Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-02-24
Cement Road.

snce with the following vote of the Sout
Paris Board of Trade:
'Voted, that the President of th
Board of Trade be instructed to prepar
an article and print the same In the mex
issue of the Oxford Democrat, presenting
estimates, specifications, and genera
information concerning the propose,
road construction from Park Stree
bridge to the Norway line"
Editor Democrat:
There seems to be some misunder
standing In the minds of some of the t.,
payers OF the Town of Paris as to jus
what the situation is with regard to tn
new road, and just what the citizens ant
Board of Trade of South Paris have II
their minds. This explanation, or let
ter, 10 intended to clear up some of tn,
doubts in the minds of some of the vot
ers, and let them know just what TIL
proposition is.
ELEVEN MILES OF ROAD, NOT IL MILES
1t is proposed to ask for. bond issu,
of s4S, 10000 and no more to build thi
road. These figures are based on tn,
highest figures furnished rs by the High
way Commission after careful investi
CATION of the situation. It is proposed
to build q concrete road eighteen rs
feet wide, leaving dirt shoulder or
either side of the road of six (6) feet OF
more, and not to fill in the street from
curbing to curbing. The cement road
was decided upon after consultation with
the State Highway Commission, they
assuring US that it would cost no more
than any other hard surface road, that
the conditions were particularly good
for it and that they could not conscien-
tiously advise anything else, and in fact
they are now contemplating building a
cement road from the Fair. Grounds to
the improved road in Oxford, and we
expect they will contract, engineer, and
oversee for US the part we build. The
experience of New York state for a
quarter of century in road building
causss their engineers to favor this kind
of road.
WATER PIPES AND SEWERS.
As stated above the road is to have a
dirt shoulder on both sides. The water
main nearly all of the way is already on
the south side of the street, and practi-
cally out of the way of the cement work.
If new sewer was to be laid it could be
laid on the other side of the street, out
side of the cement work. We have been
advised by contractors and engineers
who have had great deal of experience
with cement roads that there would be
no difficulty in digging under the cement
road to either lay or repair pipes, pro-
yided it was done carefully, and that
there would be no necessity for cutting
through the cement for any Of this work.
COST OF ROAD FIXED.
This road will have to be built under
contract; it cannot be built otherwise.
We ask for a bond issue not exceeding
thousand dollars GAS, OOO.OO).
The state will furnish five thousand one
hundred eighty-four dollars (s51S4OO)
more. That Is all the money available
to do the job. The contract will be
passed upon by the State Highway Com
must be satisfactory to them
and within these figures; If not within
these figures, we can do only one thing
and that is to stop. Consequently the
idea that part of ii might be built and then
more money asked for is absolutely aorong.
STONE cRUsHER.
Some OF the voters and tax payers are
buying stone crusher and
crushing our own stone. This matter
has been thoroughly investigated and
from the best information furnished by
contractors 1t has been the experience of
towns that have tried it, that roads so
built have cost between $500 and s. 90
a square yard, while the cement road
would be built for around So 90
a square yard. A prominent contractor
stated to the Board of Trade at the Board
Of Trade meeting no later than this
week that instead of crushing his own
stone he bought 1t because it was cheap
or, and that he would not attempt to
crush stone walls or field stones when
he could buy rock as cheaply as he was
buying now, and car 1t to places where
needed.
HOW IT WILL AFFECT TAX PAYERS.
Another question that arises is how
will this road affect the tax payers, and
what are we gaining by it. First: The
Town of Paris is fortunate in having the
State road lead directly through the
town, where the state will assume all the
burden of building a first class road at
least ten miles in length. We get rid of
the burden of building this road, except
the small portion of 1t between the Nor
way line and Park Street Bridge. So
that we can say that with this outlay we
are building and getting rid of building
at least ten miles OF road. Second: From
an examination of the financial records
of the town there has been expended
during the last nine years between the
Park Street Bridge and the Norway line
$1,000 90 year for maiu-
teuance and construction of the road.
This amount of money will approx
mately pay the average interest on the
bond issue, provided interest is placed at
5 per cent, and the bonds are retired at
thousand dollars (s1000.00) a year. If
the bonds are so retired, then to pay the
principal only, with the valuation at the
present figures, it will cost on each
$4,000 valuation less than 60 cents per
year for the Jorty-eigM gears. II it has
cost approximately $1,000 90 each year to
keep the road from Park Street Bridge
to Norway line passable, then with a
good road built from the Norway line to
Woodstock line, partly maintained by the
state, the lessened cost of maintenance
on this whole distance will surely care
for the approximate average interest on
the bonds for the whole period; and on
this basis, the cost of the cement road
would only add to the burden of man
paying a tax on property valued at
100000 sixty cents (60c) year, and in
years 1t would only amount
to little more than the cost of one good
Ford tire. Does this look like buying dia-
monds on credit or does ii look to you like
a good sound business proposition, Mr..
Taxpayer?
ARE DUB TAXES HIGH?
The cheapest thing in the town of
Paris, or In any other town Is our taxes.
We get more for our tax money than any
money we spend. All our expenses have
doubled or more. Why kick on a small
valuation where it belongs, pay fair
tax, consider what You are getting for 1t,
look at 1t as business expense, and that
tells the whole story.
Finally, by expanding this money we
get eleven miles of road built in the
Town OF Paris, the maintenance of eleven
miles of road cut to the minimum and
partly cared for by the state. We will
have road that we can well be proud
of, the value of property in the village
will be increased more than 1t cost, any
h. -. 80 .