Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-15

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these departments, reservoirs for water and
appliances for cxtinguishing fires, are for the
mutual benefit of all because one portion of
| the city cannot he in ured in either of these
respects without direct injury resulting to the
| other.
1t is said that the expenses have been large
~ increased in this department since the for
nation of the city. That is true. The fire
department was originally undertaken to be
run by volunteers, not a paid fire department.
II was found to be quite Objectionable. That
believe to be true in every city. And the
department is now, and has been paid de
partment whose services could be depended
upon at any moment. 1t has been found nee
essary to purchase steamers, to have the
proper and necessary appliances to prevent
the spread of fire and extensive confagra-
tons. to which we are peculiarly subjected
among the kilns. | shall not undertake fur
ther to comment upon these grievances be-
cause they are all of the same general nature
They relate to matters that are precisely Of
the same interest to Ward that they are to
lower wards.
The next is an item of gas for lighting the
streets. 1t is true, gentlemen, that along our
Main street and one or two cross streets there
are street lamps. And wish to tell Won that
they are made use of as much bv the citizens
of Ward I, as they are by any other part OF
that town. The post-oflice is located in W ard
I. Our mails during almost six months in
the year arrive after dark. The citizens of
Ward are within l. or 20 minutes walk of
the office, and are As eager to get their mails
as any class of citizens, and they and others
III the early evening gather in the post-oftice
as place of common resort Our streets
are lighted for their benefit. They attend
every public entertainment that comes into
H. b,r
citizens. and entertainment or no entertain
ment, they are in the streets at as late an hour
in the night, or as early an hour in the morn
ing. as anybody else. They receive as much
benefit from the lighting of the streets as any
other portion of the city. The actual sum
expended for these lights in any one wear. the
highest sum. is SG37.j2. And the share of
Ward is 81. SO a very burdensomc amount
Here is another item--road damages No
new streets have been opened in the lower
wards. except those that are necessary for the
proper expansion of business, and the deyol-
opment of the whole city. They do not open
streets for fun, but simply to enable the bust
ness of the place to prosper, thrive and grow.
The next item is the street sewer. | wish
to explain about that. The main street of our
city is very difficult To keep in repair by rea-
son of the use of very heavy teams to trans
port rock from the quarries to the klns.
These teams carry loads averaging about six
tons. And you can see that the streets are
constantly being badly cut up by these heavy
teams, and require heavy expenditure for re-
pairs. In Main street a sewer has been put
in. In the first place it drains the street and
saves large sum of money every year which
would otherwise be expended in repairs a
much larger sum than is now necessary for
the express purpose of carrying lime rock
from the quarrics to the kilns. In the next
place. it will soon be self-sustaning system
The abutters are permitted to use it by paving
reasonable compensation. And it was the
intention, when the sewer was constructed.
that ii should be sclfsustaining. So much
for that.
Another charge against the city is the
grading of Main street. There was a de-
preston of a few feet in the street at the
brook, down and up which depression rock
teams were continually being driven The
grading of the street was an Improvement for
their peculiar benefit. for they are constantly
III motion whenever a team can be put upon
the road In addition to that and in conse-
quence of the grading of that street at that
point more than forty thousand dollars worth
OF taxable property has been erected there.
large brick block containing three fine
stores, and as fine public hall as can be
found in the State, and other large and cx-
pensive buildings have been constructed in
that part of the city, and solely in conse-
quence of the grading of the street The
taxes that have been paid upon the property
so erected and the stocks of goods therein
contained. have already been largely in excess
of the expense of raising the streets and the
whole city has the permanent benefit of the
taxable property. And Ward calls that
grievance,
The next item is the brcast-work on Sea
street. That was built before | went to
Rockland, almost 20 years ago. And have
not found anybody who knows precisely when
il was built. | never heard it mentioned as
grievance by any human being in my life.
during all the years have lived there, or
that it was an imposition upon anybody un-
Ill saw il put down on that piece of paper
here day before yesterday. There is some
thing more To it. Nearly onc-fourth of all
the kilns i'll the city are located around that
point. and every single pound of rock that
goes down there to be burnt, has to be carted
right over that street, which would be wpas-
sible but for that breast-work. And every
single pound of rock that is burnt there
comes from Ward I. Yet they complain
of it as grievance, and put it in the pap n
too These things are put before you to make
you believe they are suffering in that ward
under gross oppression. 4 breast work that
" It's tbItistitu lnoIt lHdH ~ years ago over Il
road built expressly to accommodate their
teams, put in to prejudice you and make you
believe that they are suffering under gross
oppression | believe that covers the list
believe it is a subject of grievance that a
contingent fund has grown up. hav'n with
me the items which go to make up the con-
tingcnt fund. 1t is made up, as | understand
of what are supposed to be extraordinary ex-
penscs that may occur during the administra
tion of the city affairs in the current year. For
the year ls1-7S there was contingent fund
raised of SS,71i.92. Among the items which
went to make it up were money for the liquor
agency and such things as that. 1t is right
proper and fair to credit that fund with the
amount which came into the treasury from
different sources, which cannot properly be
credited to any other fund. For instance ::
the police judge is paid salary. He paws
back his fees. The supplies of liquor to the
agency are out Of the contingent fund, and the
receipts and profits from that should be ere,l-
tied to that fund. That item amounts to il
large sum, the sum Of Sc, 1914, for the year
Licenses for shows and other items should be
credited to that fund, and the total amount OF
| ern it's for hat, = tI.e 1