Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-02-06

farms and other property from fifteen to twenty
per cent, as their own witnesses testified before
the committee.
Nobody objects to this bridge providing the par
ties inteiested-the PARTIES who are to derive al
most exclusive benefit, shall put their hands into
their own pockets aud build it. But after having
built their own bridges and ferries at an enormous
expense, they are not willing to aid In the con.
stluction of bridge from which they derive no
benefit. If these towns are compelled to aid in
build ng bis bridge il will dimicsh their proper
ty IN value just in proportion to the amount they
are compelled TO pay, 50 that VIII lie IL increases
the value of pr 'perty IN the wealthy portion of
the county, it viii diminish its value in the small
er towns.
Now all these towns want is protection agains t
wrong. and ak if it would not be great wrong
at er having built their own bridges, which is in
Fl itely more than their share to be compelled to
aid IN the construction OF a toll bridge seven
eighths of which is in Cumbt rland county. Ask
the poor farmers Of WuolwIch and AirOwsic and
the poor fishermen of GeorgetoSn, who have al
ready taxed themselves to build their own bridges,
TO help them buil1 br ,dge for the benefit of the
wealthy city OF Bath. | say that this Merry meet
ing Bay bridge is to be built and maintained in
the interest of Bath, Bowdoinham and small
portion of Topshsm. The rest If the county has
use for II whatever. There would be no more
justice in compelling these towns to aid 10 the coz
stuctiou of this bridge across the Merrymeeting
Bay tnan there would be in compelling the State
of Maine to build u bridge across the Bay of
Fundy.
They want to submit this question to the peo-
pie. Now this proposition may look fair
on its face, but when we consider the fact that
B,th and Bowdoinham has more votes than all
the rest of the county cannot fail TO that it
gives the strong almost unlimited power over the
weak II gives the wealthy shlphuilder of Bath
an opportunity to appropriate to his own use the
limited means which the poor farmers and fisher
men of these towns have earned by hard labor
and by habits of industry.
Ii the wealthy portion of this county will as
sumo their proportional part of the debt contract
cd in building the It am ferry and the bridges
which have been buIlt on trunk roads in the coun-
ty, then they willing to aid in the construction
OF this bridge.
say if these towns will assume their propor-
tiona part of the debt already contracted, Wool
wich, Atro~sic and Georgetown are ready and
willing TO r,ciprocate. All they ask is that the
bridge debt OF the county may be equalized.
That III section of the county shall be taxed in
proportion to their valuation, but they do not
want the poor farming towns TO build their own
blliges, and then be compelled TO aid the wealthy
towns in huIlding theirs.
Talk about submitting this question to the peo-
pie you may a. well leave 1t 10 the city of Bath
alone. 1t Is for the interest of Bath to build it.
Bath and Bowdotnham are unanimous 10 favor of
it, and TINS vote is submitted to the people they
have the power to vote an appropriation with all
the other towns combined against them. All they
want Is the right to exercise that power.
think that there some features about this
bridge question that are novel. | think it would
indeed he novel thing for one county to build a
toll bridge in another county. 1t would be estab-
fishing a new precedent, and it would open the
doors so that other towns would come in and ask
these counties to assume their bridge debt aud aid
in the construction of bridges and ferries.