Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-16
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wealthy. and its population in proper
ton to it's territory is large. Incy
can build trunk lines :,"ross that
State without going 500 miles. but in
the Statc If Maine if yoH commit the
state To the construction of trunk
lines as this bin proposes. there arc
just as many and just as good rea-
sons that other lines should be built
Throughout the state, and they will
be just as insistcnt in their demands
for them. if that is to BE- the police
Of the state.
Let us allow the law To remain as
il is. Let the State highway depart
ment, with the advice and consent
OF the Governor and Council, whenever
there are funds available, apportion
certain amounts to the State trunk
lines, and leave it to their discretion
where it shall be applied. This law
simply says. ''WhateVer funds may BE-
available" According to the law Pass
ed at the last session of the Legis-
ldture, we raised the amount asSe ssed
for state highway purposes from one
third of mill To three fGurths OF a
mill on the dollar of the states vaIu-
alton. That led to Il Very large increase
in ;he sum for State highWav pur-
poses. At that time a change was
made III the distrihutive feature of
the law. but not one that would take
up all that Increase. and but small
part of ] believ" it was the purpose
of those who designed the law at that
time L. raise Il sum of money to
build trunk lines. think that is
confessediy their purpos. today; II
think the State highway department
conceded that. 1t vas their purpose
to raise Il sum Of money in addition
to what was actually needed among
tie towns, for the purpose of appor- |
tIoning ii to the trunk lines. But
tho financial condition of the State !
did not admit OF their using very much |
of that for that purpose, hence it is |
now claimed there is due the high |
way department some eighty thousand |
dollars. l think. which the friends of |
the trunk line claim should go to
the extension OF the trunk line OF
road. If this bill is passed, | do not
know OF any reason why they will |
not put in this claim that the money |
should be expended on the trunk line
of tho roads. l think the department |
|
able. to the expenditure of that money. |
Leave it where it is, III the hands |
OF the highway department. and in the
hands OF the Governor and Council. |
Mr.. WINSLOW of Cumberland: Mr..
President and fellow senator's, this NATL
ter to me is one OF great Importance L
have very carefully looked into the sub !
ject matter. | believe there is not al the :
present time 50 Statewide a duty that
we should perform as this one which will
bring the greatest number of people into
our state. We know within the past few |
years of the increased travel we have
had from the automobile people. Only Il !
short time ago, at one of our hearings |
here in the interest of an automobile law,
the hotel people put up that cry of change
the law and allow these automobile people |
to come in here. instead Of 10 days az the |
bin called for that limitation. they would |
not have il that way and we changed il |
for their benefit. The hotel here in Al-
gusta, the manager was here and made |
the statement before this committee that |
last season alone of the automobile trav-
el. which was in addition 10 all previous
records, that they had taken in over
w
tions, down through the State. The re-
port came from different hotels; the larg-'
er number and the best reports came
from the hotels located where they We're
more accessible TO the main travel over
our highways. referring particularly to
Poland Springs. We all know the wretch |
ed condition of certain portions of the
roads of this State, and more particularly |
tn what is termed the gateway to the |
State of Maine. Coming in as they do
from Portsmouth. leaving the roads that
we know of beyond that locality. leaving
those nice roads. what has been the re-
suit Of their travels over our roads, COM