Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-08

standard of living abroad place II upon
our own basis and American genius
could do the rest. They can't make the
American laborng man believe any such
doctrine as that today" said the gov
ernor. Gle knows that 50 cents will not
buy what 81 will and people have too
much sense to allow such condition as
now exists to continue, but nevertheless
the Englishmen are going to make the
cost of their opportunity while it does
last The workman here in Maine now
realizes what government means to him.
It touches his poeketbook and he feels
its effects. That man is going to vote the
Republican ticket in the fall and he will
vote the way his pocketbook tells him
TO vote.
The State Issues
Governor Haines then touched upon
state issues. He said that he had moth
ing TO apologize for in the conduct Of
the affairs of State. They were being
administered economically, honestly and
well and the people knew it or will know
it when they take the trouble to get at
the facts for themselves. He then took
I'D a discussion of the highway commits
sion and the good roads construction
There was some criticism of the admin
istration with relation to the construction
of the Portland and Brunswick road. The
people did not understand 1t or there
would be no criticism about this mat
ter. There were no politics in II 10 be
gin with. The highway commission was
non-partisan in its makeup. 1t was do
ing it's work or trying to do it without
relation to politics.
In the first place. Maine has two sys-
TENS of road building. One is the state
aid method where the State and towns
and cities together build State aid roads
About 100000 is being expended by the
State now in this way to build good
roads in conjunction with the cities ana
towns. There is another system Of road
building which is paid for not by direct
taxation but by the tax on automobiles.
This system provides for interlocking
highways throughout the State, trunk
lines they are popularity termed. Only
half a million dollars a year can be e&-
pended in this work He then went on
to describe how the state had secured
government appropriation of $4,000. to aid
the State in building a State road Po-
Iitical interference in Washington had
interfered with the State securing this
government appropriation. The officials
at Washington had been told that Bruins
wick had means of communication by
water so that the proposed road was not
a rural road" in the sense intended by
the government to aid in constructing.
But government officials came here
and went over this road and they rec
commended S65 600 instead of $4,000 to
aid the State in building it. So the
contract has been let and the road IS
to be built. 1t will be a good road
said the Governor we must begin
somewhere and somehow to build good
roads and it happens that we are
making d beginning in Cumberland
county tits not due TO any favorite-
ism or anything else. The road is not
for Cumberland county alone but for
the whole State. 1t is the kind Of
road which the federal authorities APP
prove Of and which viii stand the
test of time. The Democrats are try
ing to mislead the people concerning
it but they can't do it for the people
want good roads and they do not want
to have the money spent in road con-
struction wasted"
Public Utilities
The Governor then spoke of the pub
! lie utilities law which was passed by
a Republican Legislature voted for by
! Democrats because they didn't dare
oppose it but afterwards prevented
/ becoming a law by Democratic politi-
! cans who invoked the referendum up
! on it. He said it was the most import
ant piece of legislation the people of
/ the State mad ever been given by any
Legislature and when they come to
understand it they viii Sc that it is
! put in operation.
The Governor also spoke of the
I worl1ingmen's compensation act which
was not passed by the last Legislature
but which the Republican party en-
dorsed and tried to enact. Some men
| didn't understand il then but today