Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08
, Remarkable Development in Maine
Hig hways During The Past Hundred Years


whereas, 1t is the unqualified
purpose of the Commission to elm
mate politics throughout it's depart
ment, and to perform it's duty in the
construction and maintenance of
highways by placing it's standard
Tor employment on the basis Of mer-
1t and efficiency, regardless of poll
tics. be it hereby
| Resolved that offensive partisan
ship on the part of any employ ee of
TINS department shall be considered
a sufficient reason for dismissal, and
Resolved that all employees of the
department shall hereafter be select
cd solely on basis of merit and
efficiency. and that endorsements of
a political nature or for a political
purpose Will not be considered by
the Commission"
, The Commission has lived and
operated strictly in accordance with
this vote ever since the day it was
passed, with an eye single to the de-
velopment of system of State high
ways without any attempt to favor
any particular community within the
State.
1t may be Of interest to note here
that in the first address made by the
Commissioner of Highways in 1905.
at a meeting of the State Board of
Trade in Rumford. the principle was
laid down that road building must
be divorced from politics If efficiency
in management was to be obtained
and satisfactory results secured
from the expenditure of road funds.
The above principle appears to the
writer to be much more important
today than it was nineteen years
ago. considering the greatly increas-
ed appropriations for road work
which are now available both in mu-
inequalities and states.
To briefly indicate later legislation
providing for further steps. in road
Improvement, We must refer to the
patrol maintenance law, passed in
1915. under which the State High
way Commission takes charge of the
maintenance of substantially all i'm
proved and unimproved State and
State aid highways; the State and
county bridge aid act, passed by the
legislature in 1915 and submitted tc
the people in 1916 for ratification
the three town act of 1917: and the
third class road law of 1919.
In 1917 the original bond issue 0t
S2,0OG,0OO was substantially expend.
ed and the legislature during thai
year laid a tax of one mill to fur
nish a fund for the construction Of
State highways. Two hundred thou.
sand dollars of this amount, how,
ever, was made available for State
aid construction work and the bal
ance only was left for State highway
construction.
In 1919, on account of greatly in.
creased appropriations for Fedora
aid, it was apparent that further
State financing for highways mus
be provided if the State were to abb
sorb its allotment OF Federal aid
The legislature submitted fesolu.
lion covering a constitutional
amendment to increase the States
bonded Indebtedness for highway.
from two million to ten million dol.
lars. This amendment was passed
with an overwhelming vote at the
following September election.
At the present time there have
been reconstructed since the crea.
ton of the State Highway Commits
sion in July, 1913. Approximately
300 miles of road About 800 miles
of this road has been built as State
and Federal aid highway. Some 170t
miles of State aid road has beer
built. of which go miles is located
VA Liz SSStSIu, max
ing a little over 1850 miles of i'm
proved State highway at the pres
ent time. There is somewhat. over
300 miles of improved third class
highways and roads built under spe.
cial resolves of the legislature.
About 1900 miles of road are under
daily patrol maintenance during
the season when snow is not on the
ground. Nearly 500 patroImen ar,
! employed in this work and about 9
dozen extra crews which do btu.
minous surface treatment work
gravel resurfacing and the work OF
resurfacing worn out gravel roads
with new bituminouS macadam pave.
ment
From 1917 to date about 3Ot
bridges have been rebuilt under the
State and county bridge aid act.
The expenditures from 1913 tc
December 10, 1924. for State high.
ways have totalled S13,S23,2 S7.4 ~. Or
state aid roads the expenditures dur.
ing the same period were $685..
O47.O9. For maintenance during the
same ceriod there was expended
S7,92S. 262.43, and for the construc.
ton of bridges $3,S44.1SS3S.
Miscellaneous expenditures have
been sufficient to bring the gros;
expenditure for highways and
bridges from 1913 to December 10
1924, to the total of S43,936, 1871 Sc;
OF this total the State has appro.
priated $S,94S,920.6O: the counties
cities and towns have supplied 49,
U936.3S; automobile fees have fur.
nished $9,593,349.51: gasoline ia,
$3SS, 65O.5O; from the issue of high.
way and bridge bonds SIC, ,252 %
Federal aid has furnished $3,015,.
S9326; revenues from the rentals OF
motor trucks and road building
equipment, receipts from Bath Fer
ry. interest on highway bonds put
out on time deposit, have supplied
81 ,5S9, O93.77: and automobile fines
have contributed S115.O75.42.
Substantially all of the direct ap-
preparation of the State and of the
cities and towns and counties has
been used in the construction OF
State aid roads and State and coun-
ty aided bridges. Two million one
hundred thousand dollars of bond
money has gone into bridge con-
struction and the balance has been
used for State highway construction
1t should be remembered that
State highway and bridge bonds are
carried entirely by the revenues re-
ceived from automobiles, that is to
say, all interest and all retirements
of maturing bonds have been met
from automobile fees and more than
five million dollars of the mainte-
nance money has come from the
same source. The automobile fees
also pay all expenses of the general
Office of the State Highway Com
mission. all expenses of the motor
! police department, and pay for the