DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 163 



money for this purpose. It has created a Highway Commission 

 whose duty it is to take charge of all state matters relating to 

 this subject. It has made substantial provision for maintenance 

 of all highways to which the state may contribute. It has 

 placed the responsibility for both construction and maintenance 

 upon its Highway Commission. In short, it has developed and 

 placed upon the statute books a law which completely revolu- 

 tionizes the whole treatment of this subject from a state point 

 of view. 



The Highway Commission created under this act has been 

 in existence barely four months, but during that time has been 

 busy and has accomplished results which I feel sure will be 

 highly satisfactory to the entire state. The department has 

 been completely reorganized, and its corps of assistants increased 

 in order to handle the vast increase of business arising out of 

 the new law. It has perfected a system of accounts which will 

 render it possible for any one of you to ascertain at any time 

 promptly and fully what has become of every dollar of money 

 ipassing through its hands, and the commission has proceeded 

 under the new law to arrange for mapping the entire state and 

 to lay out first a system of state highways, and second, a system 

 of state aid contributory highways which, when complete, will 

 show a system that will, we believe, adequately care for every 

 sizable interest within our boundaries. 



We have held hearings in various portions of Maine, all of 

 which have been carefully and thoroughly advertised, and 

 these hearings have been attended by persons in large numbers 

 who were interested in the location of these main arteries. 

 These hearings 'have had the direct result of greatly incr'^asing 

 the interest in the whole highway problem, because they have 

 brought the question directly home to thousands of individuals, 

 When people have learned that the state highway was likely to 

 go this way or that way, every one in the community was in- 

 terested. Naturally every one wanted the highway to go by 

 his property and it is only by the weighing of the various 

 interests and demands and balancing the economic interests 

 and the interests of the state as a wliole that the commission 

 will finally determine some of these disputed locations. Certain 

 it is that the only purpose of the commission is to so locate 

 these main highways that the state as a whole will be best 

 served. 



