Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-10-13


region.
| GOOD ROADS
Continued from Page Nins)
sive which the steam railroads con-
duct. 1t requires handling at each
terminal and a car may leave Port
land well filed, make deliveries at
various stations between Portland
and Bangor and reach Bangor with
perhaps one fifth or one tenth Of a
load, which has been the entire load
through perhaps the last twenty or
thirty miles. For this reason the
railroads have to charge a much
higher rate for less carload freight;
and much of this traffic is being
hauled at the present time in trucks.
and much more will be hauled as
time goes on. Is there any unfair
| ness in requiring this sort of traffic
to keep off our highways during GER
tain times Of the year? In the case
Of the steam railroad. the corpora
| ton produces at it's own expense its
right Of way, its roadbed and track.
At it's ewn expense it maintains these
! facilities. 1t pays to the State of
Maine in the form of taxes a certain
per cent of its gross freight and pas
senger receipts.
In the case of the trucks, the
State of Maine is substituting each
, one of them by furnishing a right of
way, constantly maintaining it; the
70 xx,l, oh lot ~ ha
automobile license and a minor mu-
! nicipal property tax; and, in the
! case of out of the State trucks, and
there are many of them. the State
receives nothing either in taxes or
license fees. and in these instances is
completely subsidizing the truck.
| urge upon your attention the neces-
sity of some law which will restrict
this heavy vehicular, traffic, not only
in trucks but in all kinds of vehicles
| during certain seasons of the year.
There is another law of somewhat
minor consequence but which might
be made very beneficial. In 1917 the
legislature enacted law under which
each town was required to expend
FIVE per cent of the amount which it
| raised for highways and bridges in
| the removal of bushes and non-use
full trees and shrubs from the limits
of each highway. tThis statute car
ried no penalty whatever, and has
not been compiled with by one town
in twenty-five. If the bushes and
trees at the side of highways could
be removed it would accomplish
many useful results. First, it would
give an unrestricted view in places
where now there is danger 1t would
permit the highway to dry up much
more quickly than 1t does now 1t
would furnish better drainage, so
that the roadbed would keep in more
useable condition. Especially at
highway grade crossings would this
removal answer a useful purpose;
and the Public Utilities Commission
sought during two years to interest
the towns in the removal Of bushes
at highway crossings, but with no
success whatever"
On the subject of highway main
tenance, Judge Cleaves, speaking for
the highway department, said that
it was not so sanquine as Governor
Milliken for the future. He reckoned
that the departments assets would
total about 100000 short of the
amount required for the regular
maintenance of roads and for other
uses, including the amounts spent by
the attorney generals department
and the secretary of states ONCE in
traffic law enforcement and regis
tration, sinking fund, etc. The high
way department should be given suf-
ficient funds to build and maintain
highways without having to face
deficits. he declared. But If the de-
partment is expected to do. mil
$450,000 the public should not kick
il it is not done.
The money should not be raised
from automobile users alone. Good
roads areef concern and interest to
everybody and definite apprepria :
ton for road maintenance should be
raised by taxation, in the opinion Of
Judge Cleaves. rather than take it
out of the contingent fund. 1t would
not be popular but it would be right,
and il right, it ought to be done,
THE problems of war are behind
up; the problems Of peare are before
u.s." said Toastmaster Peters. ANY
man in a governors chair during the
next few years has a mans job
which he can't accomplish without
the united support and cooperation
Of the citizenship Of his State" and
he introduced AZ the Anal speaker Of
the evening, Governor elect Frederic
H. Parkhurst Of Bangor =.
Gov. Eiset Pavkhurst
Governor elect Parkhurst vas sivea
a prolonged round Of applause Is he
rose and spoke briefly and in his
usual felicitous manner. He said he
had been represented ~ ahout to tell
what the next administration would
do, but that he felt nuch more az II
he were being told what be ought to
do.
HE expressed himself ~ completely
in sympathy with the good roads pre-
gram both as a private citissn and ~
q legislator. He recalled thar the
I1S07 legislature was the ASst to adopt
la constructive good roads program,
and prid<d himself that he had been