Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-07-15


iitical purposes; to array one class Of
people against another, and one com.
lnunity against another--aIl to the damage
aho injury and set back Of the highway
work and the best interests of the State.
NO one has a greater interest in the
agriculture of Maine than have har.
. large farm eight miles from depot. and
am as interested in good highways as
ahspooy can be, as have to travel this
road many times each year, hauling sun
pies and products back and forth with
my teams. feel just as every other far
mer does, that l would like to have the
best possible road built from my farm to
the station, and | would like to have it
now, but with over 5000 miles OF high
way In Maine, l know must wait. and so
must a great majority OF the people. We
nave been getting about 100 miles OF road
improved each year. We shall have two
hundred this year. We are finding out
that the amount OF money which we sup
posed would make permanent highways
suitable for all will not do ii. The roads
which we have built and called good roads
Tor the past four or five years are begin
ming to show that they were not properly
constructed. They are wearing out very
last. They are not having the proper care
and attention. What we need most OF all
are repair and constant inspection Of the
roads we have already built, and what we
all need Is information, instruction, and
the truth told us about this highway prob
lem, and not prejudice and jealousy,
created for political purposes.
The new highway law, in my judgment,
is right, and II the commission is left to
work out the problem as the legislature
has put it up to them by this law, as the
people learn OF its purposes and workings
they will come more and more to appre-
ciate and support it. This law was passed
as nonpartisan measure, and as COM
promise measure between the State-aid
and the State road, sometimes called q
trunk line. Both are provided for by
the law, and we need to go very slowly in
our criticism Of the work that is begun
and not yet actually completed.
We must remember that the law has not
been in effect one year Yet, and that this
is the first season when any work has
been attempted under it. In one year
more we will be much better able to Judge
OF the quality OF the work, when we can
see some OF it, and know what has been
accomplished. Patience and fair minded
ness are necessary to encourage the COM
mission and for the accomplishment OF
any good results. 1t is great undertake
ing and great movement in the right
direction, and il we don't keep it out Of
politics we shall accomplish nothing. 1t
is just like the school question. As long
as we played politics with our schools, as
we did for many years, we did not get
ahead much. Now that We are all agreed
upon the benefit OF education and are ex-
pending money literally for it, and have
quit making it political issue, we are
finding ourselves in possession of one of
Union.
There has already been let, in about
eight Of the counties, sections of seven
miles of State road, and during the next
month such a section will probably be let
in all the counties where the commission
will be able to make location. In one or
two counties there is such a controversy
over location that the commission is wait
Ing until the people in those counties can
be got nearer together on that question be-
fore they make a final location, but it is
not the fault OF the commission that these
controversies arise. They are brought
about through the desire OF different Sec
tions OF a county to have the State road
built first for their particular locality.
Now, don't forget that these are State
roads, and not State-aid roads, of which
the latter are being built all the time in
every town and city in the State which
avails itself OF the State aid provision in
order to get its pro rata part OF the money
from he treasury, as provided by law.
In York county the State road is now
practically all completed from Kittery to
Biddeford, which is the last bond
money which will be expended in that
county for the present.