The towns action on this matter should
be reported to this Office on the enclosed
blank on or before April fifteenth.
AS the law directs US to use the funds
not apportioned to towns for another
purpose, it is necessary that applications
be filed promptly and before the fifteenth
of April in order to insure the apportion-
ment of aid to the towns.
State Assessors valuation of your town
Isl
Yours very truly,
PAUL D. SARGENT,
Commissioner.