Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-08
Address of Commissioner
Harrison at u. Of M.
Feature Of Day for Farmers
Week--Maine Not Trailing.
Declares Average Condition Com
pares Well with Other States.

4
| Highway Commissioner Parker Hardi-
sons address was the feature of this
| day, Farmers week, on Good Roads
in Maine He said in part:
In dealing with this subject l hope
l may be pardoned if | cover a wide
range of subjects as the title might
| indicate and | will present some fig
ures which may be of interest in con-
nection with the State road work
which We have been doing for the past
six years. For the benefit of those who
have not investigated the method of
apportioning State money l will give
| a brief synopsis:
Towns having a valuation under
| 100000 may raise as a maximum
amount $780, They will receive from the
State $500, or 81 for each 81 raised
| Towns having valuation from $780,
| 900 to s1,0J0,000 will receive 81 for each
81 raised and so on until we reach ST.
900; all cities and towns having a
| valuation in excess of that amount re-
| ceive their apportionment from the
| state on the same~ basis, that is Is
| cents for each 81 raised. The maxi
l
| i'll proportion to their valuation. 1t
will be seen from the above that the
law was designed to help the poorer
towns. 4 total of ASS applications for
| State aid was received in 1911, divided
| as follows:
Cities. Il towns, 40S; organized
| plantations, SO; unincorporated town
| ships. &c.
| We constructed during the year 1911
| Sf.19 miles of gravel road at a cost
of $2,s2f.19 per mile; 2.21 miles of BIZ
| luminous maeadam at a cost of $1.19
per square yard. or 15,555.5O per mile;
2.d5 miles of plain macadam costing
$7S0i,64 per mile, or Sis per square
yard; Pool miles of earth road costing
| S2i52.55 per mile. These costs include
grading, undertaking and eulverts
Our total construction of State road
for the past year was 1fo.43 miles and
SIS miles of trunk line road at a cost
of $31 $500. The total cost, not includ-
ing cost Of inspection. was s413, 5S0.21.
The State expenditure for State roads
amounted to $50 69064.
| Un1er an act of the Legislature of
1911 our annual appropriation is fixed
at s25o000.
Our total mileage of the State is
practically 25,530 niles. The counties
having the largest mileage are York
230S miles; Cumberland, 1881 miles; Pc
| nohscot, 1856 miles; oxford, 2302 miles;
Aroostook, 2S17 miles. In 1905, our inn
| proved roads were reported as 2237
| miles or about per cent of the total
| mileage of the State. Beginning with
| the year 1905 and including the year
1911, VIC have constructed, in which the
| State has furnished aid, 42.34 miles of
| macadam road; 1904 miles of gravel
ana 1449e miles of earth road, making
a total, including Il small amount OF
other types, Of 62206 miles since the
organization of the highway depart
ment.
Our highway system has been the
| subject of much criticism, some of it
has been just and some unjust but
taking into consideration that there is
| no subject which offers so much free
advice and | may say chronic COM
plant as the subject of road construc-
ton; liberal allowance should be
| made.
AS Il rule each Individual has his
own peculiar ideas in regard to how
|
| rietye of detail. 1t is not unusual for
criticism to be made in regard to the
condition Of roads without investigat-
- he actual cause and, as a rule, the
bad conditions exist for the lack OF
funds, out | feel free to say that our
method can be vastly improved with
! out increasing our expenditures; sim
ply by beginning with the towns and
| tbr tYI1 h. leo nd
| selectmen by better organization and
closer estimates as to cost of work. AS
an example, we had one town which
became a contract town by allowing
it's State aid to accumulate in excess
| of $1,000, which, under the law. would
bring it under the contract class, and
| IL was optional with the town to make
a contract with the highway depart
ment at cur estimates without adver-
Using the work We looked up the
matter of grading. hauling the gray
| el, as it was a gravel job and the
drainage. The selectmen thought we
| We're inclined to take advantage. or eX
| pected too much work for the money,
| but after some persuasion they agreed
| to build 1900 feet of road for certain
sum of money with the proviso if any
money should be left after completing
that amount they were to extend the
work To the amount of the joint fund.
AS 4 result, instead of building 1900
feet they built 1900 feet and still had a
small balance left. | merely mention
this to show an example of good man-
agement over poor figuring.
Now. there are many small matters
which | want 10 mention which APP
pear insignificant, but in reality are
vital To the success of road building.
The first to be considered in looking
over a section of road for improve
ment is the alignment; in these days
of motor vehicles this matter should
receive careful attention for it is Of
ten the case that sharp angle in
the road can be eliminated and the
material used for filing in other
places and this Improvement some
times can be made by simply cutting
the bushes.
The next point to be considered is
the grade; If the road is gravel the
ohSta nIa ie Iadoa