Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-16
WOULD BOOST GAS
Continued from Page one)

ton, one-half cent; improvement of
State roads, one cent; reconstruction
| and construction fund. one cent !.
third-class highways, one-half cent.
AS the proposal for gas tax increa Sc
stipulates that the additional two
cents per gallon be expended for
construction and reconstruction of
highways, II the measure should be
passed by the Legislature three
Genus OF the five-cent tax will 60
Tor Ihe construction and reconstruct
ton or highways. Two states. Ken
tucKy and South Carolina, now have
the nVe-cent gasoline tax,
Representatives from a large
NUMBER OF State departments and
| State-aided institutions appeared
before the State budget committee
| at Yesterdays session, presenting the
! anticipated financial needs from the
state Tor the two coming fiscal years.
The committee is composed Of Gov
ernor Ralph Q. Brewster, chairman;
State Auditor Ebert d. Hayford.
secretary; State Treasurer William
NJ. Bonney, State Eenator Herbert
| II. Wadsworth of Winthrop and
! representative Edward L. White OF
Bowdoinham.
Needs for Highway Construction
That the sum of $5,000,0OO will be
| required for each of the two COM
ing flscal years for State highway
| construction, was pointed out by
| Chairman lines of the State Sigh
way Commission. 1.-THE estimate rep
PRESENTS in the judgment of the COM
| mission the amount of money that
| should be available if the commits
sion is to meet the demands of the
| pubic Tor immediate improvement
of State highways" he declared.
petitions are constantly being
received by the commission asking
| for the designation of new lines of
State highway. Some five or six
| petitions have been heard by the
commission during the last year and
others are before the commission
| upon which hearings have not yet
been held. Decision on the designa.
ton of these highways is more or
less dependent upon the availability
or FUNDS. At the present time there
are about $50 miles Of designated
State highway which have not been
built
Referring to the bridge loan fund,
| Chairman Innes stated that the
/ Commission has about 100 petitions
before it for bridge assistance,
Hearings have been held on many
| of these petitions and Votes have
been passed for the construction OF
! the bridges said Mr.. Innes. ut is
beloved that the amount asked for
for each of the fiscal periods will be
/ fully used with this activity. 1t
! should be noted that bonds have al
ready been voted to carry on this
work and these bonds may be issued
| by the Governor and Council as the
need arises" For this fund the sum
of S450,000 is sought for each of the
two coming fiscal periods.
| On the matter of the reconstruc-
ton fund, Mr.. Innes pointed out that
| in this fund the Commission esti-
mates that one-third of the gas tax
will provide 500, 900 in the first fis-
cal period and $4,000 in the sec
ond fiscal period.
For maintenance, the sum OF 50
100000 is sought for the first coming
fiscal year and S3,000,000 for the
| second. The amount of Nancy re-
! quested for this appropriation IS be-
lieved by the Commission to be con-
servation." said Chairman Innes.
Mr.. Innes showed that the funds
| for the constructor of State high
ways have been obligated (the So
100000 bond issue authorized by the
last Legislature,, and that the
! Commission is now without funds To
carry on the work for the coming
two years. If no funds are provided
the construction and reconstruction
work cannot be continued.
He stated that by April OF next
year about 100000 of highway
bonds will have been retired and he
made the suggestion that the Legis-
lature might Reissue the retired
bonds with an emergency provision
so that the money might be imme-
diately available.
would advocate the reissue of re-
tired bonds?" asked Senator Wads-
| worth.
Eyes, or else provide some other
means of raising the money Chair
man Innes replied.
OF the 100000 bridge bond issue
authorized by the last Legislature
s., 315, 900 have not vet been issued
The needs for the coming summer
for this work are between S6oO,OO
and 100000.
Needs Of Board Of State Assessors
The principal increase asked by the
| board of State assessors, represented
by Chairman Clement s. Stetson OF
Greene, was of $4,000 for each of the
two coming fiscal years for the cruis-
ing of wild lands. this bringing the
amount for this purpose up to $4,000
for each year Chairman Stetson as
| serted his belief that this increase
| would be a good business investment
| for the State through increasing the
valuation of the wild lands for taxa
I! ton purposes. He showed that since
| 1907 the sum of $4,000 has been ex-
| pended for this work and the valuation
of the wild lands cruised has been IN
crea sed about s11,500.000, the gross
income being over s1,090.000 and the
| net income about 100000. Under the
new plan this work will be under the
| head of Mr.. Sewall of Old Town, one
| Of the most expert cruisers In New
| England.
state Library Budget Request
| The feature of the request made by
State Librarian Henry T. DunnacR
was for the appropriation of $1,000 for
| each of the two fiscal years for the
| salary, and $1,000 for each year for
| the expenses of a director of school
libraries, to be connected with the
staff of the State library. This on
! ciaI would visit the various llprarles
\ in the State and instruct the librarians
| how to assist the school pupils In the
| use of the local libraries for reference
| work. The duties of this new official
would also include visits to the SCHOOLS
| 10 instruct the teachers and pupils
along this line. Mr.. Dunnack empha-
| sized the value Of pupils being abe
| to make proper use of the libraries III
connection with their school work.
Public utilities Commission
The Public Utilities Commission was
represented by General Albert Green
| law and Secretary George T. Gtddlngs