Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-08-04
MORE ABOUT ROADS

The press conclud. thai the only al
tcruatiy is 10 limit the use OF motor
trucks, 1t does not. however, say
what that limit should be nor what
The limit Of cost should be.
We DO not know OF any plans TO
build roads costing $4,000 per mile,
though it is conceivable that such d
road IN some congested places sub
.ie.ted to enormous and necessarily
heavy traffic might be the cheapest
kind 10 build But none so far as We
know contemplates cApcnding that
money as the average per mile, nor
any thing like such 4 sum.
As 10 limitations on the motor
trucks at certain seasons of the year
and prohibition at all times OF trucks
exceeding certain weight there can
be no valid objection. That is some
thing for the Legislature to do. 1t did
pass d law last winter which is now
IN force; what is wrong with it?
Probably something; there usually is
but what is IL" While the highway
commission can't change it the next
Legislature may. it is highly prob
able that. by then, experience will
have showns the limit on trucks isn't
severe enough. Anyhow, they should
bear their full share OF the cost Of
road maintenance. There ought to be
no questioning of that proposition.
Continuing the Press says:
There is another phase of road
building, which has been suggested
by Lyman RI. Nelson. whom Governor
Baxter recently appointed a member
Of the highway commission and
whose confirmation is now being con-
sidered by the Governors council,
and that is the manner in which the
road engineering has been carried on.
1t isn't at all necessary, as Mr.. Nelson
sees it, that our roads should be built
TO satisfy the ideas of the engineers
as to perfect road construction. Mo-
tor vehicles of the kind generally in
use do not have to have all the grades
upon highways cut down as they
would be cut down for use as rail-
road rights of way. These cuts cost
great deal OF money, and SO do the
fills which are made in the lower
places. 1t is Mr.. Nelson's idea that
we have been building too many
roads with these costly cuts in them
and that our money for good roads
could better be expended in lengthen-
ing the road surfaces built rather
than being compelled to build fewer
miles OF roads each year because 50
much engineering work has been done.
In the future, when Maine has sue
cceQed in bringing her highways up
to as near a state Of perfection as
they can ever attain, if succeeding
generations desire to cut down grades
and make long fills. so that Maine
roads will rival the engineering tri-
umphs Of Europe, it will be well
enough for them to do it and to pay
fcf it. This generation and the next
10 follow have burdens enough to
carry without adding any unneces-
Sary irills or ornamentationS to the
work they do. our engineers are not
To be criticised for wishing TO make
al Of our roads as nearly perfect as
possible, but something besides en-
SIneering skill and ideas must be APP
rlied 10 this problem. What is need.
ed. as much as anything else is the
application Of a little sound Yankee
business sense which will mean the
SAVING Of Just as many dollars as
possible and making every dollar go
just as far as il can be made TO go"
This as general proposition
sounds first rate. Maine can't afford
10 pay for frills, but we are not con-
vin,ed She has been doing this We
hope t" find ont; We certainly will try
10 do so. Eut who is t. determine
lust hat are frills and " hat are not >
The road authorities Of the world
probably don't know II all, indeed
some OF them lacking perhaps, in the
sound" part OF Yankee business
sense" admit that the road for the
future hasn't Yet been perfected But
to whom are Nc to go To If not to
them \ business man. be he Yam
kee or plain Dutch, doesn't scrap a
gong machine W hich is doing his
work according to the best standards
as made and accepted simply because
some fellow comes along and says he
could invent a better one. The bust
ness man may be impressed by the
proposition enough to contribute to
to its development but he doesn't ac-
rept ii until it is developed and dem
onstrated. So far as We can learn
Names demonstration OF good roads
compares favorably with any that
has yet been made.
I. is possible there have been toe
many cuts and fills with view to
permanency. About s. per cent, We
think. of the roads built by the com
mission are of gravel showing an av-
erage cost of over thirty per cent an
nually for maintenance in the sections
studied Would Mr.. Nelson raise the
money by bonds to build such roads;
Would he use the bond money for the
maintenance of roads?
Surely, Mr. Nelson would not bond