Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-06
MUNICIPAL AID TO MANUFACTURES
No. ".
TIE COMMUNITY CoNTINUE..
, the Editor of the Journal:


No. ".
TIE COMMUNITY CoNTINUEs.
To the Editor Of the Journal:
''You have mo rights in the cotton mill, is
your third objection. This is only your Sec
ond objection stated in other terms. You
have your share in the mortgage, your share
in the annual interest; you have your voice
in the ratification OF the contracts, in the
choice of the town officers who will look after
the interests of the municipality as vested in
| the concern. You cannot indeed go into the
| mill and compel the manufacturer to sell you
| piece of cloth, neither can you compel the
gas factory to sell you even single cubic foot
| of gas; for in each case the consideration will
| come in whether the demand is consistent with
| the vested public interest. You cannot claim
the right to help build the mill or operate it,
any more than you can claim the right to
build the gas factory or the railroad and OPP
crate it. You don't complain of the gas fac
tory herein ON constitutional grounds, why
then complain of the cotton factory? You
may say, Il have an indefeasble right to the
product of railroad, to wit, facilities for To-
comotion, and ought have Alright equally un-
trammeled to'the product of the cotton facto-
ry.' Very well, if it is thought worth while,
we can have law compelling the cotton mill
| to sell you its product on demand, at its own
price of course, as you have railroad rides at
the price fixed by the railroad. But you know
| the proposal of such law would be laughed
at You can always get the product of the
| factory at the Selling Agents shop, at the
| ruling rates, whenever there are goods for
sale. This matter can safely be left to ordi-
nary considerations of business interest. 1t
is to be noted, however, that you don't have
| railroad rides on demand and just as you like
but only at such times, at such rates of speed,
with such stoppages, and with such accom-
modations, as the railroad is pleased to offer
| 1t is difficult indeed to see wherein your
| rights in the mill are not equivalent to your
| rights in the railroad, for all practical pur-
poses at least. Your objection is mere abb
stractioR. No practical consequences are in
volved in it; it may be dismissed from fur
| Their consideration
'1n the fourth place, Mr.. Objector," the
| community resumes, ''you complain that your
| property is taken from you without your
| consent and without compensation There
| never yet was a schoolhouse, or bridge, or
| road constructed or town money laid out for
| any purpose, that there were not some to raise
| this same cry. Who, then, is to judge and de-
termine when and where town money shall be
laid out? The majority of course. Consent .
Shall we wait till every taxpayer consents be-
fore we make outlays3 Compensation! What
sort OF compensation do you expect9 Doyoue x-
pect the tax-gatherer to take your money with
one hand, and pay you back as much with the
other! The same sort of compensation re-
ceved for schoolhouses which you don't use,
for bridges which you never cross, for roads
which you don't travel, you will receive for
the mill, namely, indirect compensation. If
you have no property, the mill will give you
occupation. If you have property, it will en-
nance the value thereof. You will receive
compensation. We join issue with you on
tins point, and place the Judgment of two
thirds the town in the scale against yours for
decision"
but further, MIR. Director, and in answer
to your fifth complaint, as a matter of mere
abstraction do you see any end to apy sort
oftown expenditure Isn't it possible. SO far
rs regards any constitutional restriction, to