Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-29

day 20 make SUGGESTIONS as % the eA-
p-enciture OF the highway bond money
for the current rear. but il seems TO
me ,ha, any proper plan for the expenoi-
sure for 1915 should recognize what has
gone before and should pay same atten-
,inn 10 the expenditure OF tie whole
balance Of the authorized issue
Il believe the purpose Of the legisia-
sare in CREATING a State Highway Com
mission. arranging the terms Of office
50 that they oyeriapped. was 10 create
such a commission as could and would
lay down a policy OF expenditure that
would cover several years: not such a
policy as would be limited to any one
year. In otter words. / believe i was
the intent that the whole bond issue Of
two million dollars should be taken as
a unit and applied 10 the development
Of connected State highway system
Furthermore. as is well known. the
constitutional amendment. permitting
the issue OF the highway bonds. directly
ss!puia,es tina. the proceeds of such
bends shall be expended eauitably among
the various counties. This question Of
equitable division appeared as an amend
was. I believe. attached for the direct
purpose Of preventing the undue expendi-
ture OF the proceeds OF these bonds in
any one locality. These words were in
serted in the constitution as a safeguard
to the various communities within the
State In my judgment. no expenditure
whatever Of bond money should have
been made. ard no further expenditure
AZ the presen, time should be made until
the Highway Commission and the Gov
ernor ard Council agree upon some rule
or basis for dividing this expenditure
among the counties. So far this has no.
been done. The expenditures have been
made without regard 10 any particular
limitation in any county. and ] believe
that this method is not only contrary
10 the spirit Of the constitution and stat
uce. bu, il is also unousinesslike- Having
in mind a certain sum q money. and
having in mind a certain mileage Of road
which it was desired to improve in order
to reach Inc most populous communities
in the State. and with the added stipu-
lation ot equitable division among the
counties, the first act OF the Commits
sion should have been 10 set up these
county limits. ard then build their roads
and their road system as far as possible
ami practicable 10 fl those county lin1i-
taticns OF expenditure.
1T does not appear TO me 70 be
difficult matter to determine what
would be an equitable expenditure in
each county. but whether it is difficult
O. not. consider that the cath Of Of
fee subscribed by the members Of the
Commission and the Governor and
Council requires that every reasonabl
mean. should be adopted to work out
such a division Of those funds as shall
meet the constitutional requirement
More than Two years ago such a plan
Of division was suggested by various
gentlemen interested - --''oT roads de-
and many attempts have
been made by me TO have this retho':
or some other adopted before expend-
lures should begin.
Various counties Of the State are
represented here today By citizens who
are wondering what IS going 10 be
cone in their communities. Let q fair
and equitable division Of the wnois
TWO million dollars be made, and ear'i
county will then know approxirla teiy
what it will receive, and the citizei.3
Of those counties can join with the
Highway Commission and your Hon
era bic Body IN e-pending that none"
10 the best advantage Of each county
When such & division is made, then
each county should be taken as unit
and q system Of road development
worked cut that will fl each count"
and Join ii, as far as practicable to The
other parts Of the state. and the aver
age expenditure per mile should ts'
based. as far as possible. upon the TO
tai expenditure to be made in each
SO far, the work OF the Commission
has proceeded dramatically opposed
10 such a systematic method as this.
The only attemp, at equitable divisi N
al all has been that Of expanding
some money in each county, and this
has been done in every case without ,
any definite idea as TO how far the
total expenditure in each county de-
yelop and improve its State highway
as a whole. Very naturally. the re-
suit has been that the sections Of road
so far built have been judged by them
selves alone, and the construction
carried on with view only to making
that particular piece of road as good
as possible. / contend that this meth
cd has been wrong from the start. and
that the only practical and business
like way to carry on the expenditures
in any single county is to take tha' !
county as a unit and fit its portion.
These things. however. have been
done and cannot be undone. The next
best thing is to endeavor to start right
now. To find, first. basis of division
amount the counties; second, to charge
to each county the amount already ex-
pended: and third, to lay out expendi-
lures for the balance, covering 1915. 1916
and 1917.
Furthermore, / believe that the ex-
pendtures, SO far made, have been at
too great an average rate per mile. What
the State Of Maine needs most in the
development of highway system is to
improve it's roads in a moderate and rea-
sonable way. making them first safe
for travel, and in doing this in the most
manner consistent with sub
stantal work, and then keep this i'm
provement up by constant system of
patrol maintenance. The State OF Maine
49,