Daily Kennebec journal., 1877-09-01

unless we advance a still larger sum TO aid 10 car
| rying the road 70 Solon and Bingham, ana tnus
have our city launched on an utterly wild scheme
of extending q railroad line that will hardly pay
its running expenses.
1t has also been represented that if We vote this
$50, 900 1t will give us railroad connection
through to Quebec But who is TO pay for the
construction Of the road through the vast unin-
habited forest that lies in Maine and IN Canada, be-
tween the kennebec and the ST. Lawrence A
Canadian Company that began to build At the
Quebec end, after constructing lew mlies De-
came totally bankrupt, and the Work IS unuef-
stood to be practically abandoned. The Canadian
part of the enterprise has indeed utterly collapsed
and is absolutly deserted. The idea therefore OF
a Quebec connection is entirely iallacious ana
chimercsl. II involves the raising OF ~
least three millions of dollars beside the SlJO,O'u
asked of Augusta, and no man can tell where the
one hundred part of it can be raised to-day.
We have reason to believe many OF our citizens
have give favoring ear to tins enterprise IN the
belief that our gft Of $4,000 would secure
road through to Quebec and many have signed
the petition under that misapprehension. There
is IN reality nothing of the Kind secured or even
promised. There IS not one dollar raised OF
pledged to build the road even to Solon and Blng-
ham. We sIe asked to give sloOooO simply ior
railroad connection with Belgrade and the privl-
lepe Of Joining a small road at West Watervllle al
ready hopelessly Involved in debt and financial
trouble That is all we are to get for our SlOO,ooo.
And it is especially worthy of observation that
from Augusta to Quebec Ia projected line of rall
more than 200 miles in lengthy little scrap o.
broken down road in CtDada and tins embarrassed
distressed link between West Watervlle and
North AnsoH are absolutely all there Is of IT, And
to-day there Is not a dollar raised, or expected TO
be raised, or even talked of being Ialsed for this
large undertaking between this city aud the st.
Lawrence river, except the Sl5O,OOO that we are
asked to give. Comment seems unnecessary.
The connection with Wiscss set-ptom,ed but
not by any means assured-ls OF no vaue TO us,
corresponding with the price we are sskt to pay.
Ii would only give Us another port IN winter. For
eight months of the year we have water commu-
ncation with the outer world, aud what shipments
have we in winier-either to us or from us-that
would ustif, the pay mt of $50 600 fol railwsy
facilities beyond those We now enjoy
The prosperity of Augusta depend on keeping
down the rale OF taxation and encouraging capital
TO come here and establish manufactures. Every
thing that teuds to that end should be encouraged,
every thing in the opposite direction should be re-
sisted 1 he city has to-day as much oeot rs II
can stand or even ssgger under. Increase that
debt to A HALF MILLION OF DOLLARS aud
property " i'll begin TO depreclate rapidly, populs
ton to gradually diminish, and taxes to grow to
an uncomfortable extent Manufacturing enier-
prses always seek locations where taxes are light
aud we can do nothing so destructive and suicidal
as to embark in schemes that burden all our prop
erty with renewed and oppressive taxation.
We beg the wise discreet business men of Au-
gusta to reflect these things. We seg the
farmers and mechanics of Augusta to ponder
these facts An increase OF debt means an iIume-
date and permanent increase Of taxation. Can
we stand it
The suddenness with which this very important
proposition has been sprung upon the city, the
lack OF all opportunity 10 discuss 1t in public
meeting and the grave and alarming consequences
involved in its adoption induce the undersis ned to
take this method OF addressing their fellow CIti-
zens. And We respectfully ask every taxpayer
and property holder in Augusta to aid us In de-
festing this unwse scheme-traught with danger
we believe it is TO the future prosperity and the
permanent welfare of our city.
Samuel Tcomb, W. F. Haett, James B. Bell,
c. y. Hamlen, l.. ii. Tcomb, b. C. Robinson,
Barrett K. Potter, B. Libby, Enoch Libby, Joseph
Piper Z. Atkins, Allen Partridge ,Oryie ID. Bak-
er, William II. Chisam, A. ID. Locke, Richard D.
Rice, G.. &. Nose, +. IL. Adams, F. Ii. Scruton.
John W. Jones, j. ID. Pierce, Geo. w. Stanley
Nathaniel PEI kins, Wm. b. Hunt, c. +. Wingste,
w. II. Brooks, Lends Titcomb, ;. $. Brooks, Asa
w. Hedge, James g. Blaine, b. F Parrot, L. \.
Mason. {. B. Morton, q. Potter, Ii. Chisam,
w. S. Badger, Frank +. Nye, [. d. WhitehOuse,
John Wheeler. w. Ii. Turner, l.. Is. Hill, L. }.
Roberts, VIM. Caldwell, Nathaniel Noyes. Thos.
Mitchell, James W. Bradbury, Joseph A. Homsn,
Horace b. Cony James Folsom, G.. b. Lakin, John
B. Norton, Sumner Barton, W. Ii. Pierce, 5. {.
Whitehouse. A. I. Beal, L. &. StoIer, Chas. X.
Partridge, NJ e. Dolloti, q. Z. Warehouse, NJ.
ID. Whitehouse, T. c. Hoyt, A. b. Hodg-
kins, b. I. Sanborn, Wm. I. johnson,
Geo 3. Hoyt, Horace Bowditch, Lot NJ. Morrill,,
" b. Pinkham, Wm. H. Libby, Henry Boy ynton,
John W. Chase, NJ. 5. Moulton, Ii. E. smith,
Frank L. Hamlen, J. F. Pierce, j. W. Toward,
Is. A. Piper, Amos Ii. Church, Artemas Glidden,
Luther Mitchell, Horace ii, Hamlep, p. p Getch-
eli, +. l.. Farrington, {. &. Morrill,, Robert l..
Clark, NJ. Z. Hamen, j. NJ. Sanborn, Joseph Ii.
Manley, Z. Springer, Jr, a. j. Reynolds, John