Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-04

and after making a few remarks n
which he stated ina; the meeting wns
known as the Good roads" meeting,
said that tine thsre would be speeches
by the different seiectnen present IN
regard 70 the roads N their various To-
ca tues and an address by Paul r.
Sargent OF Augusta which was inter-
esL.n- ann very instructive To The men
present
The meeting was opened with music
The ADDRESS Of welcome was gwen oy
Mi or Z. Z. wA-dwelI. IN which ne ex-
pressed pleasure Il, having present the
selectnen from surrounding towns.
Albert o.rie" Ernest V.Cue ane
Louis XtGue turnished vacaI selections
wmCn were much enJCyed
MIR, Sargent was introduced by tire
chairman and he opened ms address ~
briefly reviewing the road problem Of
Maine and showing what steps had
beer 1aken cor systa1na -Icallv solving
IN same NJ Sargent pointed out tina,
S per cent. If me highway mileage o,
The state IS f0und IN about q cities and
tIaI about /. per cent o. the entire
valuation IN the state Is found in these
CT and is taxed 70 ssppiv funds cor
taking care If TINS per cent. Of the
road mileage Another way of stating
The same problem Is that IS per cent Of
the valuation o. the State If charged
with taking care o. 70 per cent of the
roads
Looking a. the expenditures tor iAEn-
wa purposes lnade nv the cities N
cnrnEa-lsor with the rest Of the State
We ind that the cities expenditure II
seven times as much per nile In the
care Of highways than for the -0sf Of
the Stale.
To nice these conditions the loGtsin-
ture mas provided a system for Stats
HIGHWAYS whereby Q larger prpporrlur
Of the State money ls provided for the
smaller towns than for the waaithlsr
towns and cities.
In 1913 the Legislature created q
Stal Highway Commissioner and
charged the commissioner with the
duty Of laying out: IA system Of
State highways; a system Of
State AID highway OF Designating uf
the highway as first GLASS highways
! The State highway system az iaid
comprises 400 miles or per cent Of
the entire road mileage of IL State
| In round numbers 4BG milas have
( been reconstructed during the @iAse
six wears al Al expenditure n abuut
So 900 These roads are <the 90
tenn Of State highways pAaasnG
through SS cities and TWINS n
which are found IS per cent Of H.
! STATE population.
The system Of State AID roads aRO
the feeders of the State highway
About 8ne miles Of this road mas been
reconstructed IN the past SIX yenxB
d. an expenditure Of s.. .D0e. About
3n0 miles Of the State alG hIgRwAy
has been constructed on the State
highway system ar that altoEether
there are 70e miles of improved roads
on The State highway system
+ Since 1919 the commissioner has
/ mad charge Of The maintenance Of
the State and State AID highway and
since 1915 the COMM lssioner has aiB0
looked after the maintenance Of the
! improved portion of these roads. In
rgTS the speaker ssareG cnaT 4z80
miles were under patrol maintenance
and that 4S0 patrolmen were en-
piuyed constantly through the ssa-
sons d the g-nss expenditure Of this
WORK was n round Numbers IS 00e =
frrnished PRACTICALLY one-thrd and
{ the State me balance.
Touching IN finances. Nj Sargent
stated mai IN 1913 the late provided
! a So 0an 900 bono issue for financing
, the State highway CONSTRUCTION. and
/ that rnonev vas exhausted n 1877
and the Legislature Of that year pro-
vlded funds f0- State highway By
levvInE taxes IF one mill on al
proper-r ~ the State.
! The fedora governments s.1
amounts 1T -ound numbers To S4n =
aao 900 for the two years tn This
/ reduction on appropriation and the
! hiEn prices 5ue n war conditions for
/ the mileage of improved roads built
IN me asst two wears.
I The Legislature IN 1919 decided thai
II would ne wise r. take from he
STATE highway fund substantial
S7GG 600. zoo FOR each Of the wears 1919
10 1890 for the purpose Of CARVING one
special resolve work and TINS rel me
comm isslunar without funds with
which - undertake rew State hugh
way during the present season.
Al the chose " the address M.
Sargent answered questions concern
ynE highway matter which were
asked hv several Of the visitors ana
! members n the Chamber