Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-07-20
Governor Haines' Letter,

H.
Augusta, Maine
Gentlemen:-The people of Maine
are greatly interested in the improve
ment of our highways. 1t is evident
from some correspondence that l am
receiving that the So called Highway
Law passed by the last Legislature is
not well understood; but wish to call
attention to one provision which the
people as rule approve of, and which
is not being complied with, and which
1t seems to me you have the power
to enforce. and that is the violation of
Section Two of Chapter One Hundred
and Eightynine of the Public Laws of
1913 with reference to placing turf in
the travelled part of the highway, and
which prohibits the same.
The new State Highway Law places
the authority with you to withhold
payment for highways to municipali-
ties which may be due them from the
State until such turf is removed Sec
ton Eighteen of Chapter One Hundred
Thirty provides that the State Aid
Highways shall be continually main
tanned under the direction and control
of the State Highway Commissioners
at the joint expense of the State and
the towns, not exceeding thirty dol
lars per mile per annum, and not ex
ceeding fifty per cent of the actual
cost to be paid by the town. This APP
plies TO State aid highways heretofore
laid out and such as you have taken
over or may designate, and you are
further authorized to take over such
highways as seems necessary for the
purpose of maintenance,
Now l realize that under this
statute you are ourdened with work to
an extent which perhaps the people
generally do not realize. The estab
lishment of a new system, under a
new law, by which the State assumes
a great work heretofore done by town
officials, by your department, is no
small undertaking, but the people are
now finding out that we have three
kinds of roads as provided by this law,
State roads, State aid roads. and the
town roads, and they are looking to
you as having authority and control
over the two former kinds of roads,
and they are looking to you to break
up this old method of putting sods in
the roads, which is still continued, as
know from personal observation, in
many towns.
Many people also believe that the So
called road machine" which scrapes
up the sod from the ditch and places
it in the road annually and many times
makes the road worse rather than
better, is more often a nuisance than
other wise. While 1t is useful in some
places, its universal use has now come
to be looked upon as an unnecessary
expense, and in it's place many people
believe the split log drag should be
used.
Now have you not authority under
the statutes above cited to advise and
direct the officers in charge of the
highways in the towns against the put
ting of sods in the road, and in favor
of the use of the split log drag in place
of the road machine where its use
would be more economical and give
better results? Can't you show to
the municipalities of Maine that one
pair of horses drawing a log drag
driven by one man, and with one man
following with garden rake to throw
out the little rocks and fill up the holes
which the log drag does not fill, will
accomplish more than the expenditure
of three times it's cost with the road
machine? Can't you get the towns
to appoint section men to go over the
roads over which you have control
under the law with the split log drag,
and can't you compel them to do it on
the State aid roads and State roads,
which are under your control? Can't
you show to them that few hours
work with the split log drag and a
team and two men after shower or
rain will put several miles of road in
good condition? Can't you get them
to divide the work up in their towns
into sections, giving each section to
one man to take care of in this way,
and have the roads fixed when they
ought to be fixed, and thus keep them
nice and smooth all the time?
If you can bring this about, you will
accomplish n most important practical
improvement in the highways which
We have now. Someone ought to have
authority to do this, and l believe you
have under the law as it now exists.
and I apply to you in behalf of the
people Of the State of Maine in some
way to bring about and accomplish
this result. Everybody is looking to
you, our new Highway Commission,
not only for the building of new roads.
but for the Improvement of methods of
handling the roads we have, and with
your power under the law to employ
engineers and inspectors, it seems to
me that you can 80 no better than de-
vote part of your time to this work.
What the town officers want is to be