Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-04-14

your shoulders the responsibility which
citizenship hangs about the neck of
every American? Are you prepared to
shoulder that responsibility? Do you
know how to prepare?
Are you ready to stand up as the
colors pass by and say aloud "My
country's flag, to thee l pledge my
life, my honor, all; my faith, my hopes.
shall ne'er deny the magic Of thy
call and salute"
Mr.. Sargent followed Gen. Presson and
spoke on the work of the State Highway
Commission in part as follows:
would like, for a few moments, to
direct your attention to the present ac-
tfvities of the highway commission
since it's organization.
The commission, after holding sew
eral hearings in various parts of the
State, in December, 1913, laid out a
system Of State highways which COM
prise thirteen hundred miles Of road,
or about Ave per cent Of the total road
mileage Of the State. This system
passes through two hundred thirty
eight cities and towns, containing
seventy three per cent of the popula-
tion and seventy-three per cent Of the
valuation of the entire State. 1t seems
to me that his statement alone shows
that the commission has been very
conscientious in its effort to accommo-
date the greatest percentage of our
population with the least percentage
Of road mileage.
During the last two years the com
mission has constructed one hundred
ninety-odd miles of State highway at a
total cost of one million three hundred
thousand dollars, or an average cost of
about sixty-flve hundred dollars per
mile. The commission has attempted
to construct the type Of road which
will best Withstand the kind of traffic
the road will be called upon to carry.
On our trunk line between Kittery and
Portland, where traffic runs as high as
thirty five hundred (35O0) automobiles
per day. for the several months in the
summer, we have constructed btu
macadam and Portland Ce-
ment Concrete surfaces. On practical
ly all other parts Of the system, except
the Federal Aid, between Portland and
Brunswick, we have built gravel sur
faces, which are most agreeable to ride
upon and more easily and cheaply
surface.
In each instance we have paid par
attention to the question of
drainage ana foundation; those are
permanent features Of any road. The
surface is the really permanent thing
about q road, it is bound to wear out
and must be renewed. but we have so
designed our foundation and drainage
that when traffic has in
creased to such an extent that the
gravel surfaces will no longer carry
the traflc economically a better and
higher type Of surface can be laid with
no additional expense for foundation
or drainage work.
During 1914 the first attempt at or
ganized maintenance Of roads i'm
proved by State cooperation was un-
dertaken. During that year six hum
dred forty eight (648) miles Of State
aid road were maintained at an aver
age Of one hundred seven dollars
($107) per mile. During 1915 seven
sixty (760) miles Of State aid
road were maintained and the average
expenditure per mile was one hundred
thirty-five dollars ($135). In neither
OF these years was the maintenance
work satisfactory to the commission.
On account Of the fact that the i'm
proved sections in many towns were
It was not feasible to
these sections by a patrol
and the work has been done during the
two years by the local road forces in
each city and town. The commission
has given instructions with respect to
the maintenance work, but the in
have not been properly in
terpreted and satisfactorily carried out.
During the present season we hope
to effect big improvement in the
Of these sections Of road
BY the employment Of maintenance
patroltmsn. The last Legislature
passed an Act requiring every city and
town In which the State highway
supervises the main
tenance Of any improved road to CO.
operate with the commission in the
Of q patrolman for the
Of improved sections Of
highways and such milage Of unim-
proved road as shall be mutually
agreed upon by the municipal officers
and the State highway commission.
We expect to havs in the vicinity of
five hundred (50o) patrolmen at work
shortly and to cover practically every
mile OF main thoroughfare in the State
With systematic maintenance. The
system will not be perfect this year
for It II Just being organized but we
hope to have the main thoroughfares
II fAf better condition for summer
travel than they have ever been before
ma to keep them In good condition
throughout the season. We believe it