Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-21

Gu Sn0I tu0 uOASC POWSA ohN "SASAAS
tax be made fairly moderate and that
the additional be made on the per-
sonal property rate.
Mr.. Batchelder warned against tax
ing the car owner too heavily for
road building and maintenance and
on the subject Of flnancing road i'm
provement he said:
AS an abstract proposition 1t Is
rather difficult to determine whether
a bond issue or direct tax is better.
That depends largely upon the con-
dition u the states finances. The
state is not much different from the
individual in that respect-sometimes
it is wise for the individual to borrow
money and other times II is not. AS
general proposition for both indi-
vidual and state, it is better to pay
as you go. and in every instance
where the state Is not overburdened,
we urge the plan of direct tax for
highway Improvement, and in all
cases we particularly condemn the
issue of very long term bonds
Any plan for highway improvement
should be comprehensive. One of the
principal objections to highway ap-
preparations is that after the money
has been expended the results which
were contemplated by the supporters
of the proposition have not been Sc
cured. In any state, the plans should,
in my judgment, include the improve
ment of a connected system Of high
ways which will make for the inter-
nal development of the state. A
rough estimate approximate estimate
should be made Of the cost and and
then the. matter presented to the
people that If a certain rate of appro-
priation is made annually, within a
certain number of years the entire
system will be finished. Then the
people will gladly vote the appropri-
alton year after year, realizing at
the outset that q certain time must
elapse before the syste mis- completed.
If the plan is not worked out in
this way, it has been found that af-
ter the second or third year the peo-
pie kick about the amount of tax.
and the. good roads fight must be
carried on repeatedly instead of the
single time at the start.
When there is direct tax, one mill
would be the minimum, as any per-
son who has property valued at $10,-
900 is apt to be the possessor of an
automobile and should certainly be
glad to contribute SO annually to the
good roads cause, particularly when
he realizes that the money is being
expended economically and in exact
which within a definite period will
insure a well-developed system Of
highways.
When there is closed question
between a bond issue and direct tax.
in all cases would favor the direct
tax.
A proper division should be made be-
tween funds for road building and for
maintenance and the automobile money
seems the natural fund for the latter
purpose. He suggested that highway
commissioners be given reasonably long
tenures in order to work out their
plans and urged that particular atten-
ton be given to trunk lines first of all.
He was rather dubious about the pros
pect Of liberal Federal assistance at
this time. and said that any such aid
Is very likely to specify either that the
money be used for roads that have
some interstate significance or that It
shall be used to build roads which the
State shall agree to maintain.
Louis e. MaeRrayne
Mr.. MacBrayne is at the head of the
Massachusetts Safe Road Federation
which has been looking into the acct
dent problem. His association. found
that Massachusetts automobiles have
increased Is per cent. this year while
accidents have increased 100 per cent
Every Is minutes, day and night for a
year, he said. there has been an acct
dent in Massachusetts,.
First among the causes the investi-
cation revealed speed and moonshine
whiskey. Many accidents to children
are caused by the carelessness which
leads them to cross the road in front
of a car. Licenses have been issued
without examination of the applicant
and often the licensees have been for
eigners who cannot understand English.
but who have the money to buy cars
and who drive on the wrong side of
the road and ignore the laws of nature
and mechanics.
The Safe Roads Federation has in
augurated campaign to teach safety
in crossing streets in the schools and
to parents through the children; it has
suggested that pedestrians in country
roads keep to the left to avoid, being
struck from behind: it has endeavored
to enlist all drivers to become road
police and to report instances of vio-
lation of road laws and of dangerous
driving. Az result Of the latter,
many licenses have been revoked, said
Mr.. MacBrayne and since Dec. / all
applicants are required to pass mental
and physical tests Of their fitness to
drive.
Talks to local chiefs of police and to
taffic managers are contemplated in
the near future and the interest and aid
of women's organizations is to be en-
listed. The danger of travel has cut
seriously into the garage business and
INTO the pleasure of those who formerly
liked to ride on Saturday and Sunday.
If the roads can ; be made safe the
business will return and one may take
drive without the likelihood that it
may be his last. Mr.. MacBrayne recon-
mepded the Safe Roads proposition not
only as sensible and desirable thing
but also as a profitable means of fos-
'tering the motor business.
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