Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-02

The road meeting which the House
and Senate extended an invitation 10
Lyman II. Nelson of Portland. former
chairman OF the Maine Highway Com
mission, and Professor George l..
Files of Bowdoin College, president OF
the Maine Automobile Association, 10
address on the highway question, was
held Thursday evening in the hall OF
the House, a good sized audience be-
ing present and listening attentlvely
90 the matter as presented. Senator
Conant of Waldo. chairman OF the
Ways and Bridges committee. presided
and members of the committee occu-
pied seats with or near him.
Hon. Lyman Nelson.
Hon. Lyman Nelson said:
Mr.. Chairman, Members of the Com
mittee and Gentlemen:
! feel that you have paid me very
high compliment in asking me to come
here TO talk upon the subject of Good
Roads. and / feel further complimented
In the fact that the original plan has
been changed and that this question
will now also be presented to your at
tention 10y my old schoolmate and
friend. Professor Files of Bowdoin COL
lege Certain il is that the question
OF development Of highways in Maine
Is d large enough project to require all
the thought and all the information
we can bring TO IL. IT needs for its
full development various points of
view and that. as | understand it, is
the real purpose OF this meeting to-
night
There Is little need OF consuming
time In any historic review of the road
situation in Maine. At the present
time two methods are proposed: One is
the mill tax the other the bond plan.
Now. what are the essential differ
cnccs between these two methods?
These. To proceed at a moderate rate
and pay the entire cost as we go: that
- tho mill tax. To double or treble the
pace. pay partly as we 20 and post
pone the payment of the balance; that
IL the bond plan. The mill tax raises
all IT, money by a large increase in
direct taxation to be levied immedi-
ately: the bond plan raises much more
money. but does not increase taxation
"a penny for 1917. only a moderate
amount for 1918 and not until 1920 or
1921 do the taxes under the bond plan
method begin to even approximate the
constant increase of direct taxation as
required hy the mill tax plan. The
mill tax pays no money for interest but
postpones the roads; the bond plan re-
uuires interest but gets the roads now
The mill tax places the entire burden
upon MS: the bond plan asks our chill
dron To share in the expense of this
gigantic undertaking. the benefits OF
t,tbt hE, n ta Y
postponcs tho roads. the bond plan
postpoucs the payment.
For more than a year the papers
have bceu printing the mill tax plan
and one OF its chief claims was that il
created a settled policy for future
years. II the mill tax for roads
should be placed upon our statute
books. II would stand. as one gentle
man said for generations" to come
and the same authority goes on to say:
successive Legislatures would nc
more think OF meddlng with the mil
tax for highways than they would OF
revokiug the mill tax for schools: the
regularity of income would lead tc
permanency in policy and consistency
In highway development work. Grant
ed that the income was morally sure
our highway authorities could plan for
years To- come for future work in the
department"
The original mill tax plan. however
has now. according to recent news
paper announcement. been materially
changed and while It Is still labeled the
Mil Tax Bill the question of con
tinuity Of policy gained by such G
law has been practically abandoned.
Again. tho mill tax bill, as now in
PRODUCED instead of devotinG all It's
proceeds 20 trunk line work Gas origi
nally intended. gives 100000 of 1t:
proceeds to the State-aid roads. How
ever commendable that may be, Il
leaves but $500 900 for trunk line worl
which is but little more than half the
amount we are now expanding on the
trunk line.
The Changed Mill Tax Plan.
That IL the way the bill reads. A.
Is well known. however, the fedora
government is proposing to assist thu
states in road development. Now, the
advocates Of the mill tax say they will
take the money coming from the fed
eral government, (Which they expec
for the next four years will average
about 5000 000). and add It to the $500.
900 produced by the mill tax. thus Civ
ing a total amount of 100000. which
they consider sufficient for trunk lint
work. But they say nothing as Il
what the program will be after thu
government money has been expended
In other words, the plan which was t.
put this question beyond the "med
ding of the Legislature for a Ion,
term OF years or perhaps a genera
ton" will ned some NEEDING" fou
years from now. When the govern
ment money is gone, we must ge
money from some source to continu.
the trunk line work. In short the pro
posed bill, as now advertised. is moth
ing more or less than a makeshift,
feeble attempt to please the farmer.
by a small Increase in money for mar
ket roads and TO carry on trunk lin,
development at about its present rat'
of expenditure for four years only
Furthermore, II Is not at all impossi
bile that there will be SO much red tap'