Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-27
Brewster SPEAKS
ON STATE HIGHWAYS
AT OAKLAND MEET
l to Kennebec Iournan

Especial to Kennebec Journal)
Oakland. Me-, May 26-Addressing
a meeting here this evening Sena-
tor Brewster had this to say respect
ing our highways:
The current concern over the
enormous increase in the cost Of gov
eminent in the past twenty years is
leading citizens to consider more
carefully the objects Of public ex-
penditure. An analysis of any NUM-
cipal report or State report for 1900
and 1928 will show that the expen-
ditures for schools and for roads
have increased four to five times.
These are the two chief beneficiar-
les of the great increase. I do not
believe that school, is now
rewarded Extraordinarily to other
professions requiring similar train
ing and ability, and do not know of
any public man who seriously urges
curtailment of expenditures for
these objects in this period Of crisis
for our public school system.
Whether or not We might be con-
sidered extravagant in building our
State highway system for our own
comfort in pleasure-riding or our
own convenience in trucking, I be-
lieve the highway system of Maine,
considered from another angle, Is an
indispensable element in our further
development. The highways Of our
State are the arteries along which
flow fifty million dollars each year
through the tourist traffic to every
nook and corner of our State. This
q cfn0In
cording to the estimate of Hiram w.
Kicker pays 40 percent of our taxes.
1t seems to me this warrants most
careful consideration in these days
when California and Florida have
demonstrated beyond a doubt that
tourists may be converted into in
vestors in our agricultural and COM
mercial development on a scale of
which he have as yet little compre-
hension:
A conservative program of con-
struction of our State highway sys-
tenn and it's proper maintenance
along the lines thus far followed
with more equitable distribution Of
the funds seems to me vital ele-
ment in our prosperous development
and to well warrant the necessary
expenditures. 8.
1t is true that it Is often more ex-
pensive to supervise construction
and maintenance from Augusta rath-
er than in each locality, but it is also
true that traffic is no longer local but
of Statewide and nation wide
character. and this means that in
evitably our highway system must
be increasingly a matter of State
concern. This is simple recogni-
ton of fact.
The state and the various local
tiles cannot expect a small country
town which may derive very little
benefit from the tourist traffic which
flows through it to maintain q high
way system for the benefit of other
We have already recognized edu-
cation as a matter of State concern
through our State school fund and
such a development seems inevitable
in connection with our highway sys-
tenn. This means that in increasing
measure the State and the local au-
thorities will cooperate in construc-
ton and engineering and mainten-
ance problems with the trained SUI
pervision that should be secured
through the training of our young
men at the University of Maine.
1t would be safe to assume that
mistakes have been made in the past
20 years as the traffic upon our high
ways has been revolutionized. In
the next 20 years an almost similar
revolutionary change seems likely
to take place. 1t is well to remember
that Maine has peculiar difficulties
incident to its climate. it's hilly char
acter and it's soil. We may be con-
soled by remembering that these ara
not only our problems but also our
unique advantages. In meeting these
problems it seems to me Maine has
made remarkable progress and al
ready has a highway system of which
IL may Justly be proud,