The Republican journal., 1911-10-12

live had adopted the same system, the
RS would have been equally satisfac-
.ry am endeavoring to call the at
,aron Of the people to this fact, and il
.1- should care to comment on, or pub
s rXtracts from the booklet, l woulc
-s.ran it favor, if you would send me
sr5ed copy of the issue.
Later propose to prepare map OF
- tate showing the exact location of
r opposed Trunk Lines, wild-lands,
~ and would be pleased to send you an
-tcro. Sincerely Yours,
JOHN CLARK SCATES.
I lis pamphlet, which severely criti-
.--- The roads and road builders of
Ne. MIR. Scates says:
would be manifestly unfair to COM
JET 1ur roads with such States as Mas
Il usetts and Connecticut, which have
1eh denser population, and COM
-1 improving their highways by
4-- aid long before we did; but not so
vi. New Hampshire.
Haine and New Hampshire began
State aid about the same time. The
If both States were in about the
eve condition, and in the settled por-
The size and character of the cities
p owns are very similar. Both are
st States, each contending for the
p shekels of the summer visitor.
&c Ill
shire, it is not because she has ex-
as a State very much larger
L, but rather because there has
s-. more systematic work and better
vision.
satisfies show that the average
---1 Of term of Office of road commits
-.rs in Maine is 2 years, 8 months,
hey spend S1,377, 200 annually on
~ in Maine. New Hampshire divides
building into eight divisions, each
en- under division engineer, who
is all of his time to it.
IS general rule better roads can be
by contract and at less cost than
5 cal help. Only a few towns have
~ necessary tools and machinery to
roads, especially a macadam road.
zen towns as had the necessary tools,
~ mere conditions were favorable for
help, the first method was used;
the work was placed in charge of a
eman who had shown proficiency in
building IN previous years. Furth-
re, this foreman was not resident
. the town where he was working, but
5 been imported from some other
Ntw Hampshire has adopted the wise
~ Of building most of her permanent
by contract. These contractors
only have the necessary machin-
~ but are practical road builders, and
T. State engineer always has competent
-" on the ground to supervise the
k, Not only is such work done bet
rat at very much less expense. for
wn, no matter how favorably stu
can do permanent road work as
con mically as contractors. Again, in
that did their own work, foremen
rad shown proficiency in road work
0evlous years We're put in charge. In
in the Granite State all of the work
re the State furnishes part of the
r-J, is done under the supervision of
patent and practical men, where in
tate the greater part has little Or
pervision.
TRUNK LINES THE SOLUTION.
runk lines are the solution,' says
.r Scates. almost at the inception
: he movement for better roads in New
4wpshire, the legislature wisely au.
faslzed the Governor and Council to lay
al three trunk lines, commencing al
r. Massachusetts boundary, and run.
H north the whole length of the State
inc known as the East Side road begins
Il seabrook, little west of Portsmouth
Uas through Dover. Ossipee, Rochester
AWAY, Jackson, Berlin, by Umbagog
AXE, through Dixville Notch, to Cole
rock, hundred and ninety, five Q95)
niles.
The Merrimac Valley line starts al
Sashua, on the Massachusetts boundary
blows the Merrimac valley through
Manchester and Concord, then along the
'h0res of Lake Winnepesaukee to Ply
Mouth, then to Lincoln, where it con
leets with the State road through tn.
'rolile Notch-a hundred and forty-fivt
40 miles.
The West side or Connecticut Rive,
- y. orts at the boundary of the tow
+ Nnrthh. ID in the State of Massachu
etts and nd runs through Keene, Newport
mover, Lisbon, Bethlehem, Lancaster
ra Colebrook, where it connects witt
t- East Side line-tw two H. ofed ant
e enteen (210 miles; making 10 al o
's hundred and fifty-seven (557) fniles.
To these trunk lines more than any
tng else is due the wonderful progress
fe State has made in the past four years
" a comparatively small amount Of
1"Hey furnished by the State, approx
ately one million dollars ISL, 900, O0O)
'questionably, if Maine had adopted
LIZ same policy the result would have
zen equally satisfactory
Our last legislature made a start
sying out trunk line commencing al
tit'ery, running through Portland. Lew
Ston, Augusta, Waterville and Bangor
and on to Fort Kent, but the enactment
sa'ily lacks that vitallzing energy which
Is necessary to make a new born chile
TOW. The act says the highway com
Missioner may expend such money a!
nay be left after all the towns applying
or State aid have received their appor
lonment-there may and there may MOI
De money available, and the State high
Way commissioner may or may not ex
pend it if there is. There are too man,
nays.
The trunk lines have had this result
n New Hampshire. When the town
trough which the trunk lines run saw
hat the State really meant business, i
'tlmulated them to make large appropri
atoms to aid the work. The little tow
of Ossipee of only 14O0 and a valuation
Of 1862, 200 raised $4,000 in 1910. TIL
town of Wakefield with population o