Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-23

|
| they ma not DE all uf his niud III re
| Sard to the trunk line OF Highway. 1h'
| senator ought to take into cunsiI IA
| ton dat long before IL" ROAD get
| anywhere near Patton there will re I
| Clamur put in here rom difercnt part.
| OF the state for this trunk line. Ti'er'
are pthcr parts OF IT," state that vii
have sunnder claims fer it than he iId.
| in hi section.
MIR. WINSLOW. Mr.. President
think that Senator Kellogg mas pre-
scented perhaps tine strongest view,
with reference to this bill. All | car
say NOW is that ii IS just bill. a biz
that j. wanted by each community
and the few here aggregated as Scnd-
tors perhaps do not represent the Ela-
iurity that want this bill. /; is tho
state OF Maine that cIamours fpr the
tuat want it. The state OF Maine has
been, as Long as | can remember. not
ed tor supporting poor roads, in u
has been a setback to the stat and,
as | said lore before To this body. We
are certainly 10 years behind tines
compared With our sister states. Ii"
New England states in particular. I'll
New England states started in some
~ Years ago for the Improvement of
their roads. THAI is history and all
know what has been accomplished.
know and oilers know thar are
y ell Informed. that there !: no uuts
ton but What if We open our gat"Wd,,
and in proper shape. 81 that tht lF0-
pie can come here and travel with AL
tumobiIes. ii will be Il great adv ant
age to our State. We already teol it.
What do our hotel people tell rs Pu-
land Springs says that over ii per
cent. of their guests arrive there IN au-
tomobiles and spend their money, and
the same statement comes from al! Tie
hotels in the STATE that ar acecssi-
Bile By automobiles.
As have said previously. The State
highways seem to be a factor i'll BRING
ing about the best results tor the lars-
est number ri peupl" in TINS S;ht".
Should We look at il IN til" light Of the
construction OF Il railroad, Ne certain
ly would not have gone 70 NIX ;eS W"
have in the last six years and con
Structed 90 miles of What is termed
state roads, State highways, in the Va
rious sections of our state. T. present.
ing a great many communities; We
should certainly not have don" Il at
We should have built ;hr main line
first and then connected these han, hes
with ii. That is MY ttp"urE Of road con-
strHetien and it Is my theory fer tn"
betttrmcnt oil this State. ! belize
there is nothing in my estimation tuat
will bring more money Ia the state
during the vacation seaS"a than this
bill.
Mr. BLANCHARD: Mr.. President my
brother appeals II this in the light of
railroad construction. If We had rail
roads in tn" State Of Maine represented
by these red lines. would we try to get
them together or would We employ some
engineer to unity and bring them togcth-
er? He speaks about the condition of the
roads in his part of the state. Perhaps
we are all selfish. If the people have
awaited themselves Of the states money
and continued To do it, it seems to me
they might have a road that is passahe
as well as we do in the interior part Of
the State.
Mr. STAPLES: Mr.. President I dis
agree with my friend, Senator Kellogg.
in regard 10 this trunk line. | under
stand that there is $4,000 unexpended. un-
called for by the towns, left over and in
the treasury today. left through the high
way appropriation.
The highway commissioner has full
right and authority to build roads even
if the towns do not make application for
the money. and he has been doing it in
some degree in different parts of the
State. ! believe in good roads. | be-
lieVe we cannot raise too much money to
put the roads in Maine in good condition.
not only for the automobiles but for the
farmers and the producers.
Let us get the roads in good condition
in our country towns where they are
used by the working people in carrying
their produce to market and in bringing
things from the market to the farm. Let
is put those roads in better condition for
the benefit of our people rather than for
the benefit of foreigners who come in au
| hope that this $4,000 in the treasury
will be expended by the highway COM
missioner upon the roads in the State of
Maine. When We get the roads in the
State of. Maine all right, then we will in
wife the automobiles to 80 all over the
State and when We are richer We Will
build trunk lines. | do not object to my
friend being in favor of it. for | think
he will get it down through Patten, for
he lives there himself. Until that thing
is done, | want to be put on record as be
ing opposed to trunk lines at this time,
because the people of the State need all
the money that We have appropriated or
into good condition for everybody to pass
over.
The Senator says that this Bin does not
call for an appropriation, but If there IS
$50 900 left over and this is to pass what
will prevent the highway commissioner from
spending that $50 900 on the highway? |
am willing that the money coming IN from
automobile licenses should be expended on
Tia" trunk lines, but | am not willing thar
any money shall be appropriated for that
trunk line until the roads are in good con
dilion for the people of Maine.
Mr.. GOWELL. of York Mr.. President :
The Senator from Knox has assumed such
a broad and statesmanike view of the mat
tiers under consideration within the last few
days, that | had hoped to vote with him
during the rest of the session. The ques-