Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-08

Directors Approve and Will Present
to City Government for Action -
First Cost Of $e5,ooo Would Be
Saved in Ten Years Through Bet
ter Travelling Facilities
Unanimous approval was given
by the directors OF the Augusta
Chamber of Commerce to the plan OF
action recommended by the Good
Roads committee in their final re-
port submitted Tuesday. A vote was
passed by the directors to the eject
that the plan as proposed by the
committee should be presented to
the city government with the en-
dorssment Of the Chamber Of Com
merce and the request that the
necessary serial bonds be issued and
the details of the plan as proposed
be carried out.
The report as presented shows
clearly that the saving erected BY
putting the roads in shape at an in-
tial cost of $4,000 to $685. 900 would
pay for the roads in ten years and
that in the meantime the public
would be enjoying good roads for
travel and business. It was pointed
out by one member of the board that
the present policy Of building small
piece of macadam now and then and
leaving the other roads in poor con-
dition, as is followed in many towns
is poor practice. There was general
~
opposition to the plan. This puts it
squarely up to the city. If this plan
is adopted Augusta will have good
roads that will be source of pride
to her citizens and the basis of much
good advertising.
The text of the report is given
herewith:
The Task
. Your committee was appointed
July l, 1920. Its task was to make
a survey of the outlying roads of the
City of Augusta, to determine their
condition and the nature Of needed
improvements, to locate the sources
of available material. and to recon-
mend a plan of action.
The Survey
Eight roads were chosen as the
principal highways leading to the
city, Each road was studied by a
subcommittee of two. one person
from this committee and one men,
Der of the committee on highways of
the city government. The roads
70 in
sons making the survey is shown on
the last page of this report The to-
tai number of miles in the roads
covered by this report is twenty-six.
Yearly Outlay 70ee Maintenance
After examining the several roads
and comforting with the mayor and
city engineer. and the members of
the committee on highways of the
city government your committee
came to. the unanimous conclusion
that approximately 20 per cent of
the money that has been expended
on rural roads for the past fifteen
years has been used for temporary
maintenance, the balance going for
semi-permanent improvements. That
is to say. 500 out Of every $1,000 ex-
pended on rural roads is applicable
to temporary maintenance only and
is fully absorbed in making the roads
pasSable for a single season, necessi-
tating similar sums year after year
from which no lasting improvement
is derived. In other words after the
roads have been rounded up and
smoothed lack of further funds has
made it impossible to take advantage
of the situation by resurfacing the
roads with gravel in order that the
wash of the roads shall not be ex-
cessive. 1t is this expensive, anti
quated, makeshift policy Of scraping
the same old dirt back into the roads
each year that we condemn.
Present Policy Condemned - The
Remedy
Ii is our judgment that If funds
were Immediately available for re-
surfaclng the roads when they have
been reshaped as stated that an
economy of 20 per cent of the pres
ent expenditure would be effected
and that the money so saved could
be used to repay such funds as may
be furnished to put these roads in
proper shape.
As an Illustration
For example. basing our computa-
ton on estimates made by your COM
mittee and discussed fully with various
city officials We conclude:
Cost of resurfacing with
gravel rs miles at
$4,000 per mile ... SOS 900
Present yearly expendi-
ture $4,000
Present maintenance, 10
per cent. Of above. 80. $4,000
Maintenance un der
Chamber of Commerce
plan at 5000 per mile. $500
Interest on unpaid bonds
(average) per year.. ALAS
Total interest and main
tenance ............. $7,345
Net annual saving. $6655.
At this rate the principal could be
repaid in 10 years without cost to the
city.
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