Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-08-12
MAINE ROADS
CONTINUED from Page One)

State to create a State highway fund
While this was being worked through
in the Legislature, 100000 of the
amount was added to the State aid
appropriation of 100000 named in
the Statutes. This left just few
thousand over 100000 each year for
State highway work. In 1913, the
Federal Government passed the new
Federal aid Appropriation amount
ing to 5000, 900 900, of which Names
share was substantially 100000. 1t
then became apparent that the
State would have to arrange for fur
Their financing or we would not be
able to secure our share Of the Fed
eral aid.
Accordingly. the Legislature of
1919 submitted a Constitutional
amendment asking the voters to in
crease the States bonded indebted
ness for the construction of high
ways to $40 ,O00, 900, which would pro-
vide ss,0oo,ooo Of new highway
money This question was the last
on the ballot of five questions. 1t
received the largest vote OF any
question voted on and was carried
by a majority Of about five to one.
THE Legislature in special session
in the fall of 1919 authorized the
State highway and bridge work dur
ing 1920, but labor and material con-
dDtions that year made it impossible
for the Highway Commission to get
much work under way. Contractors
would not bid on work on account of
the uncertainty Of labor prices.
Railways could not handle material,
so that very little was done. Dur
ing the present year, however, pro-
gram of about $50 miles OF State
highways has been put under con-
struction. Contracts have been let
for most of this work and there are
quite a good many day labor jobs
running.
when the referendum on increas
ing the/ States bonded Indebtedness
for highways to $10000,000 was held
in 1919 quite an active campaign was
carried on during the summer to ad
wise the voters of just exactly what
the question was upon which they
were asked to vote. A pamphlet was
distributed by the Highway Com
mission outlining the system of State
highways and detailing what had
been accomplished and showing what
remained to be done to complete the
system, SO it is fair to assume that
everyone who went to the polls and
voted on this question voted with
full knowledge, and as pointed out
above, the question was carried by
an overwhelming ma jority.
Some OF the members of the 1921
Legislature offered the suggestion
that all State aid financing in the flu
ture ought to be done by bond issue
and some Of the highway bonds al
ready authorized by the Constitution
should be used for this purpose. The
first proposal was to simply write a
statute declaring that all State aid
roads shall be hereafter known az
State highways. This proposal was
examined by practically all the law
yers in the Legislature, by the attor-
ney general and by many other good
lawyers and was turned down by all
of these attorneys, on the ground
that such a move would be if not
unconstitutional, at least breaking
faith with the voters for there was
no proposal when the bond issue was
authorized to- build a system of 1900
or 4400 miles of roads, hut simply to
finance the construction of a system
of 1850 to 400 miles of road, the
State highway system as then laid
out.
The result of the discussion of
this matter in the Legislat ure led to
the passing of a resolution submit
ting the question to the voters for
amending the Constitution so that
State and State aid roads may both
be built from the proceeds of State
bond issue.
On the physical side of the high
ways 1t ought to be noted that at
the end of 1920, just 445 miles of
State highway had been rebuilt from
bond issue. Another $50 miles of the
system has been rebuilt in the Ia It
eight years as State aid so that
about 500 miles of the system was
reconstructed at the end of 1920
Construction work now going on will
ADD 100 miles to the system and I'm
doubtedly so miles Of State aid road
will be built on the State highways
this year, so that when construction
under way at the present time is
completed, We will have substantial
ly 1000 miles Of State highway re-
built. If the present program can be
kept up for the next three seasons. il
is the belief of the State Highway
Commission that the State highway
system will be rebuilt in it's entirety.
1T. should also be borne in mind
that three fourths of the people in
the State live in the cities and towns
which the State highway system con.
meet
"One further point ought to be
noted and that is that all of the State
highway work is financed by auto
mobile fees. SO called All of the
maintenance of State and State aid
highways is financed by the automo-
bile fees and the expense of running
the State Highway Department. the
Registration Bureau in the secretary
of States Office and the automobile
inspectors and State highway police
are all borne by the automobile fees
1t would appear to any -minded
man that the autemobilist is bearing
his share of the highway burden at
the present time"