Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-30


and the State of Maine. one of the
States of the United States OF
America, the wealthiest nation in the
world, arc to be connected on the st.
John river by three bridges, namely;
the Van Buren, bridge. which IL al
ready built, the Madawaska bridge,
; which resolve has just been signed
} by His Excellency, the Governor, and
lastly the Fort Kent and Saint Fran
J els bridge. which is before US now.
These bridges are about twenty-five
and one-half miles apart. I do not
believe that they are too close to-
sether and I do not believe that II
will be too big burden on the State
? of Maine. Its use will more than
pay twice. the interest on the cost.
1t may seem that the people Of
Fort Kent and vicinity are not very
interested in this matter because no
body but myself and friend Of
mine appeared before the committee.
You will note that my mileage is 200
miles, and il would be quite an ex-
pense to send delegations here.
have been a witness at many hear
ings on ways and bridges. I have
seen delegation after delegation, and
large ones too, twelve to fifteen in
number, coming and supporting their
bridge and road resolves. helping
their representatives and thus max
ing it much more easy for the COM
mittee to decide. because Of course
more facts can be found in two or
more minds than in one. I was
asked at the hearing relative to this
nattar IL thara wnuId no v,,,,r1, ItP~r
ence between the cost of the Fort
Kent and the Madawaska bridge,
and without stopping to give the
matter much thought, I said that I
did not think there would be much
difference, the two bridges being on
the same river: but / was wrong
The reason is that there are three
rivers that enter the st. John river
between the two bridges, namely
Fish river at Fort Kent on the
American side, Caron brook from
the Canadian side, and Madawaska
river also from the Canadian side,
making at least third more wa
ter to take care of at Madawaska
than at Fort Kent. Also there is 8.
difference in the formation of the
banks. I would suggest. after these
facts, that there would be differ
ence of about seventy-five thousand
to eighty thousand dollars in favor
of the Fort Kent bridge. Had I
been able to have had delegation
| from my town at the hearing, they
would have corrected me and prob
ably ] would have had a different
report.
90 10y on an 1yn nd
Bridges committee have my greatest
respect and my greatest regard and
sympathy These gentlemen besides
having d great amount of work to do
are up against something that no
other committees are up against.
Their capacity is limited to the
amount of funds they had available,
which makes it very embarrassing
I am sure that all the resolves they
have in their hands would gladly re-
ceive their favorable support if they
only had the funds.
Why that bridge has not been built
pending eight long years, and not
built last year or,the year before par
ticularlN is that those two years were
years of the high cost of living, high
cost of labor, and high cost of ma
teral. It vas, | think, good judg-
ment good policy, and in the interest
of economy to have delayed the work
Il year or so until these high prices
should come nearer normal. The first
year or so of this resolve. in 1913,
the locations had been surveyed and
delegations sent to Canada for the
purpose OF getting their share Of the
~, IoI i,I, anI
in doing. While planning and getting
ready for the work. the Great World
! War broke out and Canada was in
volvCd through Great Britain. and
had to contribute money. men and
material. therefore using that bridge
money for war purposes. l did not
blame her for she needed it. Two
years later the United States had to
share in this struggle and had to see
the departure of our most robust
boys. Those years were the years OF
tears and sorrow, the years of econ
omy and thrift. the years of swar
stamps and liberty loans. but not the
years for any construction that would
not have for its end the winning of
| that great victory.
iIt VI lii'S 10 tAAelI tiiS
! building of a dam above will make it
all the more difficult for the ferry
boats, especially in that part of the
! scasonswhen there will be scarcity
of water; also in the winter time de-
creasing the proportion of the amount
of water in the st. John river to the
amount of water in the Fish river
:. will tend to increase the temperature
and make it all the worse.
Mr.. Speaker ard gentlemen, this is
| the situation in which it is going to
leave us. | mean to do right, / mean
to do justice, and | mean to be hon.
est, and ii you think that twenty
eight per capita, the amount which
will be taken for that resolve, less
than the average fare on a ferryboat,
is too much, and if you think it is
not reasonable. please turn it down.
l thank you. (Applause).
Mr.. GRANVILLE of Parsonsfield:
Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the
House: The gentleman from Fort
Kent (Mr Audibert), has quite truly
said that the Committee on Ways and
Bridges is sympathetic and like to
give everyone all the consideration
possible We had presented to us
from the st. John river a proposition
of two bridges, one at Madawaska
and one at Fort Kent. There was an