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

Vi tihiluJ ME-, sept. oU.-MdlUC 10
ding to have some good roads; that is
I ne reason the Maine Legislature de-
oided there should be a highway com
mission and an issue of $2,0a0, 900
worth of bonds to care for the con
struction of the roads.
A whole lot of things can be done
with $2,000000, whether the sum is ex-
pended upon roads or in some other
channels. The other channels, of
course, do not interest the members
of the Highway Commission, for Meth
cr their work nor their desires lie in
any direction except along the broad
and level paths of Names traffic.
For that reason, the members Of
| the Highway Commission, Lyman Fl.
Nelson of Portland, Philip ]. Deerins
| Of Portland and William NJ. Aver Of
oakland hope that these $2000,0 900
will construct approximately 500 miles
more of good roads in the State that
| together with what has been done by
| last State administrations and cities
| and towns, there will be a total OF
200 miles of good trunk highways III
all parts of Maiac. This means that
the average cost Of mile of road for
| he 500 miles would be $500 which Is
| q fair estimate for high grade gravel
| roads.
| 1t is right at this point that ques-
| Ton has been submitted to the COM
nlissioners which they are now consid
| ering as to whether it will be better
| to construct gravel roads and provide
a good highway in all parts of the
| State or whether ii will he better 10
5uild an absolutely perfect road from
i<ittery to Portland and then use what
money is left for the Improvement of
the rest of the State. 1t is argued
by some that this portion of the high
way is the most important in Maine
and that it should be made permanent.
| The advocates of this plan are urging
/ advancing their arguments while those
| who oppose the suggestion say tina
/ the whole of the State should be ben
| Gifted, that the law under which the
commission was created provides for
an equitable distribution of the money
and that the completion of the Kit
| terry Portland road would be but con-
struction for automobiles and nobody
else, while the farmer and other would
receive no practical benefit.
/ Just at present, it is the intention
of the commission to carry out u
system of inter county highways that
will benefit the whole of the State and
every part of the State. In arriving
at this conclusion, they have been
greatly helped by the extensive inves :
legations of a special committee Of
he I'd az 10
the annual meeting in 1872
Four Points of View
This committee is taking up the
work of improvement under the bond
issue, which at that time had not been
lauthorized, considered the subject from
four points of view:
First-The total farm area in each
county.
Second-The total road mileage in
each county
Third-The valuation of estates in
each county.
Fourth-The population in each
county.
Working out on this plan, the spe-
cial committee and now the commits
sion, have found that under the plan
Aol Liz Douu Issue, SuV llllItS VI
could be built at an average cost IF
$500 a mile and there would be an
| equitable distribution of the money
among all the counties, according u
| their need as laid down in the four
| principles above given. Under the
plan. Cumberland county, being the
wealthiest and the most populated,
would be allotted $250,000 of the bond
issue.
| The total length of the trunk lines
in Cumberland county will be 1906
miles, for there will be four of them
Dunstam's corner to Portland; Frye
burg to Portland; Brunswick to Port
land and Auburn to Portland.
Just what the commission has done
and what it proposes to do, is best
said in the words of its chairman, Mr..
Nelson, who said before the Maine
State Board of Trade at Watervilie,
last week:
| Maine has again earned its motto,
| Dirigo, for / believe that careful stu
dents of highway legislation will even
tualy say thai cur law is the best
yet written.
In this matter we lead upon two
great points
First that every dollar of State
money devoted to highways, whether
State-aid or special resolves, or auto
mobile fees, or bond issue, is to be ex-
pended by one State authority name
~, the commission. We have moth
ing To say 10 what the towns shall
do with their own money, unless it
is combined With State funds, but
when it is so combined the commits
sion shall have full direction of its
expenditures and is responsible to the
people of this State for results.
Second, that all investments of the
State fund-the peoples money-in
highway building, either heretofore or
| in the future must be preserved
| Next to the bond issue plan itself,
consider the greatest step this State
has taken is in the splendid provision
| made under the new law for continu-
lal, perpetual maintenance of public
highways. t 1
The first definite move along this
line has just been taken. You all
know that a large amount of money
has been expended during the last two
years in the reconstruction of the Kit