Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-14

provided by the Legislature Of 1921 to
bridge over the six-month period incl
dent to the change in the date of the
fiscal year. Appointments amount
ing to $142527.97 could not be made to
the towns and the towns in turn did
not eXpend 102,621.60 which had been
appropriated for the purposes of State
aid construction. In other words, the
road program for 1921 was curtailed
$245. 149.57.
In the spring of 1922. applications
were received from the cities and towns
calling for $S52. 019.S5. With an appro-
priatien of $500. 900, this called for a
drastic scaling down of State aid allot-
ments. The attorney generals office
advised that towns cooperating under
The three-town act would have preced-
ence in the distribution of State aid.
Under this act 80 towns received prac-
tically $246.000. or nearly one-half
of the whole appropriation, and the
towns which had made appropriation
and applied for single years State
aid were forced to take an allotment of
6o.S per cent of the amount applied for.
and made corresponding Scalc-down
in their own appropriations. AS con-
sequence. State aid road construction
IGI lHt Year lS-- Wis Cul " tIC
amount of $3.50 0223l.
In this connection the reommenda-
tons of the Cole investigating commit
tee. made subsequent to the prepara-
ton of the State Highway Commits
sion's report, are interesting. Discuss
ing the question of State aid, that re-
either furnish more money to carry on
this work or repeal some of the laws,
and suggests the repeal of the three
towns act and the five times clause of
the regular State aid law.
1t is apparent from the Highway
Commissions report that the Cole
committee based their recommends
tions in this respect on cold facts.
How the Commission Operates
The commission points out that there
is more or less misunderstanding or
lack of information as to how it tunc-
tons. In this connection the follow
ing statement is interesting: During
1921 the commission held ~ meetings.
considered and dispos cd OF by vote Si3
matters. and the typewriter record,
covering the years doings. comprises
3t6 pages. From January /, 1922 to
June 80. 1922. there were held y meet
lngS, 1J1 copies We're discussed and
passed upon. and the record of these
meetings takes up 2S2 pages of type
written matter. Besides these regular
meetings, the Commission holds hear
ingS on petitions from municipal Off
GERS for state and county aid III the re-
construction of bridges usually at the
side of the bridge in question. Thirty
SIX OF these hearipSS were held in 1921
and AZ hearings IRON January l, 1922.
t, V,,nn 'l,
covers substantially the whole State
highway system by automobile each
year. They, therefore have intimate
personal knowledge of the condition of
the whole State highway system and
based on this personal knowledge make
selections of locations on the system
for Improvement during each year
their object being to reconstruct those
sections carrying the largest traffic and
most in need of reconstruction. Tho
commission also select the type of con-
struction to be employed.
! An interesting discussion of traffic
census, together with data. is taken up
on pages 10 to II, with a table on page
III showing the number and percentage
OF horsc-drawn and motor vehicles at
different stations in the State during
the years 1916 to 1922 inclusive.
! The commission points out that in
reconstructing bridges it has tried to
make this work of permanent nature,
, in order to relieve towns from future
| maintenance cost. the bridge act plac-
ing the maintenance cost of recon-
Structed bridges on the town.
| The commission also suggests that
| the present legislature make some pro-
vision for future financing OF State
highway work, as all bonds now au-
thorized by the constitution for high
way and bridge work will probably be
issued and the proceeds used between
/ the present time and June 80, 1925.
The commission calls attention to the
| extremely crowded quarters at it's dis
posal, points out that no suitable room
| has ever been provided for hearings,
and suggests that relief be granted in
this respect.
In the recapitulation of the 1921 ex-
pendltures shown on page u, it is as
ccrtained that the supervision charge.
which includes administration, engi-
neering. inspection, advertising general
expense and right of way, figures .O3S9.
! This figure compares favorably with a
statement of the average overhead in
"a states which the commission has in
it's Office showing that the average