Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-04-30
NEW ROAD LAWS.
.,,poRTANT CHANGES MADE BY
LAST LEGISLATURES.
..-.vARy OF MOST IMPORTANT OF THE
NEW LAWS, BY REP. scATEs,
AUTHOR OF MANY OF THEM.

.n,,v IN discuss these various acts than
g., John Clark scstes, OF westorook, the
s.as.tsrv OF the Maine automobile as
s.;stiou. and the man who introduced
,bs majority OF the new bills and who was
,ss dominating factor In the passage OF
them sill.
Few people haze any idea of the great
..,,,,har OF highway acts which were
rassed by the last legislature, or know
INA, they mean after reading them. At
~ ,aauest Of THE AMERICAN, Mr.. seates
has explained these various measures 20
thst they may DO understood by all.
ags-lles the enactment OF the general
Aigbwav hill providing for a State high
rsv commission and the issuance of e.
mn 600 Of bonds" says Mr. Scates, "many
s,ber important laws have been enacted.
.Amenr them Is the authorization of
The county commissioners to employ
prisonsrs on the highways. The county
commissioners are authorized to provide
ali tools and implements. material and
CONTINGENT, and such other help as may he
necessary to carry into effect the provi-
siops Of this ACT
@Another act provides that the State
hrh~ay department shall remove all trees
around dangerous tarus and at railroad
crossings, aud have the authority to cut
the same on private property when neces-
Aary. This act also provides that any
Municipality, it's employees or contractors.
who shall leave any turf In the road, as has
ordinarily been done in many sections
Of the state. shall be debarred from recciv-
ing any state aid for roads until such turf
has been removed.
This act also provides that no advertis-
ing sign shall be erected within 500 feet OF
crossings of highways, or where one road
In,ersecss with another, and the State
highway commission shall cause all signs
so erected TO be removed at the expense
OF the persons erecting them. The State
highway department shalt also cause all
towns TO erect proper signboards Of a uni
form appearance aud height on all State
or state-sid roads.
Another act prohibits sbuttors from
using the land within the limits of the
streets and iiiling up the bitches and
drains. This IL not so common In the
western part OF the State, but IN Aroos-
took county the farmers often plough
clear out TO the travelled road and COM
plstsly obliterate every sign OF ditch.
Every municipal officer. when complaint
Is made, is obliged to prosecute every
offender.
Another law was enacted limiting the
weight OF motor trucks or other vehicles
and the speed at which they shall travel.
No vehicle Of nine tons, including its own
weight, is allowed on a highway without
special permit OF the highway depart
ment or the municipal officers of the
town. Motor trucks OF between four and
six tons are limited TO fifteen miles an
hour, and motor trucks OF between six
and nine tons are limited to six miles an
hour. The size OF tires shall be regulated
according to the weight OF the vehicle.
"An act which Is Of some Importance to
people living in cities and the thtckly-
settled portions OF towns provides that
when a majority of the abuttsrs, in num-
Der and value, upon any street, shall petit
ton the municipal officers to improve
such street, two-thirds Of the cost may be
assessed on all OF the abbutting property,
whether they petition or not.
IAN act of great importance is the one
that provides that all road commissioners
shall be chosen by the selectmen and not
elected by the people. Seiectmen may APP
point from one TO three road commits
sioners, and they may engage a road COM
missioner for term OF three years. In
this act sslectmen are not debarred from
being commissioners.
"ihe legislature, however, passed an
other act which apparently is antagon-
stie to this one, but as the act author
1ing the seiectmen to appoint road
commissioners was the last act enacted
and approved by the governor, ii. I'M
oodbtedly will stand, as a general
Practice of the court has been that where
Two acts that were antagonistic were
passed, the one last approved shall be the
one to be considered the law.
And now to come to the principal law
OIL all-the one providing for a highway
commission OF three members and the
authorizing of the highway bonds. This
act' 10 my mind, is not as perfect as it
should have been, owing to the personal
amn1tion OF some people and the personal
plqne OF others, together with consider
DE politics. --a
Thus It was impossible to enact q per-
lect general highway law. Nevertheless
.ne one adopted has many redeemiug
natures. 1t gives the State highway COM
mission almost unlimited power. This is
ngh'. One Of the first duties OF the high
way commission is to select chief en-
g'aeer who shall be the operating head.
Tue commission is not limited to a resi-
usht Oh this State or to the price IL shall
pay such engineer.
another one OF its important duties,
nu II VIII be among its first, is to lay out
system OF State roads throughout the
9'A'e. These roads must be interiocking
ana the systems running east and west
Allhf hn -. a..