Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-15
STATE ROADS.
oy HAINEs ooRRECTs SOME
w. FALSE IMPRESSIONS.
rr HIGHWAYS AND sTATE-AID
ROADS PRETTY GENERALLY CON-
xusEp BY THE PEOPLE.

,o+tv general, and indicates that
:. still much misunderstanding on
~. mart of the people in regard to the
laws. Gov. Haines, in an open letter
% apdroscoggin Pomona grange recently,
socks to correct some Of these false i'm
In reply TO your letter OF June IA, wish
,os,ate some things in regard to the ex-
,spditurc OF money for highway purposes.
. resolution passed by your grange stated:
SIN view of the fact that the State high
say commission, as now constituted, does
,ot have member representative OF the
range. and by its action in voting to con-
s,ruct type OF boulevard road at cost
which makes the total mileage Of highway
80 he obtained from the s2,00O,O 900 bond
i.sue authorized by the people of the
state exceedingly small, and the bulk Of
which is, apparently, to be built In Cum
berlsnd county," ETC., is entirely wrong
upon the proposition that the "bulk" is
to be built in Cumberland county.
Inotice by your letter that you did not
favor this resolution, and that you would
like to have me speak at your next meet
ing. which occurs on August 8, at East
Hebron. also notice that this resolution
has been forwarded to every Pomona
grange in the State with a request that
they adopt it. also notice that Mr.. Sam
Conuor states that the greater part Of the
roads we're to be constructed in Cumber-
land county. Where anyone gets any au-
thority for such false statements is beyond
me, as there is absolutely no foundation
for them and do not want to wait until
Aug. to correct these statements.
The present highway commission has
made, and is proposing to make, contracts
for building State highways in every
county in the State. These State high
ways are to be built from the proceeds Of
the bond issue-and the bonds are to be
paid, both principal and interest, by
special taxes, called license fees, on auto
mobiles. The State aid roads are to be
built as heretofore by joint contributions
from the State treasury and the towns by
money raised by taxation, and the people
confuse the estate roads, and the estate
aid roads" in their minds.
The state treasury will in 1914 pay over
in every town, according to the law, total
OF over 500, 900 for this State aided work &.
The $1,000 900 raised by the sale of bonds
is to be expended in period covering the
next four years. Now, an equitable dis
srth - ta Iad fOr
in the different counties By the terms of
the law-but one county may get its part
the first year and another the fourth year,
as the commission has discretion as to the
time of expenditure.
Now, in regard to the claim that Cum
berland county is getting more than its
share.
The federal government came forward
With proposition to give the State s65, 600
in aid of building road from Portland to
Bath, but the State is required to put up
twice as much, in order to get this s65 600,
or $4,000, which makes joint fund of
s195,OoO.
On any basis OF an equitable distribu-
ton, there would still be something COM
ing to Cumberland county during the four
years, but understand it is not proposed
to give the county the remainder OF its
proportion OF the money until this Port
land-Bath road has been built. Further
than this, the government insists upon
plans and specifications and the kind OF
construction which will suit it, and after
great deal Of engineering the State has
finally agreed, through its highway COM
mission, with the federal officers, upon
plans and specifications for this work.
The work costs more than 1 expected, it
would, but nothing less will satisfy the
federal government. You must remember
that the agricultural department and the
postoffice department OF the federal gov
eminent have charge OF this work. Ex-
perts have looked the road over and claim
that the kind Of construction which they
have agreed upon is Of the least cost that
they can accept. Hence, the State had its
choice OF giving up the $4,000, and not
building this road to suit the federal au-
thorities, or to go on with the work as
proposed. This road from Portland to
Bath is one of the worst locations upon
which to build highway in the State.
There is no gravel on the route and it
is eiayey soil most Of the way, and bad
about drainage, and it will have to sustain
a very heavy traffic leading up through
the State. By this federal aid, the State
gets highway at cost to it OF about
5000 mile, which really costs about sl2-
OOO mile, the federal government paying
the difference. In time the people will
see that the road is none too good for that
location.
Now, if any body will figure the amount
OF automobile licenses that are paid in
cumberland county, and also in the other
niteen counties of the State, they will find
on that basis that Cumberland county
would get over one-fourth of the bond
money. II they should figure it ON the
valuation OF that county, or on population,
as compared with the other counties, they
would find that Cumberland county