Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-03

I
| report for 1911 shows that the amount
appropriated by the municipalities for
highways and bridges in that year was
81 ,4O4,015. To this shoNld be added the
/ amount expended from the State
Treasury in this work, under the pro-
visions of the law above referred to,
and By virtue of some special statutes
Lassed from time to time for the bene-
fit of highways and bridges in differ
ent parts of the State. The sum appro-
rriated annually by the municipalities
for roads is about the same as that
appropriated for common schools, and
is large part of the entire tax paid
by the tax payers. Next to the ques-
ton OF education, it is probably the
most vital question in our municipal
governments throughout the State.
The introduction OF the automobile.
or the carriage moved by the power
of gasoline, has made the question OF
highways Of still more importance to
the people of the state. The autonlo-
bile, whether used by the man OF
wealth for pleasure or recreation, or
by the merchant and tradesman IN
the management of his business, for
the trucking and delivering of his
goods, OF by the farmer in the market
ing of his products, has undoubtedly
come to stay as a leading means OF
transportation, and 1t goes without
saving that the better the highways,
the more useful can such machines be
made.
The last Legislature, by Chapter l62
of the Public Laws of 1911, authorized
the Improvement of the highways, and
provided for special taxes to be placed
upon automobiles, motor trucks. trac-
ton engines and motorcycles, by the
provision of which act the funds there
from derived were to be turned over to
the State Highway department for ala
in the construction of highways
throughout the State. This law mas
produced for 1912 over 100000 and 1t
will undoubtedly Increase in the fu-
ture The last Legislature at It's spe-
cial session also submitted to the peo-
pie an amendment to the Constitution
providing for the issue of $4,000 GOD of
bonds to be used for the Improvement
and maintenance of highways. 1t is
claimed that these bonds may be paid
off both principal and interest, by the
means of automobile taxes. and TINS
Legislature is authorized to provide
for the issue of such bonds or any
part thereof as in its judgment, IL
may deem wise. The constitutional
amendment above referred to provides
that money raised from the sale of
such bonds shall he distributed or eX-
pended "equitably" through the diff
ferert counties of the State. What
this word "equtably'' means in this
connection may be a little uncertain,
and te my mind ii is your duty TO de-
fine il. in case you provide for the is
sue of any such bonds. 1t is my idea
that the people of the State expect 1t
to be expended in the different eoun-
ties in proportion TO the valuation OF
such counties. 1t seems that such a
distribution would be equitable and
that no one could justly find any fault
with the distribution of the proceeds
of such bonds in such a manner.
We hear a good deal of talk about
trunk lines" and the Legislature of
1911, by chapter 1873, p. L. 1911, defined
certain routes as trunk lines high
ways in the State. The State high
way commissioner has had authority
under the statutes passed from time
to time TO expend certain moneys upon
said so-ealled trunk lines. Before
that statute was passed the first Com
missioner of Highways of the State, in
LAYING out the work to be done in the
different counties. in which the State
should aid, designated certain high
ways as trunk lines, and those that
have been legally designated as such
by the statutes above referred to fol-
low very CLOSELY to those which were
recognized by him.
With the large area of the State and
the great mileage we have in the high
ways, and our small valuation, the
question of the expense of improve
ment becomes vital.
The cost of improving highways may
mean a thousand dollars a mile, Or
less and it may mean ten thousano
dollars a mile or more; or in other
words. highways may be improved by
constructing what is known as grave!
roads or macadam ROADS or concrete
pavements, or by number OF other
different methods of construction At
81 600 a mile, we might get 1000 miles
of improved highways in the State by
the expenditure of S2,000,0G0. This
would make Il great addition to what
is being done annually by the regular
appropriations from the towns and
cities. as now aided by the State. No
one who rides over the roads of the
State of Maine can fail to see the i'm
provelnent that has already been made
with the little money that has been
expended, and we can all see what
vast Improvement can be made by
some very simple methods Of opera
ton To illustrate. The work of one
man continuously through the summer
sea son in country town, with the
aid of q shovel, pick. crowbar, and
garden rake, would do a great deal to
make the roads better by the removal
of small rocks, the filing up of holes,
especially at the foot of hills, and the
repair of culverts; while the use of
some kind of cheap coal tar product
would save the blowing into the fields
of the surface of new roads to their
destruction and the Disagreement of
the country by dirt and dust, but this
pertains mere to the question of the
MAINTENANCE of highways to
which / win refer later.
The question Of permanent improve