Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-12-04

and to your State in trade, In in
creased land values. in the develop
ment of your beautiful seashore.
lakes and woods. Valuations will
double in very many places in a few
years. as they have in very many
places with US. Building will double:
summer population will double.
Your roads have put Maine on the
automobile map.
Formerly no one motored to Maine
a second time. and most people, after
inquiring. knew too much to start.
They stayed in Massachusetts or
went to Connecticut, New Hampshire
or Vermont. thousands OF cars daily.
Realize what this Twelve
hundred sixty-nine miles OF road i'm
proved in six years, and such years
toe
And maintenance-the one most
important thing of all, constant
maintenance!
1 won't mention maintenance OF
roads when l began to motor In
Maine. 1t didn't exist. No one knew
there was such a word applicable to
a road.
But consider just the last 6 years.
what YOUR Commission and its Engineer
have accomplished.
Less than 100 miles maintained s years
ago: more han 400 miles maintained in
1915!
Where did they get the men, $50 .
trolmen in 1913; 400 miles of road main
tanned this year. and more b . 800 pa
trolmen.
Believe me, that represents hard. EN-
Client work.
And you gave them no adequate
amount of money. from our point of
view-less than $4,000.
Why, in Massachusetts, we secured
from the motor vehicle fees 100000
that we spent In the repair and main
tenance of our 100 miles of State high
way; and a second s., 0 600 h a We
spent in re~constructing some Of the
older sections tina were worn out and
could no longer stand up under the
present heavy traffic.
/ know our traffic is much heavier
than that on most Of your main roads
But think Of it you Maine motorists.
you expect your Commission to main
tain 400 miles Of highway for about
$3.50 a mile. n we spend g. 0o. 600 on
about 100 miles Of main road. about
half of that amount on repair a 81.
binary maintenance. tarrins. oiling.
patching. etc.. costing about $500 a mile,
and the other million in the reconstruc-
ton Of a few Of the older sections.
And our motor vehicle associations
come to us and say why don't you get
more money? Build and rebuild faster.
Well help to get the money" They al
ways have. and they always will.
You gentlemen should first find out
from your able experts. your Commits
sioners and their Engineer. what 10
needed for the roads, N then 20 to it
secure the necessary appropriations.
know all Of your Commissioners. I
have met them often when I too was
studying road construction in other
states.
I know Mr.. Sargent. your Engineer,
and have known him for years, have
met him everywhere where I went to
learn myself. He IL recognised by road
builders all owe the country az one Of
the leaders.
All I can say to o gentlemen is, II
you really want to eecure good roads,
back them to the utmost Of your power.
Find out what IL needed to secure
good roads. and above all to maintain
roads in good condition, and then see,
a. you easily can II you are half a
efncient n are my friends IN the mo.
tor vehicle associations In my state. that
the necessary money 10 Appropriated.
Don't lose your good roads. Remsn.
Ser that
The Knights are dust,
And their good souls are rust.
Their souls are with the saints. N
trust"
But don't let that happen to your
roads. Maintain them.
Chief Engineer Paul D. Sarasnt
Paul D. Sargent. chief engineer Of
the Maine State Highway Commis-
sion. said:
For the members Of the State High !
way Commission. whose spokesman I
am tonight, a. well as for myself. II