The Republican journal., 1912-06-13
New Highway Law Demanded
Road Improvement impossible Under
Present Law.
JOHN c. sCATEs.

must be radically changed if there is to
be any real Improvement of the roads of
the State. This must be accomplished
before there is any larger expenditure
than at the present time, for there il
now an enormous loss due to ignorance
and negligence, more to the latter than
the former. The greater loss occurs in
the utter lack Of maintenance. MANY
miles of excellent State road have been
constructed. and if it had been properly
cared for 1.-THE expense would have been
trifing) it would be in good condition
today.
Probably not one town in a hundred
has expended single dollar for repairs
on any State road that has been built in
the past five years. "Build and forget
has been the motto of city and town
alike, and undoubtedly will be until the
highway department has the authority to
grant certain aid to such municipalities
as will maintain their State roads in
accordance with instructions issued by
the State department, and withhold it
from those which will not. When the
people of community see that their
town is not obtaining State aid owing to
the negligence or perversity of their
officers, radical reformation will occur
Immediately.
STATE MONEY CANNOT BE USED FOR
MAINTENANCE.
Under the present law not dollar of
which the State furnishes the smallest
part can be used for the maintenance of
State roads. Think of it! Think of the
State debarring itself from preserving
and protecting an investment that it has
q Sc kho
fact. This must be changed.
To those towns whose road commits
sioners will go over once in two weeks
all State roads constructed, remove all
loose stones, see that the culverts are
places, and make all other necessary re-
pairs, and also drag the gravel and earth
roads after every rain, all being done to
the satisfaction of the highway COM
missioner, the State should reimburse
such towns, say, for one-half of the ex-
pense of such work. Some system like
the above must be adopted if our roads
are to be maintained after they are built.
EMINENT DOMAIN.
The law must endow the State and
municipalities with authority to acquire
all kinds of road material under condem-
nation proceedings. Under the prese mt
law they cannot obtain road material by
the right of eminent domain. Yet the
State has granted the right of eminent
domain to railroads. Think of the State
granting powers to private corporations
that it does not reserve to itself and to
municipalities.
TWO SYSTEMS OF ROADS.
Two systems of roads should be es-
tablished, one connecting the principal
towns, and the other the roads leading
from the country into the town. Many
times the roads leading from the country
into the town are fully as important as
the direct highway connecting one town
with another. The policy should be te
build from town to town and then radiate
back from the town into the country
not one road, but all of the principal
roads that carry traffic. Both systems
should receive State aid when both the
construction and repair work Is done &C.
cording to instructions issued by the
State highway department.
PROCEEDS OF BONDS TO BE USED FoF
BOTH SYSTEMS.
If the proposed constitutional amend
ment should be adopted, the Legislature
could then authorize the issuance of such
an amount of the $4,000, 900 bonds as il
deemed advisable, using the special auto
mobile tax to pay the interest and re
deem the principal The law should be
so changed as to allow the expenditure
of this money on both systems of roads
The automobile tax will redeem the
bonds in a much shorter period than the
people have an idea. An annual income
OF $l2O, 900 1.-THE average automobile tax
will exceed this amount) will pay the in
terest at per cent. and redeem the bono
issue of So, 900, 900 in twenty eight years
Bonds bearing 3 1-2 per cent. interest
can be sold at par so that the principa
would be redeemed in much shorter
time The bonds should first be Offered
direct to the people of the State.
PATROL SYSTEM.
For the main roads running from town
to town, what is known as the patro
system should be adopted. A man given
certain section of eight or ten miles to
keep in repair, devoting his whole time
to the work in the spring, summer and
fall. At first thought this may seem ex.
pensive, but experience has demonstrat.
ed that it is exactly the reverse. In fact
it is the most economical system that has
yet been devised. Wherever it has beer
adopted it not only has kept the roads ii
excellent condition, but the expense has
been lighter. Under the present deplor
able system repairs are never undertaken
until the road is completely worn out
and then it has to be entirely rebuilt, an(
the original investment duplicated. I'm
der the patrol system the life of GU
main roads coulu be extended almost in
definitely.
ROAD WORK IN THE SPRING.
All road work should be commenced il
the spring as soon as the frost is out o
the ground, and by the way, if the roa'
is properly drained and crowned. Their
will be no frost. Dry earth will no
freeze and heave. 1t only does so whel
water is allowed to saturate it. 1t is no
the earth but the water it contains tina
freezes. Towns whose officers will no
! thus early commence their road worl
should be debarred from receiving Stat
aid.
THE PRESENT LAW PENALTIES TOWNS
for making large appropriations TO
roads. Towns having a valuation O
between 5000, 900 and $500, 900, by rails
ing four hundred dollars for Stat,
roads can obtain four hundred dollar
| from the State. If they should appro
pirate four thousand, they could only ge
four hundred. This should be changed
so that any town wishing to do a larg'