Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-09

bonds carries with it attendant evils
and today, what with the urgency of
immediate delaands-or what most
people consider emergency-the
temptation to resort to the issue of
tax-exempt securities for meeting
it is an ever present one. Never
should highway bonds be issued
except for comparatively short terms
with provision against reissue.
Never should the money so received
go for any except what may fairly
be termed permanent" improve
ments, and surely those are not a
gravel surface. On the other hand,
grading and foundation are of
permanency almost comparable with
the permanency of bridges. The
method advised by the Governor
may not assure the continuity of
highway policy afforded by a serial
Legislature would find inducement
to change the plan, and each locality
would seek the money to use as it
might wish, which might not accrue
to the advantage of our highway
system as a whole. and this would
be more and more possible as more
and more the central control was
weakened. Local highway waste in
the past had become tradition.
These possibilities occur to us, al
though the need of training local
talent in highway building is ap-
parent. We thoroughly believe in
the equity and the practical features
of the gas tax. We doubt if ever a
fairer method of obtaining from
highway users. the rental of that
which they use, has or can be de-
vised.
He favors a commission to collect
data respecting a bridge over the
Kennebec. AS executive of the
States affairs he should insist upon
having the requisite data respecting
any project to which the State is to
be obligated. He has informed him.
self respecting the working out of a
toll policy in another State and
leaves the impression that such a
policy might prove advantageous for
Maine
It seems probable that many among
those, who desire a bridge across the
kennebec, will be impressed by his
suggestion of a toll bridge, which,
1t appears, he would prefer to sec
built, If built, by the State asd tolls
collected under State control. To us
State control would seem preferable
to the control by private corpora
ton. The present condition Of the
States finances lends weight to the
argument for a toll bridge.
The Governors often expressed
views respecting education lends es-
pecial interest to his comment now.
Many believe, he says. that the
diversion Of public funds to religious
education is utterly out of harmony
with American ideals and will in
evitably disrupt the State if this
principle should become established.
He expresses the opinion that "the
people of our State seem to have af-
forded rather ample evidence that
they would welcome the submission
to them Of constitutional amend
ment prohibiting any such diversion
Of public funds" Those who might
wish to refute this conclusion will
find it difficult so to do.
Not SO, we believe, will it be with
respect to his conclusions about the
child labor measure. He ties this up
with problems he anticipates, such
as education in the public schools.
1T is serious question, he adds
, how long Anglo-Saxon institutions
can continue if over half of our pop
ulation shall come to be educated
outside the public schools"
In another place he says: 1T is
only when honest men may differ
that profound political problems
come to the FORE. People long since
should have learned the difficulties
attending this differing and at the
same time keeping honest. Where
what are termed religious differences
exist the problem becomes extremely
pcrplexing to say the least. 1t would
seem that Maine. already possessing
and exercising the power to compel
instruction, other than creedal, of the
children within the limits it may set,
would be unwise to delegate that and
greater authority, under the guise of