Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-04-18
In,vhv.v commls.looer,s Meeting

Highway Commissioners MeetinS
| About thirty town officers and othe
parties interested attended the meeunl
Of road commissioners under the charg
Iof State Highway Commissioners r.
Hardison OF Caribou. ut the court hous
IThursday. Mr.. Hsrdison arrived on tn
forenoon train, and ut once prepared TO
the days work.
A few minutes were spent By hlm In
rather informal talk on road subjects
First he gave Q brief summary OF tn
work done BY the state road department
during the past year and since the DO
partment was organized In 1905, showing
the number OF miles Of roads built undel
the different plans, and the average cost
OF each kind of road.
He then took up the several plans
which he had on exhibition, showing the
various ways of building improved road,
with q uniform width Of Fl feet from
gutter to gutter, adopted Is the stand.
ard, but q width OF stone or gravei
surface varying from the full width Oh
the road down to II feet, the narrower
widths having q shoulder OF earth.
The proper construction Of the V-drain,
under the road, was also illustrated:
Care of state roads after they are built
was particularly urged. Some people
have the idea, he said, that a state road
when built was something permanent,
which would never need any more atten-
ton. So they are sometimes neglected.
He mentioned an instance which bad re-
Gently come under his observation, where
running water had done many dollars
damage to piece of state road, when
fifteen minutes work would have turned
the water out of the road.
There is now no fund available for the
maintenance of state roads, but after the
new automobile law goes into effect next
year, it is hoped there may be, as the
automobile license fees are by the law
to be used for construction and mainte-
nance of highways.
In cases where less than $1,000 is ex-
pended on state road. there is no survey,
and the builder of the road sometimes
has nothing but bis judgment to guide
him in the matter of drainage, which is
so essential. But a man Of good judg
ment with good eye may do much, and
in cases where leveling Is necessary 1t
may be done fairly we'll by means of a
carpenters level and ten-foot
pole.
After Commissioner Hardison's talk,
the meeting became a sort of informal
and there was quite variety
Of questioning and discussion along
various practical lines, such as the best
form of bridge planking, the best kind
Of culvert, and so on. Culverts OF con-
crete or stone laid in cement are of course
the best, said Mr.. Hardison. Culverts
Of metal have been laid in many places
with good results, though no one, not
even the manufacturers as yet, knows
what the life of them will be.
One of the road commissioners related
IN instance where, with good stone right
1t hand, he had put in 24-inch culvert
Of stone laid In cement cheaper than the
price Of a 20 inch metal culvert.
Another session, which was almost en-
irely informal, was held in the after
noon, and the discussions continued till
t was time to leave for home.
Among those at the meeting were the
following:
Geo. W. Berry, road commissioner. Paris.
Z. II. Pike. selectman. Greenwood.
r. +. Virgin. road commissioner, Mexico.
T. Z. Marston. road commissioner, New Glou. !
ester.
w. II. Chadbourne, road commissioner.
c. II. Graham. Rumford.
G A. Dyer. Otis6eld.
+. +. Foster. Milton Plantation.
j. A. Roberts, road commissioner, Norway.
T. A. Conroy. Minot.
K. II. Morrill, selectman, Mason.
w. Il. Russell, road commissioner, Paris.
r. L. Ordway, road commissioner, Gilead.
John l.. Tubbs, road commissioner, Water.
ord.
George A. Brown. selectman, Stoneham.
George W. Holmes, selectman, Norway.
Chas. W. Bowker. seectman, Paris.
Frank A. Farrar, selectman, Paris.
W. II. Eastman, county commissioner, East
sumner.
Henry d. Hammond. county commissioner,
Paris.