Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-12-30
CORRESPONDENCE.
Town Care of Roads,

|
| In The American Of Dec. Is, there
appeared ten points on care of town
roads, as stated by Paul D. Sargent,
and it was claimed that if they were
observed by all towns, the result
would be better roads all over the
State.
Mr.. Sargent is chief engineer of
the State highway department, and l
assume that he expressed the opinion
or that department on the greatest
OF all town problems; namely, the
care OF roads. There is, however
another side to this problem which
can best be stated by the taxpayers
and municipal officers of the average
town, and 1t is as chairman of the
municipal officers of an average town,
that ask for space in The American
to submit to the voters ten points on
town care of roads and ask them to
carefully digest the same along with
Mr.. Sargent's, before town meeting.
First-The highway department
expends for construction and main
| tenance Of State roads sums which
run up into the millions annually,
and the same is expended on a COM
paratively few miles of highway, and
they are only indirectly responsible
to the taxpayers for the way in
which it is expended. The municipal
| officers have only few thousand to
| spend, and in some cases only a few
| hundred, for town roads, and they
are directly responsible to the tax
payers for the way it is expended 1t
is only natural that the engineers of
| the highway department should pay
little attention to expense, while to
municipal officers expense should be
largely considered.
Second-It is suggested that
towns employ an engineer to have
charge of their roads. The sum
now expended in the average town
on it's town roads would not pay the
| salary of such an engineer if it were
| all used for that purpose, so it would
! be necessary first to raise the sum
now raised for town roads, and hand
the same to the engineer for his
! salary and then raise a much larger
sum for him to expend on roads, for
| a road engineer without large
amount to expend would be about as
valuable to the town as pet ele-
plant.
Third-It is suggested that the
road commissioner be appointed by
the sefectmen, instead of being
elected in town meeting. From 1 914
to 1919, the law required that road
missioners be appointed by Sc
| Tn bof Ia G
unsatisfactory to the voters, to the
commissioners, and to the selectmen,
and l believe that it was generally
unsatisfactory throughout the State,
for in 1919 the law was amended so
that towns could elect their commits
sioners. l believe that, a return to
the appointment method would be a
step backward.
Fourth-One of the reasons sug-
gested why the road commissioner
or whoever has charge of roads,
should be appointed instead of
elected, is that he should have no
strings attached to him. 1t is, or at
least it should be, well-known fact
that someone will attempt to fasten
strings to anyone holding public
office, and whether or not the at
tempt will be successful depends
wholly upon the official. The sug-
gestion that there would be fewer
strings to a road commissioner APP
pointed than to one elected is alb
surd.
Fieth-Another reason suggested
why the man having charge Of roads
should be appointed instead of
elected, is that it would concentrate
responsibility on the selectmen and
prevent them from passing the
buck" l will admit that l never
thought of this before, but I am will
ing to accept the word of the high
way department engineer in all mat
tiers of this nature, for nine years
experience in dealing with them has
| convinced me that they are masters
of the art of passing the buck
| Sixth-The most economical and
efficient way to care for town roads
is by the patrol method, and by the
| patrol method l mean that one or
| more men be chosen to care for
| roads, and that such men be en-
| ployed for about six months in the
wear. The cost of this in an average
town would probably be less than 1t
would be necessary to pay one en-
gineer. Town roads, and l am now
referring to ordinary dirt roads, can
be maintained in fairly good con-
dition by this method for six or seven
months in the year, but rain, frost,
and autos, when they come near to-
gether, will surely break such roads
down.
Seventh-If towns wish to expend
more and have a little better roads,
they can surface the ordinary dirt
roads with gravel. The cost OF TINS
will vary greatly, according to the
distance from gravel and the amount
Of gravel put on. The cost OF sur1ac-
ing our State-aid roads OF this type
would average about $4,000 per mile.
Perhaps town roads could De SUI
,.sz 0rL;e tvpo IF road will