Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-05

of experience have difficulty in
understanding these laws and the
| figures Of our highway accountants
| based on them. I believe that savings
can be effected on certain of these
items as well as on overhead and
! engineering expenses. Our highway
| accounting system needs revision and
! should be made understandable for
| the average citizen.
Ever increasing road burdens are
being placed upon the State. but it
! should be clearly understood that the
State never can build or maintain all
the roads within its borders. The re-
| sponsibility for most of them always
must be borne by local communities.
| The safety OF our roads is of vital
| concern and I often have emphasized
| my views that intoxicated automo-
bile drivers deserve Jail sentences.
Once they are in Jail no pardons
will be granted by the Executive.
Bridges
The bridge problem is as acute as
| that of Sroads, for many of our
| bridges are unsafe for modern travel.
| 1t is estimated that there are 59S7
bridges in Maine. ten feet or over in
length. The State can afford to build
but few bridges each year and the
| responsibility for most Of them as in
the case of roads. rests upon local
| communities and must remain there.
The bridges built by the Highway
Commission are of a permanent type
and are a credit to the department.
| be replaced and with the State and
| towns unable to provide funds to
| erect permanent concrete structures,
it may be advisable in certain places
| to adopt a less expensive type of
bridge construction SO that greater
number of bridges can be built with
| the same amount of money. Safety,
however. should not be sacrificed to
| economy. =.
Kittery-Portsmouth Bridge
The ttery-Portsmouth Bridge ap-
proaches completion. 1t is an unusual
structure. graceful and durable. and
is a connecting link between two
sovereign states. The bridge with
approaches will cost about $500. 900.
| of which Maine will pay about $3.50
! 600. the State Of New Hampshire
approximately the same. and the
| interest has been cared for by the
Governor and Council in accordance
with the terms of the special law of
1919. The engineers who have re-
presented the States of Maine and
New Hampshire and the Federal
Government respectively. are entitled
| to great credit for their excellent
work.
State Pier
The State Pier at Portland is about
| completed and it is expected that it
will contribute to the States pros
perity: The State appropriated ST.
| 100000 and the Cities of Portland
pier. According to figures filed with
| the Budget Committee. the inn
mediate receipts from the pier will
| not pay its operating and other
tors ask s6o.64O annually for
| operating expenses, and the in
| terest on the bonds amounts to
| $4,000 per year in addition. The es
| timated annual receipts from the pier
are $4,000. which will be increased
! to $4,000 if the State spends $165, 900
| in constructing new freight sheds,
| and the directors are asking this
Legislature to appropriate this
amount of money. According to the
directors figures an annual deficit
of considerable proportion must be
| cared for out of the regular State
| taxes. and some allowance certainly
should lee made for depreciation. AS
| the use of the pier increases this de-
| ficit gradually should be reduced
and meanwhile it is hoped that the
! indirect benefit to the States in
| duStrieS will be large.
! Agriculture
Thoughtful citizens understand that
| Maine is an agricultural State and
| that 500 of its population live on
| farms. These farmers are entitled to
| a good living because they are willing
I to work for it. Though the number
| of acres under cultivation and the
| number of our cattle have dccrea scd
in recent years. today Maine leads
New England in the value of farm
products. this item heing s79,364121
! The farming situation in Maine. how
, ever. is not what it should be and our
agricultural interests are passing
| quircS faith for the farmer to keep
| at work against heavy odds and fall
| ing prices but not understanding the dis
couraging outlook taken by certain
so-calied experts who draw plans and
plot elaborate curves on them to show
the decline of Names agriculture.
! our farms are ,freer from debt than
| those of any Northern state. I have
every confidence that better times are
ahead.
| The Maine farmer lives by himself.
thinks for himself. is an extreme in
seif-reliant and Independent: These
are splendid qualities. but they make
| 1t difiicult for him to cooperate with
ether farmers. The solution Of the
but one thing is fundamental. he must
obtain a larger share of what his
| products bring in the market. If this
! can be accomplished his future is
In 1922 the Agricultural Department
amount OF advisory and police, work,
ana and inspSectS dairicss. tests seeds. fer
| tilizcrs. foods and feeds. In clearing
| ur the milk supply of towns and cities
10000 dairy animals were tested and
S91.l67;25 was paid for those con-
were inspected. 1928 acres of seed pc
tatocs certified and $4,000 pounds Of
| wool graded.
| .Co-opcrative marketing is today
| often spoken of and may prove help
full but farmers should be cautious
! about entering into long term contracts
| until they thoroughly understand what
is involved. and until they have made
needs for the full period of the con-
| tracts.
| If Maine farmers would contract to
certain number of cattle each year.
warehouses could be built and fin
anccd. but warehouse men must he
assured of a steady influx of farm
independent of a Boston market. The
STANDARDIZATION of products also is inn
portant IN securing and holding II
| good market. a conference of farm
questions. but what better equipped
conference could be assembled than one
composed of the farmers who are mem
bers of this Legislature, all men of
| standing. in their communities?
! commend this suggestion to your Com
mittee ON Agriculture.
- The Grange. County Agents. Farm
Department of Agriculture. and the
| University of Maine are all doing
something for the farming interests.
| and believe we all endorse the Grange
| program for better schools, better
roads and better markets. Everybody
seems willing to help the farmer. but
as all his property is in plain view,
this Legislature can accomplish more
for him by keeping his taxes down
than by calling conferences to discuss
his tr1Hhles or by passing laws for
his reEef'u