Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-28
Who'll Pay for the Roads?

! One big question for Maine to meet
is this: If the automobile tax takes
care of the bonds for good roads. what
is to pay for the good roads destroyed
by speeding automobiles? The Port
land Sunday Press says:
Those who motored down to the Tops
ham fair recently had the opportunity
new Federal aid road to Brunswick that
would have put the Twentieth Century
Limited to blush. That there were not
very not fatal IA;
road between here and Brunswick can
only be laid to a kind Providence which
seems to take a special care over the
know of one party that came over the
roads from Brunswick in a big seven
passenger touring car filled with so-called
driver was greatly pleased with the way
the old boat rum" and even admitted
smilingly that he very nearly bumped
q "fivver" at Frseport. had to take
a motorcyclist off the road between Aere
and Falmouth. Ever since the new road
has been opened, there has been some
speeding along it that has been terrific.
one who lives along the roadway and
many of these people are becoming Bit
ter against autoists an this account
public is as much against this speeding.
as the pedestrian. Many careful drivers
say they fear trouble on account of the
other fellow far more than from his own
driving. There are many signs that line
the new Federal Aid Highway which for
bid speeding over a certain limit. These
as yet seem not to have had the desired
the near future. unless fast driving stops
there will be stationed motorcycle police
at various points along the highway.
Speeding will cause ruin to the smootn-
ness of the roadway in time, and the au-
toist who speeds is only DESTROYING that
which has been built at great expense
for his own good.
That the general public is becoming
aroused by the great number Of acct
madness. is made apparent by the
daily comments of editorial writer's
who ever have their fingers on the
public pulse. Contributing causes Of
speeding are booze and Joy riding, Of
course. On this point the Boston
Post says:
At thesrecent National Safety Council
by J. c. Rose. claim agent Of the Penn
.sylvania railroad, that licenses to drive
automobiles should not be issued to
persons who habitually use liquor.
II have noticed" said he, that in
toxicated automobile drivers are severely
dealt with of late in some courts. But
the punishment usually follows some
serious damage for which there is no re-
dress. Why not eliminate this hazard by
the more certain method OF refusing q
license to the rum drinker?"
The rum drinker' might not be easy
to catalogue in the dealing out of II
censes.. The plan is not wholly practi-
cable. But what can be done. and should
be done always, is to take away the
license of a man known to have been
running his car while he was the con-
tainer of alcohol, and never give 1t back
to him.
Here are definite evils that must be
restrained. and it cannot be accom-
plished by officers who refuse to see
their influential" friends, Trafaa
rules and ordinance are only scraps OF
paper unless they are enforced with
out fear or favor. The State highway
must be protected for its own sake il
not for the safety Of those who travel
sanely upon it. But State con-
stabulary will be required to prevent