Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-06
WORKING OUT DETAILS
OF THE HIGHWAY PATROL

Inc establishment OF patrol mantle
nance Of both improved and unimproved
highways, provision for which was made
by the last Legislature, is engrossing the
attention of the State Highway Commits
sion these days. At a recent meeting of
the commission, preliminary regulations
were laid down for organizing this work.
1t will be remembered that the patrol
maintenance law directs every city and
town in which the State Highway COM
mission supervises the" maintenance of
State or State Aid highways to cooperate
with the State Highway Commission in
the employment of a patrolman to con-
stantly maintain such mileage of prin-
cipal thoroughfares in the town as may
be mutually agreed upon by the munich
pal officers and the commission The idea
is to add to the mileage of road already
approved a sufficient mileage of unim-
proved road to keep a patrolman busy
and to make it possible to have contin-
uous maintenance of the improved roads
and such constant attention to the unm-
proved roads that the patrolmen will be
able to give.
1t is obvious that in establishing the
system of patrol maintenance it must be
done according to some we'll defined meth
cd, and the Highway Commission has de-
termined to first lay out and establish pa
troll sections to cover the entire system
of State highways. This comprises 1900
miles of the principal highways in the
State.
The commission has also determined
Alo<
laid out and established with .,rst regard
to the physical characteristics Of the
road, irrespective of town lines. 1t has
been supposed by many that one or more
patrolmen would be employed in every
town in the State. This may be the fact
when the system has been completely
worked out. but in dividing the State
highways into patrol sections 1t is found
that in some towns there are only one or
two miles of State highway while in an
adjoining town there may be seven or
eight miles. Consequently. one patrol
man may work in two and even in three
different towns. Records of each patrol
mans work will show the exact amount
of time and the exact cost of his work in
each particular town, so that at the end
of the season the Highway Commission
will be able to state exactly what work
has been done, if any, in any town and
what that work has cost
In establishing patrol sections on the
State highways the commission will take
into consideration sections of State aid
highways which lead into the State high
ways and probably will combine the two
classes of roads in towns where these
conditions prevail.
After bringing the State highways un-
der the patrol maintenance, the system
will be extended as fast as possible to
towns lying off the State highways.
Certain difficult questions arise daily
in connection with establishing the sys-
tenn. For instance, in the towns of Cum
berland and Falmouth, in Cumberland
county. there is the State highway lead
ing from Portland to Brunswick which
has recently been improved in co-opera-
ton with the federal government This
road must be maintained. There is the
State aid road running through both Of
these towns, which is locally known as
the Middle Road" The State highway
leading from Portland to Poland Spring
and to Bethel also runs through both of
these towns. This road has not been i'm
proved but it is highly important that it
should be put under patrol maintenance,
as it is heavily Travelled thorouehfare
The question in the minds Of the COM
missioners is shall they establish the pa
troll on each of these three roads and if
the patrol is established on each of these
roads. where is the money coming from
to pay the bills?
The highway commissioners can see
their way clear to put one patrolman in
each town but it looks as though they
would be obliged to put more than one
in some towns. The States activity in
this direction must be limited by the
funds available for this work, all of
which comes from the automobile license
fees.