Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-06

IL ought 10 pass.
Same gentleman from same Com
mittee on Bill IAN Act relating to
| Salary of Sheriffs of Waldo County
| (H. =. No. $50 reported same in a
| new draft Oh. P. 105D under same
| title and that it Ought to pass"
Reports were read and accepted
| and the new drafts ordered printed
! under the Joint Rules.
Report "a" of the Committee on
Ways and Bridges reporting Ought
| to pass" on Bill "An Act authorizing
| the towns to unite for the purpose of
employing a superintendent of ways
| and bridges" Oh. Z. No. 75) Oh.
| Doc. No. 20)
Report was signed by the follow
| ing:
| Messrs. SMITH of Somerset
BOND of Lincoln
of the Senate
| LELAND Of Sangerville
DRAKE of Bath
DUNBAR of Orland-
of the House
| Report 'B" of the same Committee
reporting ought not to pass" on
same Bill.
Report was signed by the follow
| ing:
Mcssrs. CASE of Washington
of the Senate
MARDEN of Waldo
| KITCHEN of Pressure Isle
TOWLE of Winthrop
PIKE of Lubec-
| of the House
Mr.. LELAND of Sangertille: Mr..
| Speaker and Members of the House,
! move the adoption of Report "A" to
! House Document No. 20. and think
it would be in order at this time to
address myself briefly to that mo-
| ton.
The purpose Of this act is to al
low towns to unite to employ a Su-
perintendent Of Ways and Bridges
| Mr.. WING of Auburn: Mr.. Speak
er. will the gentleman from Sanger
| vile (Mr. Leland state through the
! Chair which report he is speaking in
| favor of?
The SPEAKER: The House Docu-
ment is No. 20 and the gentleman
| from Sanserville (Mr. Leland is
speaking in favor of Report "A
which is ought to pass. The mo-
ton is that the report Ought to
| pass be accepted. The gentleman
will proceed.
Mr.. LELAND: Mr.. Speaker and
Members, IL YOU have found the bill
| you will see that this is a proposal
| to allow towns to unite in the en-
ploy of Superintendent Of Ways
and Bridges. The thought back of
! this proposition is to secure, if pos
sible. better and more adequate SUI
pervision of all moneys expended
! upon our highways and bridges. I
think we shall all recognize the fact
| that great deal of the money ex-
I pended by our towns and also. possi-
, bly,, by the State in the various
, towns, is expended under lack of ad-
| equate supervision. This has been
! recognized for some time by all those
| who have given highways matters
| careful study. Just what should be
the most practical solution of this
matter has been something of q
problem.
| 1t seems to me that there is a very
decided need for coordination of
all the interests OF the State and
years ago the Highway District as
| unit of measure was outgrown. Rap
| Id development in highway traffic
has created great demand for high
| way improvement and it has out
grown the town as a unit of meas
| urement for such needs.
This bill is drawn along the lines
OF the present method of employing
Superintendent of Schools. 1 am
aware that this Is one Of the chief
objections to this proposition because
! many people think that the method
by which School Superintendent
are employed is not satisfactory. The
! great fault seems to be that suitable
| men are not employed, are not
| found; they are unable to secure
| them. Now it seems to me that if
| IT. Is difficult to secure men of abil-
! ity TO superintendent the schools in
| four or five towns, the proposition to
return to the old method of each
| town employing the superintendent
| of itself simply multiplies that diff
Guilty by four. And it seems to me
| that the objection raised by this
| proposition would apply exactly
along that line. 1t was argued be-
! fore the Committee that this propo-
sition was simply an entering wedge
| by which the State would take over
more and more the interests of the
! towns in this matter.
Now, it seems to me that Is by no
means the thought, or would be the
result of such proposition. 1t seems
| TO me that if you read the bill care
fully you will find that the Select
men of the towns have a right to
discharge the Supervisor of Ways
| and Bridges. The only stipulation in
y '
Department is that those men shall
| be men of practical experience In the
construction of Ways and Bridges
| and shall have had such experience
as would merit the approval, simply,
| of the Highway Department.
The need of further supervision.
| and more adequate supervision, was
touched upon by the Chief EXecu-
tive in his Inaugural Address. and
| this bill is in reality the outgrowth
of the thought raised in his discuss
| ion of that matter.
1t seems to me that it is not neces-
sary for me to take up the time of
this House to any great extent this
| morning in presenting to you the de-
slrabillty of some such proposition.
As l have sat day after day in the
Committee on Ways and Bridges lis
tening to the proposals and resolves
| asking assistance by the State in the
various towns, almost invariably
| this matter is brought up; that the
need of this particular resolve from
| this particular town may be more
the result of Representatives from
neighboring towns stating that
through this town is their only out
let for market or for the trunk line,
or something of that sort and that
this neighboring town. through lack
of interest in the matter. is unable
to improve the roads and therefore
the State is asked to do so.
Now, 1t seems to me that in a large
| measure this very proposition would
help to remedy that situation when
comes out SO fully in every road
proposition which Is put up to the
Ways and bridges Committee for
special resolve. -tsylnal
l do not Know that I should say
anything further at this time. 1t
seems to me that the matter should
stand on its own merits and that