Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-14
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line system yields large returns In add
ed pleasure to our own population ana
a direct money return to the hotels and
resorts Of the state from outside tour
lists. the market road, leading from the
farm to the railway station, has d.
rect bearing upon every individual in
this state.
The United States Department of
Agriculture in one Of it's Bulletins de-
votes many pages to an analysis of
market roads financed by bond issues,
and goes On to show that highway
improvement with borrowed money
must be- regar]ej as an investment.
! The service rendered by highways rad
iatine from a town may be measured
directly by the tonnage which Is hauled
over them. A measurable income
arises from the investment by the re-
duction of hauling costs. From the
! standpoint Of public economy the an
nusl cost of hauling represents the op-
Grating expenses of the road system.
The direct return upon the highway
investment is the reduction in operat-
ing expenses. This difference between
the old hauling cost and hauling cost
ing to the community. It Is invariably
true that the Improvement Of market
roads is followed by all increase Of an
nual tonnage"
State Aid Roads.
For some ter or twelve years. under
the state-aid plan, financial help has
been given by the state to the towns
for the improving Of their market
, roads. This work, however. is proceed
ing so slowly as to be almost hopeless.
Take the town Of Orrington, for in
stance. Here there are some 60 miles
of highway and the total improvement
under the state aid act in the year 1915
was $50 feet, about one-seventh of a
mile. At this rate, it will take APO
years for all the roads in Orrington to
be improved under this method. Arson
has 100 miles of highway and built in
1915 about 1850 feet (one-quarter mile).
Paris with $50 miles improved $50 feet
Qess than one-f1fth mile). Waldoboro
with 120 miles improved 1850 feet.
Richmond with c25 miles Of road i'm
proved 2250 feet. From the above H.
Illustrations it is very apparent that the
present method of rendering aid to the
town is quite inadequate, and yet as
stated heretofore. it is the very class
OF road as represented by this illustra-
ton. over which the products of the
Maine farms are hauled It is this
Grass OF roads that must be promptly
improved If the state is to get early re-
ductlon in the cost of food supplies.
furthermore, the development of the
Maine farm has been the subject of
some discussion during the last few
years. No one can fail to see that the
first thing needed by the farm is a good
road over which its own supplies NAV
he cheaply hauled IN and its own
products as cheaply hauled OUT, If
the community is to get the full bene.
nj derived from the reduced cost NJ
transportation, some means must be
adopted to greatly stimulate the rapid
NY CT the work in these country towns.
ne result to the people Of the state is
:" great when these hauling costs are
reduced that there should be no hesita.
'"rl ABOUT adopting a sound plan for
speeo'ne up improvement of market
ROADS 1t is high time that the market
ROADS should he viewed collectively in
d large way. and that ARRANGEMENTS
should be made as promptly As possible
LOT distributing thousands of miles If
such Improvement throughout the
state. There is. of course, a direct con-.
nectlon between the market road and
the trunk line; each helps the other
and the time has come when we should
cease 10 think OF the trunk line alone
put should also bear in mind in anv
pan Tor highway development a great
contrlhuttng network of market roads
ne proposed mill tax, however
works directly in reverse Of III.
.neory. The mill tax proposes TO taLs
money away from the farms. from, III
outlying districts, and use Il m,on
!ne trunk line system solely, where's.
IT any extra tax is raised upon ~
farms it should 90 on to their o. "o
roads, and furthermore should h.
greatly augmented with fund. ,ro.
v'ded by the State itself.
Any new plan for carrying on b,.,
way work in Maine is worth noting
unless it takes into account the do,
veiopment Of the market roads as ~,
as the trunk line. wen