Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-11
TIE BILL INCREASES

One OF our exchanges reports a
County TO secure a truck thorough
fare 10 Bangor and thus insure COM
petition with the Bangor & Aroostook
Railroad. Men interested in the auto
mobile trade are meeting and consid-
sring ways and means TO opposc
traffic restrictions which they regard
too drastic. In all this IL will be to
the advantage OF those concerned to
consider that the public has eventual
iy got 10 pay the bills and should be
protected. alike from automobiles and
'crank" lawmakers.
In n recent letter 10 the editor of
tho Boston News Bureau Commits
sioner Cole OF the Massachusetts Blu
rcau OF Public Works declares that
state Is faced with the expenditure OF
ninety million dollars within the next
ten years TO meet the cost of motor
transportation in addition to the an
nuai needs for regular maintenance.
Engineers seem agreed, he says. that
such n thing as a permanent Highway
II as yet unknown. and present costs,
should. therefore. not be passed on
o. posterity.
Every year some economic writer
asserts that the saturation point has
been reached In the development of
the motor vehicle. and every gear the
figures OF such a department as this
give the lie 10 such suggestion.
Not only Is January. 1922. the biggest
January in the history of the state
department of public works for motor
vehicle registration. but II represents
phase Of the use OF the motor vehi-
Gle that is very striking.
We have strictly enforced the rule
that no car shall he on the highway
without a registration number for the
year in which II Is operating. This
has compelled motorists TO be ready
o. do business January /, and this
year we had 50ro more motor vehicles
registered on the first day of the year
than n year ago. indicating not only
the increased use. but the increased
dependency upon the motor vehicle
felt by people using the highways for
transportation.
almost every year for the last
i've years the average registration Of
all types of motor vehicles has in
creased in excess of 200. In 1921
Massachusetts had reached the aver
age OF a trifie over one motor vehicle
for every ten Of its population.
in our IS states there are II differ
ent bases on which fees are fixed for
the use of the highway. On a 5-ton
truck the range is from IS to $500 per
year
His communication shows that last
year that state collected from auto
mobiles less than one sixth Aof the
money 1t expended on the highways;
that at least forty millions must be
spent within the next ten years for
widening. draining and otherwise i'm
proving the highways: that highway
bridges as now constructed are who'll
fy inadequate TO the strain that is be-
Ing put on them. In addition there
In the very large expenditure re-
quired for marking dangerous points,
widening curves. providing effective
signs. supervision OF hundred and
one phases of the motor development
all Just as directly related to the
use OF the motor vehicle on the high
way as elimination of grade crossings,
danger signals. safety appliances, air
brakes and many similar things dis
covered to be so important in con-
neetlon with the development of the
modern railroad system"