Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-10

through several of our counties, can
speak approvingly OF their roads ana
congratulate those counties on what
has been accomplished there.
In the past there have been some
MISUNDERSTANDING as to the states
road program and certain jealousles
have arisen. This is not unexpected
because the. needs of the different
communities were so pressing that
some communities necessarily were
disappointed. The State Highway
Commission has had many difficult
problems to solve, and if it at all
times takes the people Of the various
communities in the state into the
confidence of the Commission and eX-
plains the situation to them so that
they will understand what is geing
on. Observation-Disclosures will soon be
things of the past The people of the
state are entitled to have all the in
formation at the command of the
Commission, because it is the peo-
pies money and the roads belong to
them. The detailed statements which
have recently come from the High
way Commission have had an excel
lent effect, and l want the Commits
sion to continue to give out informa-
ton from time to time so as to keep
| everybody posted on what it is doing.
He said he believed the only way
to conduct public business is to let
everybody know it is their business.
One of the first official acts with
! which was connected was. the pas
sage of the Council Order last April
which authorized the construction of
61.37 miles of road at a cost of ST.,
| 921, 026.22. You will be interested to
know that due to the reduction in the
| cost of labor and material all these
projects but one have been or will be
completed at a saving of $27,379.41
! On one project work has not yet
started. From this you will see that
| it costs something to build roads in
Maine. 1881 miles of concrete, btu
minous and gravel roads have cost
us $1,S4S.S6S. according to figures
given me by the Commission yester-
day. 2915 miles of bituminous ma
! cadam road cost $1.020,l20, 1867
miles of concrete S466,T59 and 1899
miles of gravel s36L9s7.OQ.
1t will give you Some idea Of the
magnitude of our road system when
you are told that more than four mil
lion dollars has been spent during the
present year under the direction of
the State Highway Commission and
| that it is estimated that an addition
| al four million dollars has been spent
nv, ho nj ioiY ,nli Of h.
state on their own account. The
| states largest bills are for roads and
education. More than seven million
dollars were spent for education in
1920. During the building season
road money flows freely from the
State Treasury and we have spent as
high as $224.000 per week during the
months of good weather.
The State Highway Commission
! has undertaken the construction of
1899 miles of road during the pres
ent year, all of which will be COM
pleted by July !, 1922. 35 miles Of
gravel road have been undertaken
! under the provision of the Three
town Act. and IT'S miles of state road
also have been constructed during
Lie veal, lHdhlIiS d VI oop I1lHeS
| constructed under the direction OF
| the commission in one year.
| He said one of the most difficult
| features of the road problem is that
of bridges, that the state must help
| to build some of these. With regard
to the issue of bonds Maine had been
| conservative. There are outstanding
S6,264,500 of State Highway bonds
and in the treasury is $3,S35,500 for
future work, enough he believed to
carry us through 1924 and into 1925.
He said he believed we should pro-
coed cautiously as to how we author
ize any new bond issue.
The generations that are to sue
coed us will have most of, our old
problems and some new ones which
we cannot foresee, and they should
not be hampered by large bond is