Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-31
RURAL ROAD PROBLEM
NEEDS NOT MET
Report of Committee Of Me.
Fed. of Ag. Assn.'s Favoring
More Money for Rural Roads
and Towns to Have Spending
of It-Three-Tenths of Bond
Money for Third Class Roads


dustrial agent of the Maine Central
Railroad were appointed by the Maine
Federation of Agricultural Assocla-
tons in March, 1921 committee TO
the committees report was made at
the annual meeting this week.
They report that their investigation
conVinccs them that the present sys-
tenn of road Improvement is unjust to
the rural communities and docs not
touch the rural road problem III any
material way.
In order to understand thoroughly
1T is perhaps, necessary to consider
the road problem of the state IN its
entirety and also to note what has
been accomplished with the great eX-
penditures OF money already mace.
The total road mileage of the state
from new measurement taken ty all
the towns. this year Is 23.104 exclusive
of all city and village streets. The to-
tai number of miles in the state high
way system. as laid out by the COM
mission. is 1863. Tho mileage of the
sccond-class or stato-aid roads cannot
of course, be as definitely stated. as
they are laid out from time to time by
| the state highway commission and the
town officials. Probably maximum
| figure for the extent of these second
! class roads as now contemplated would
| be 5000 miles. which. added to the 1853
miles of frSt-clasS, give approximate
! ly total of 1900 miles of highway
| which arc included in tho present plan
Of Improvement. From these figures
it becomes apparent that at least 49,
COO miles of highways within our state
arc left entirely out of the present plan
and can expect no Improvement except
such as may be given them from time
to time through local appropriations.
The situation is rendered more diff
| fcult and the rural road problem is
still further aggravated by the fact
that the $4,000 miles of road, while re-
ceiving hut small assistance from the
state. are nevertheless becoming more
and more exposed to the destructive in
huenccS of heavy automobile and truck
traffic. traffic which pays n revenue
into the state, but which revenue goes
| solely for the building and maintc-
nance of first and Second-class high
ways. Along the lines of this $4,000
| miles Of rural or third-class roads. are
ais" found many thousands of auto
mobile owners who pay their share of
| tho automobile tax used for the sup
| port of first-class highways while
many of them rarely if ever. come in
direct contact with the roads which
| their tax and fec go to maintain.
The Investigations of the commit
! tee have disclosed conclusively the fact
that there is 2 growing feeling of dis
satisfaction with such an arrangement.
| That it is necessary and vital for the
future welfare and development of
agriculture and all its dependent in
| measures he taken for the impru1 q
ment of third-class roads and that if
! present plans for tho expenditure of
+. state highway money are carried on.
the patience of the rural people will
| soon become exhausted and the entire
| road building program of the state will
| be jcOpardiZed.
considering tho amount of work al
! ready accomplished. We find that in
tho, ease Of the state highway system
which we designate under tho term
! hrst-class highways" consisting of
/ 1IJ9 miles. 800 miles have been built
ut cost of $7S19,0 600: 344 miles are in
| the form of state aid highways where
the state highway system follows the
! same line as that laid out by the towns
ana the state rs statc-aid or second
| class road Eight miles have been
! built by tho towns and cities making
total Of 911 miles Of the stat" high
! way system now improved and GAS vet
! to be completed. From these figures
! it will he seen that the average cost 10
! tho state exclusive Of federal aid has
/ been approximately $4,000 per mile.
The total amount of state aid road
designated under term sccond-class
! road which has boon built since 1918,
| is lbs miles. but it must be borne in
mind that 3i4 miles of this are includ
cd in the state highway system. The
/ total cost of the 1898 miles of second
| class road has been S6.429. 600, an aver
/ age of practically $500 per mile. 1t
| thus appears that something in excess
! of S14,00o,0o0 has been expended i'll
/ highway Improvement with GAS miles
| of first-clasS highway and 1900 miles
| of SccondClass highway yet to pc i'm
/ proved. and the great problem Of $1,000
miles of rural roads absolutely I'M
| touched
Before proceeding with definite
recommendations it is necessary to
| consider certain other factors which
| ave or should have. bearing upon
| the rural road problem. and sUr1e Of
these are as follows: The use of bond
! money, federal aid. automobile fees
! and licenses and the Granville bill.
/ These will be taken up in the order
| mentioned.
Bond Money
"In state where there are so
| few great centers of wealth and such
| great extent of highways to be main
| tanned, it is natural that those inter-
| ested in road improvement should
| have turned toward the issuing of
highway bonds as means of financing
J the operation, and it is probable that
the use Of a certain amount Of bond
| money for permanent construction.
such as cutting down grades, straight
| ening curves. widening the right of
way, building up swamps and raVines.
and placing stone and concrete culverts
and bridges cannot be severely criti-
cised. The present bond limit for
this purpose, which was approved by
| ,,
this amount $500. goo has bean au-
thorized by the Legislature.
The first bonds issued under au-
thority of the legislature OF 1913 have
tcally $3.50. 600 having been taken care
Of in this manner There are now out
standing sG,264.500 in bonds, leaving a
balance of S3.635,50o yet TO be issued,
enough of which has already been au-
| thorizch by the legislature to carry On
the work for 1922 and the 1923 legis-
lature will probably be asked to au-
thorize issuing The balance, (S2,5Oo'-
0o6) of the Sl0.o00,00o. 1t seems
probable then that the present issue of
bonds Will not carry the work of state
highway construction very far past the
season of 1923. and il is not unlikely
that the next legislature viii be asked
to consider n now bond issue or 10
| suggest some other means for contin-
uing our road-building program
The committee considers Federal aid
offers little aid to the rural roads
licenses and to the Granville Bill
passed in 1918.
The following brief summary of the
sources from which each class of high
way construction will receive its sup
port is presented:
First class: First class highway
construction will be supported by five
tcnths of all bond issue money. 1t
| will receive all automobile fees and
! licenses with the exception of 5000 900
set aside for third ella SIS work; also any
balance remaining of the mill tax
highway fund after the provisions of
the statute creating that fund are com
piled with. and all federal aid money
| which may be apportioned-to the state.
also e-tenths Of any fund collected
| as a tax on gasoline.
Second class: Second class highway
construction will be supported by two
tenths of future bond issues. s30n. 900
annually as contemplated in the crigi-
raj State aid act, 100000 ANNUALLY