Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-03-24
CORRESPONDENCE,
Our Highway Problem.
North Penobscot, March 1. 1872

o.
To Editor of The American:
There is no other subject except
the weather more generally and per-
sistently commented upon and dis
'cussed than roads. The weather is
ever with us and fortunately, be-
yond the sphere of legislators and
SPECTATORS Our roads are an ever
present necessity to intercourse and
commerce in a country of multitude
nous and complex activities.
Before the advent of the automo-
bile. the cost of building and repair
ing our rural roads was compare
lively light. When I was member
of the board of county commissioners,
l estimated, from a general survey,
that the amounts raised by towns an
nually for building and repairing
roads averaged less than $50 per
mile. The roads then were mainly
constructed and maintained by
towns, under their direct supervision,
and for the most part were dirt
roads.
Many years ago, towns were d.
vided into road districts, each dis
trict having a surveyor and each tax
payer had the privilege of working
out his road taxes. This was not
very sensible system of road build
ing, of course. so far as the appor-.
tionment of money was concerned,
gout lust so far as practicable in Civ
ing all taxpayers an opportunity TO
work out their taxes
{ Since the advent Of the automobile
"a great change has taken place IN
thf cost. character, State-aid and
ssuueryision of our roads, and laws
relating thereto. Our rural popula-
tion has rapidly decreased; many
farms have been abandoned put
Taxes have trebled. Our State popu-
lation and valuation have not kept
mace with the ever-groWlng demahus
of the people and the AMBITIOUS out-
look of legislators.
Rut. bad as the condition Oh agrl-
cculture in Maine looks 10 pessl-
-mists. it is in a state OF Splehulu
nrosperity compared with the almost
Unbelievable conditions which nave
prevailed in some of the western
states. as described by fact-hndlng
.,correspondents who have toured
those states.
But to get an idea of the big
ness of our road problems, let us
ouote a few facts from the eleventh
annual report of our State highway
com mission, the latest we could get,
covering the period from June l,
1923. to June 80, 1924. The state
highway system, as at present laio
ont covers 1,6303 miles The COM
mission states that in 1879, tneiH
will have been built, from State Nigh
eway and federal aid, 500 miles, ana
there will have been built on inns
system from State-aid FUNDS, loo
miles, making a total OF l,o5O mites
on January, 1925. There Will re-
main to be built on this system, 5oo''
miles, with new funds.
Estimating the cost per mile foi
building at $4,000, the complexion
.of the system will call for an expen-
allure of 1000. The State en-,
gineer estimates from past data, tha'
we shall receive federal aid for the
six-year period to the extent OF $4,'
20O. 900. making it necessary for the
State to provide $7,40O,OOO to com
yplete the system.
This is one item. They also estl
mate that a bridge program GOV
..ering the six-year period will re
eouire an expenditure of $4,5oo'ooo
and that further annual expen
,diture of S75O,0O0 will be necessar.
to reconstruct the roads alread:
built. Add the several items and al
vide by six, and you will obtain tn
annual expenditure for six years U
complete the system already laid ou'
s2,733,333. a
with less than one-twentieth o
the roads in Maine built on In
modern plan, and with an extr
.s75O,O0O added to the annual Duroe
every decade, you can 1alhtl
imagine what a task will devolve o
our descendants, twenty decaoe
hence.
AS travel increases, the wear