ROAD MAKING. 255 



be made, it can be done at much less expense hy bringing the road 

 up to grade, than by a new location, and without discommoding- any- 

 one. One reason for this is, that I am opposed to increasing- the 

 number of roads in a town, because of the great expense of keep- 

 ing them in repair. The new location must be kept in repair for 

 the distant travel ; the old location must be kept in repair for the 

 neighborhood travel ; consequently, the town is subjected to the 

 expense of keeping two roads in repair instead of one, and that for 

 all time, when perhaps a much less expense would have graded the 

 old road, and made it equally good, if not better than the new one. 

 But the county commissiouers have no such power. The road 

 must pass over those hills as formerly, or they are compelled to 

 make a new location. 



Another point. The old road through Turner to Auburn passes 

 over a series of clay hills, and in the spring of the year they are very 

 bad ; indeed, at all seasons of the year those hills are more or less 

 troublesome to transportation. A new road has now been located, 

 following the low land bordering on the stream, in order to get a 

 level route. That old road is thickly populated ; many of the 

 farmers along the route are wealthy. The new location passes 

 entirely behind them, upon the further end of their farms, alto- 

 gether out of their way, damaging them to a great extent, and 

 with no convenience to the people living on the line of the old 

 road. Now, instead of the new location, I consider that the 

 public would have been equally benefitted by grading the old 

 road (and it could have been done in this instance at much less 

 expense than building the new one) ; the people living on the old 

 road would have the convenience of the road after it was graded, 

 they would be subjected to no inconvenience, and the town would 

 not be put to the expense of keeping two roads in repair instead 

 of one. Consequently I believe to that extent we need legislation 

 upon this point. 



One other point. It is one to which I have given considerable 

 thought, and in the present aspect of affairs I do not consider that 

 we need any legislation upon it. I believe that, in reference to 

 keeping roads in repair, the towns have all the power that is 

 necessary. They can raise money and appropriate it, almost, I was 

 going to say, as they please. That is, the selectmen are road 

 commissioners by law. The towns can raise money to be worked 

 out in the method that has been so frequently alluded to here, in 

 the discretion of highway surveyors appointed by the selectmen, 



