The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-04-24
THE HIGHWAY LAWS OF THE UN|TED|
STATES HAVE BEEN REvOLUT|ON|zEO
The Various Measures Taken Up by the Legis-
lature Thoroughly Explained

IL dnyOHe WHO MAS examined the
acts of the Legislature which has
just adjourned, it will at once be ap-
parent that the highway laws of the
State have been revolutioniZed.
Probably no man is better able to
intelligently discuss these various
acts than Rep. John Clark Scates of
Westbrook, the secretary of the Maine
Automobile Association and the man
who introduced the majority of them
and who was the dominating factor
in the passage of them all. Few
people have any idea of the great
number of highway acts which were
passed by the last Legislature, or
know what they mean after reading
them At the request of the Re-
| porter Mr.. Scates has explained
these various measures so that they
may be understood.
Besides the enactment of the gen.
eral highway bill providing for a
State Highway Commission and the
issuance of 100000 of bonds" says
Mr.. Scates, many other important
laws have been enacted. Among
them is the authorization of the
county commissioners to employ pris-
oners on the highways. This act
provides that the county commission
ers, may, and shall be compelled 10
| dn wbnn throo IF tho
voters of any county request it. the
county commissioners are authorized
to provide all tools and implements,
material and equipment,and such 9TH
er help as may be necessary to carry
| into effect the provisions of this act.
The State Highway Department or
the musicipal officers of any town
may make application for the services
of the prisoners to work on the high
| way.
Another act provides that the
State Highway Department shall re-
| move all trees around dangerous
turns and at railroad crossings and
have the authority to cut the same on
private property when necessary.
This act also provides that any mu-
nicipality, its employees or contrac-
tors who shall leave any turf in the
road, as has ordinarily been done in
many sections of the State, shall be
debarred from receiving any State aid
| for roads until such turf has been re-
| moved. This ought to correct some
of the worst abuses of the ordinary
road commissioner.
This act also provides that no ad-
vertising sign shall be erected within
500 feet of crossings or highways, or
| where one road intersects With am
other, and the Slate Highway Com
mission shall cause all signs 50
erected to be removed at the expense
of the persons erecting them. The
State Highway Department shall also
cause all towns to erect proper sign
boards of uniform appearance and
height on all State or State aid roads
The act states that the highway de
partment shall" and not may" see
that such signs are erected.
Another act prohibits abutters
from using the land within the limits
of the streets and filling up the ditch
es and drains. This is not SO com
mon in the Western part of the State,
but in Aroostook county the farmers
often plough clear out to the Travelled
road and completely obliterate every
sign of a ditch. Every municipal OF
ficer, VIXEN complaint is made, is OBJ
liged to prosecute every offender
Still another act gives garage
keepers a special lien on cars for
supplies, work and material furn-
ished.
An act which is OF some import
ance to people living in cities and the
thickly settled portions of towns pro-
vides that when majority of the
abutters in number and value, upon
any street shall petition the munich
pal officers to improve Such street,
two-thirds of the cost may be as
sessed on all of the abutting proper
ty, whether they petition or not.
"An act of great Importance is the
one that provides that all road COM
missioners shall be chosen by the Sc
lectmen and not elected by the peo-
pie. Selectmen may appoint from
one to three road commissioners and
they may engage a road commits
sioner for term of three years. In
this act selectmen are not debarred
from being commissioners.
THE opening up of every street in
Bar Harbor to automobiles was one
of the pieces of legislation which at
tracted much attention in the Legis-
lature. In addition to this opening
up of the town of Eden, which means
the whole of Mt. Desert Island, sew