Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-10

POI 'e'9 > Do7'o" Ssshs 6oeoa der s ~
49, or osq aiGcs93s
ment conducted exactly the same as
| any other great business enterprise,
merit and efficiency only to govern.
Two Glasses of Roads
| Are to be established, both Of which
| shall receive state aid. The first are
to be known as State Roads or Main
Theroughfares. and are to he laid out
by and constructed wholly under the
supervision of the Highway Board
They shall be such continuous routes
through the state as will accommodate
the greatest volume of business, agfi-
cultural, manufacturing and tourist on
the smallest possible mileage. and such
, systerI1 shall be interlocking. That IS,
the systems of one county must con-
meet with those of adjoining countess
| so as to make a continuous route. Al
the same time the east and west sys-
| toms must be connected by routes run
ming north and south, SO that the pun
| liz may travel from one system TO an
other The State must bear at least
one-half the cost of such main THOR
oughfares and as much more as VIII
he equitable and just. and may, III
some instances bear the whole COSTS
The municipalities through which they
run are to bear such part of the cost
. 6 is euuita BILE and Just, in no case 10
exceed one-half the cost. once all or
any part of these roads are construct
| ed. the State is forever to MAINTAIN
them. and the bill provides the patrol
system of maintenance shall be adopt
i ed. n man given certain section 10
| look after. devoting his whole time 10
| the work during the time that the
| roads are not covered by snow. This
system Will develop in a short time, 4
corps Of men who will become experts
| in road maintenance.
State Aid Roads.
These are to be roads which are OF
local Importance only. Municipal ono
! ers of the different towns are to desls-
nate a system of roads WITHIN taeit
| jurisdiction as would best serve out
living communities. connect ADJOINING
| towns and villages and facilitate traNti
| in reaching markets. railroad coilHee-
lions and State roads These state a.d
| roads. while designated by the muniei-
nal officers, must receive The appfofai
| of the state Highway Boafd peI9fe
they are accepted, and the Board mas
The authority to accept all or any part
ar reject all or any of them. IN
der the old law only one road leadffs
| into a town or village could be desis-
mated as State aid road. Under THIS
hill every road Leading into such mu-
nicipality can be designated as a state
aid read and receive aid from the
| State. The pres.nt sliding scale Oh
| giving the smaller towns Il larger pro-
| nortionste amount of aid than the
| larger lawns. has been adopted. With
| in certain limits, towns applying for
| state aid for state aid roads, the Board
shall apportion from State funds for
each dollar appropriated by towns, the
| following:
Towns having valuation OF $2Ooo0o
| or less, 81 for each 81 appropriated by
| the town.
| Towns having over 100000 valuation
and less than 81, 100000 are to receive
81 state aid for every dollar approprl-
ated.
towns having over 100000 and less
than 81, 200, 900 will receive So for each
l
dollar appropriated.
| Towns having 81 200. 900 valuation and
| less than 81 AGO. Coo will receive $50 Tor
| each dollar appropriated.
| Towns having over s1,400,0O0 and less
than S1e0o.e00 valuation will receive
$50 for each dollar appropriated.
| Towns having over $1,600,000 in valu-
| alton will receive s.75 for each dol
| lar appropriated.
| To unineorporated townships, the
+! State gives one dollar for each &c
cents appropriated. The proposed new
lew is much more favorable to the
| smaller. towns than the old one. Under
the old law town having a valuation
of. say 100000, by appropriating 500
| could receive $40O from the State and
no mere. If it appropriated $4,000, it
could receive only 800. The bill pro-
| vides that once in five years. any town
| can appropriate five times its annual
| amount and not only receive five times
its amount of state aid for that year
but a bonus of p per cent, for making
| the larger appropriation.
Example.
| A town having a valuation of say
$500. 600 may once IN five years appro
| pirate five times $500 or $4,000, and re-
ceive not only the same amount. $1,000
| from the State, but bonus of - per
| cent. or $500 making the total State
aid received $500. This is to encour-
age towns to eliminate the present
| patchwork policy. After any section OF
these State aid roads are completed
| the road commissioner. must go over
them every two weeks and make at
| necessary repairs, and follow sucf
other instructions as the State High
way Department shall direct. Once q
month he must report to the State
| Highway Board what he has done an6
the cost of the same. If the road COM
missioner has followed the law an6
the instructions of the highway de-
partment at the end of the municipal
wear. the State is to reimburse the
municipality for one half the cost OF
maintenance Ii, however. the work is
nor zone in manner satisfactory t.
the Highway Board the town is de-
barred from receiving any State as.
sistance.
| L..