Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-06
lay out much more than FIVE per cent. of the |

lay out much more than FIVE per cent. of the
valuation upon schoolhouses, roads, bridges,
almshouses, salaries, ETC.? But you do not
tremble or raise an outcry on this account.
Why notS Because you trust the common
sense and equity of your fellow citizens. You
can do the same in regard to the matter in
hand. Besides, the law restricts US" $50 per-
haps it should) "to five per cent. If in fu-
ture times an effort is made for ten per cent,
the generation then extant can take care for
what is expedient whether it be five, ten, or
zero per cent"
The COMMUNITY STILL DEBATES.
''But sixthly, Mr.. Objector, how about the
risk to which you refer? With mortgage
upon the property for more than the total
amount invested by the town, with the prop
erty well insured, with six per cent interest
coming in, surely the prospect of loss does
not appear very threatening. Perhaps you
think we cannot manufacture here in Maine
to good advantage, and SO must fail in the
end. There we take leave to differ from you.
We, the two-thirds majority, are assured on
the contrary, that manufacturing can be more
cheaply and advantageeusly conducted here
than anywhere else in the country. We will
not rehearse all the reasons for this belief
here. This has been done often enough and
fully enough before. SO long as S24o, 900, 900
of wooden goods are used yearly in the United
States, and $3.50, 0o0, 900 of cotton goods, and
other manufactures in proportion, we have no
fears about a market; nor have we any fears
but we can command our share of that
market. Risk, indeed What subterfuges
a weak cause will drive man into" Eli
nally Mr.. Director, you allege it is not the
business Of towns to invest in, or to operate,
cotton mills This is of course to beg the
whole question. If you were to say that it
has hitherto not been generally the business
of towns to help run cotton mills, your state
ment would be not only true but just and per-
tinent. 1t has not been the business of towns
for any great length of time to run liquor
stores, but they do it now, and it seems they
can do it without constitutional objection.
Towns havnt manufactured gas for q very
long period, but no constitutional objection
to their doing it now is urged. The truth is
that as circumstances change, the duties of
towns change. Now here with us, circum-
stances make it necessary for some industry
adapted to our circumstances to be set in mo-
ton. We say it is necessary. 1t is absolute
ly indispensable; and we maintain that NUM-
cipal help can properly be accorded in case
of such urgency, for it is already accorded in
cases of less urgency. If the circumstances
were different, if capital were more concen-
trated in large amounts in few hands, the
need would not be SO imperative. If the
town were not languishing, population falling
off, every industry paralyzed, the need again
would not be so imperative. But it is imper
alive, and therefore in self defence, the first
law of communities as well as of nature, we
have voted for a cotton mill-in other terms,
have voted for occupation, for the stimulation
of every interest, for the augmentation OF
every value, have voted TO keep our young
men and women at home, and voted no
longer, ny paying tribute 10 tHelr HILLS anu
to fatten other States to the impov-
erishment and rnin of our own"
Such, Mr.. Editor are the objections made
to municipal aid, and such in substance are
the replies thereto. 1t is freely conceded
that clean constitutional argument would
require not all to be written that has been
written, but this discussion is addressed to
objections as existing to some extent in the
popular mind and falling from the popular
tongue, and could not pass them by wholly
even though not weighty OF just. 1t was the
writer's purpose to extend the argument to
greater length, but the reference of the whole
matter to the Supreme Court makes it un-
necessary. That body of acute jurists will
doubtless be able to show, so that even the
dullest can understand, how widely the prin-
ciple involved in Municipal Aid to Manufac-
lures, permeates the practice and policy Of
our towns, that the same principle is exhibited
in a multitude of municipal functions and
offices, Municipal Aid" being only new
manifestation required by new circumstances.
w.