Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-08-22

| 5SO,e431S has been raised by the sale
of bonds. While these bonds are an
obligation of the State, we are all
aware that the interest on these bonds
and their retirement is taken care Of
by the automobile registration fees
and one cannot see how the State will
ever be called upon to bear any part
Of the cost of financing these bonds
$2.25 For Every Town Dollar
The State is charged with the main
tenance of the entire system of State
and State aid highways. both improved
and unimproved. and since 1913 there
has been expended for this work a to-
| tai Of sS,99S, 9693s. of which the State
has contributed s2,7oo,s3e.os and the
cities and towns $1,296, ,03032. In
round numbers the State has furnished
S2.25 for each dollar contributed by
the cities and towns, and the ratio of
the States expenditure to the towns
| expenditure for this work is increasing
each year. For example. during the
years 1915 and 1916. the States ex-
penditure for maintenance was se7s,-
! 00U against an expenditure by the
towns of S1S9. 900 or the State spent
about $3.50 against each dollar con-
tributed by the towns. Last year the
State spent nearly $3.50 Of mainte-
| nance money against each dollar con-
| tributed by the cities and towns. The
States contribution for maintenance
does not come from direct taxation but
is paid from automobile registration
fees.
Maintenance Charges
! While discussing this question of
, maintenance it is we'll to consider that
the records in the Office of the State
/ Highway Commission show that the
| oldest bituminous macadam roads
built by the commission averaged to
cost for the st six years of their
life $4,000 per mile per year for
maintenance. Where similar roads
! have been in use for a longer period
say 10 years or more that the average
/ cost of maintenance runs around
| $4,000 per mile per year.
The oldest gravel roads built by the
c. mmission averaged to cost for MAIN
tenance during the first six years of
their life S363.a0 per mile per year and
| this maintenance cost is mounting
very rapidly, duo to tho phenomenal in
! crease in the number of vehicles using
! tie highways; in fact. the conclusion
| of the commission is that VIXEN the
traffic for 1c-hour period exceeds 400
or 45o vehicles it is necessary to sur
face treat the gravel road to prevent
! it from rapid deterioration and becon,-
ing ripply or wavy. The commission
| has treated some Of its gravel roads
! for several years by this method and
the average cost pr mile per year
with attendant patrol expense. is $1,000
Comparative Costs
/ II we take the average cost of the
/ bitumirous roads built in 1914. which
is s12,os5.60 per mile. and add the
! maintenance cost for period of 10
years at s3500A per mile, We arrive at
cost of SIS $3.50 as the cost per
mile for the road. including its con-
struction and maintenance over a 10
year period. If, on the other hand
we take the average cost of gravel
roads built in 1914. which was $7.101.-
l. 46 per mile. and add to that the main
! tonance cost for a period of 10 years
| at 10000 per mile We arrive at a to-
| tai cost for construction and mainte-
nance for gravel roads for a 10-year
period of s17G0146 In other words.
experience would indicate that the
! hard surfaced read over a period of
years is moro economical than the
gravel surfaced road and will give
satisfactory service every day in the
year when the road is not covered with
snow. A gravel road. on the other hand,
is good for about seven months Of the
/ year and during the spring in many
cases is impossible and during the
/ fall is far from satisfactory.
| Our hard surfaced roads have been
built. generally speaking. only on To-
cations which carry the heaviest traf-
fic. Many of the roads which have
been surfaced with gravel will un-
! doubtcdly have to be resurfaced with
a hard top within the next five to 10
Years. in order to make them at all
satisfactory to the travelling p~blic.
Administrative Expense
1t has frequently been charged that
a large proportion of the money
handled by the Highway Commission
is used for engineering and for MAX
! ing bludprints. The charge seems too
ridiculous to reed explanation. The
Highway Commission has always fol-
| lowed the practice of spreading in
i their reports The exact facts with re-
spcct to overhead and administration
charges; in fact. they have taken par
ticular pains 10 set this item out. as
one may find by examining their an
nual reports that they have made a
practice of publishing these figures
each year. 1t is interesting to note
! that the overhead expenses. which in
clude the entire expense of the commits
sion, running It's Office at Augusta in
| Guiding all salaries, travelling and other
| incidental expenses. plus the cost of
| all surveys, plans. computations, the
| preparation of specifications and esti-
mates and the supervision of all con-
| struCtion and maintenance wor.. in the
! field has averaged 0iS from the or.
! sanization OF the commission in 1913
! TO the close of 1921. This expense has
! steadily decreased. In 1915 it was
.o6i; in 1916, .n69; in 1917, .0j1: 1918,
.o45; 1919. .o45: 1920. .042; 1871. .o39
This means that approximately five
cents of each dollar expended by the
| Highway Commission has gone into
! the engineering. plans and supervision
and a5 cents into labor and narerial