Daily Kennebec journal., 1924-12-19
PROPOSE FREE ENTRY OF
.OUFoF STATE AUTOS and
BOOST IN GASOLINE TAX
fcontinusd from Paes onel


roads and which now are far from
adequate to carry present oay
traffic.
Other points which were suggested
by Mr.. Peabody as proper for consfi-
Grafton were the following: That
there should be no parking on pave
ments or on the gravel surfaced por-
ton of any State or State aid high
way; that there should be an examt-
nation for applicants for license TO
OPERA motor vehicles: that the right
OF way or road location Of the state
and State aid highways should De
completely under the control OF the
state Highway Commission.
Chief Engineer Sargent
Mr.. Sargent was called on for
statement an to the expenditures for
highways and bridges which nave
been made since the organization of
the Highway Commission In 1913.
The figures have been compiled from
January I, 1913 TO December 10. 1921,
and show that a gross expenditure
of s43,936,18136 has been made .or
highway purposes since that time.
These expenditures include $774.162.-
| % expended on the Memorial Bridge
between Portsmouth, ". H.. and Kit
terry, Ait, UUI tiiG wa NNNA'A
the Commission. but s500,000o0 OF
which fund was taken from highway
bonds. These figures also include
si,730,sf3.G6 which has been expend-
| ed for interest on highway bonds and
| 81 .0Gi 10000 which has been paid for
the retirement of highway bonds.
The figures also include Si41,4l2.3O
which has been expended in the
Secretary of States Office for the
, purchase of automobile plates and
handling the same. The last three
items have all been paid from the
income from motor vehicles, that IS
/ TO say, from the registration fee ac-
! count. These figures total S4.017,-
! 3sS05. which has not been expended
under the direct supervision of the
/ Highway Commission but all of
which has been expended in connec-
ton with highway Improvement
+! This leaves Il gross expenditure "f
! $39. s.793.3l expended under The
| direction OF the Commission. The
total expenditures have come from
the following sources:
State Appropriations sS,94S.923.eO
More than $500, 100000 of this
amount has been expended for State
aid and third class roads. Less than
| $1,000. 10000 of direct appropriation
! has gone into State highways $780,
, 100000 into bridges. and $274.162.oS
! into the Memorial Bridge at Kittery
, Special resolves by the Legislature
! have taken up $l.140, 453.S3.
! Tho counties. cities and towns have
/ contributed Ss.577.9363S. OF whicf
practically $4,000. 10000 has been ex-
! pended on State aid roads. The ball
ance has gone into special resolves
| maintenance and bridges, nearly
! $4,000, 10000 having been expended or
bridges by the counties and towns n
| the last eight years.
! Automobile fees have contributed
! s9.593. 1851.
/ From gasoline tax there has beer
! expended S3SS65O.50, half of this
amount going to the third class road
fund and the other half into genera
| maintenance revenues.
! From bond funds there has beer
| supplied SIo,So1.252.92. IT should hs
borne III mind that not all of tbe
bond money has been expended fol-
state highways! $2.100. .000.0 90 of these
/ funds have been appropriated fol
/ bridge work, $500. 10000 for the Kit.
, terry Portsmouth, Bridge. S150,000.Ot
! for the International bridge betweef
/ Madawasdxa, Maine, and Edmundson
| New Brunswick, and $l00.000.00 was
appropriated by the last Legislature
as special resolves for certain towns
| The balance OF the $2.100.000.00 has
! gone into bridges under the terms oi
i the general bridge act. This leaves
! $S,T01.2 1929 of bond money which
| has gone into State and Federal did
; highway construction.
l E'aInr11 aid has SInnlio1 e. Of .
| S93.26.
Revenues received by the Depart
ment amount to Sl.5S2,093.77. These
are made up from: Earnings from
| trucks and equipment, S1.0l7.S34S2;
Receipts from Bath Ferry, $239,4S3..
| SO: Interest received through the
| State Treasurer on account of high
way bond funds put out on time de.
posit, $220, 475.32. From auto fines
| Sll5,075.42.
Contribution of Motorists
| In commenting on these figures
Mr.. Sargent continued:
| I often wonder il tho citizens al
Maine in general understand and ap-
l preciate just what the motorists oj
Maine have done in a financial way
! for the highway program. 1t Is wei
for us to remember that the follow
ing charges are made against auto
mobile fees and not from State tax
es:
All expense OF Issuing highway ard
bridge bonds. including the annul
interest and the yearly retirement oi
bonds as they fall due;
! The total expense OF running the
/ State Highway Department, that is
the headquarters expense at Angus.
! ia:
All expense OF purchasing and IS
suing registration plates and tht
licensing of operators:
| All expense OF running the motor
! vehicle police department and prac.
ticslly all the expense which the
| State has for the maintenance o.
, State and State aid highways. Over
$4,000, 100000 OF automobile fees has
! gone into maintenance and the State
has contributed from taxes only the
amount OF $246,022.46. This amount
| was received some years ago from
the State contingent fund to helr
make up deficit in the maintenance
| account.
| / presume some motorists have
sometimes thought that they were
being asked to bear too much of the
financial burden with respect to the
improvement of highways. but mo-
torists who have thought this propo-
sition out to n conclusion have easily
understood that their contribution &c
good roads Is not an expense but is
really a saving to themselves.
The State-Aid Law
| In response to a question by Phihr
j. Deering of Portland. a former
member OF the State Highway Com
mission. Chairman Peabody said that
something should be done in regard
to the State-aid law. that for the
past five years the State has not beer
able to change the law and the State