Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-12
THE DIVISION OF ROCKLAND,
Hearing on the Case.

yesterday afternoon, to the petitioners for
setting off Ward Z, in Rockland, and incor-
porating the same into a separate town, to be
known as West Rockland. e. Z. Littlefield,
Esq, and o. d. Baker, Esq, appeared as
counsel for the petitioners.
The case was opened by Mr.. Littlefeld,
who showed that Rockland had grown but
very little the past twenty five years, depend
ing for its business upon shipbuilding and
the manufacture of lime. 1t is the centre
of the large granite business of the outlying
islands. Ward is Of itself little village,
situated back of the city proper. They are
obliged to maintain many expenses into which
cities 60, for their exclusive benefit. which
are not of the slightest benefit to the outlying
ward. There are in the ward 225 polls. and
Il valuation of $4,000 taxed in the ward.
They have school houses, stores, engine
house. and other things Of that kind. This
is as large as the average towns in the State.
When the city was first Incorporated. i'll 1854,
the people living in that part of the city known
rs Ward protested against it. In 1856 they
made the same application to be set off that
they make to-day. The bill was passed to
be engrossed hut was killed in the Senate on
it passage to be enacted. Experience had
proved the soundness of the position
of the petitioners, and for three or four years
past they have come up here and asked for
this division. He proceeded to state some OF
the expenditures in which the ward had no
interest. The police force which with the
interest on the same had cost $50, 4i6 for
fire department. 100000. In the 1927 fires
in the city, but had occurred in Ward Z.
The gas burned by the city, in its street
lamps. had cost 3l6,41l Then in regard to
reservoirs, sidewalks. new streets, &c.-these
are all expenditures in which the ward is
obliged to share without deriving any partic-
ular benefit. He showed that man with
farm in the ward had to pay 500 year more
than for the same kind of arm in ThomastOn.
The cost to the ward is fourteen times as
large as when Rockland was a town. He
spoke of the expense of building school
house which cost 81 900: the railroad debt;
of highways of which Ward has one third
of the whole amount. The people of the
ward desire to work out their highway tax,
instead of paying their tax in cash. They
are all laboring men, and can work out their
taxes rs well as not. Improvements are now
in progress in the city for which the people
will have to be heavily taxed. In closing,
he said he should present bill to the COM
mittee providing that Ward shall assume
its proportion of all the city's indebtedness.
ID. n. Mortland, Esq. and Judge o. G.
Hall appeared for the remonstrants. who pro-
ceeded to eross-examinc Mr. Littlefield.
Jeremiah Toman testified as to the posi-
ton of the ward from the centre of business,
and that the majority of those residing there
were engaged in agricultural pursuits. The
people in tn. ward are universally in favor of
division. Residents of his ward have S94,-
900 in his personal estate. All the lime rock
in the city is in Ward Z. The residents in
this ward own property in other wards.
Sidney NJ Bird testified that the amount
of lime burnt in 1869 was 639, $50 casks !;
Az, 466 coming from Thomaston and l66, 1854
from the seventh ward in Rockland. In case
of division the relative value of nonresident
property would stand as follows Property
in Ward : owned by residents of Wards TO
6 inclusive, ss5, $50; property in Wards to
6 inclusive, owned by residents of Ward 4.
S4l.76 The general business of Ward is
farming There are ls3 signcrs to the petit
ton for division.
After eross-examination, adjourned to
fevening.
EVENING.
The first witnesses were Geo. S. Smith and
| A. T. Oxton, who testified to much the same
facts ELECTED during the afternoon.
The case was then opened for the remon-
strants bv q. G. Hall. Esq. who said he APP
peared more as citizen than as counsel. The
testimony put in had been stale, fiat unprof-
liable. We have come here time and again
to preserve the integrity of our little city.
He advertcd TO the history Of Rockland. and
the settlement of the place on accoun, of its
| lime quarries. 1t is not farming country.
The standard business of the town had been
the lime business; when that fails Rockland
must decay. The quarries from which the
lime is taken lie right through this ward.
The different sections Of the town are inter
twiped in business relations. The people OF
Ward receive the benefit of our streets. our
churches, our gas lights. our fire department,
and other matters. You cannot cut US OF
without detriment to all parts Of the city
We shall show that they have their full pro
portion of all money expended Expendi
lures seem to be the only groundwork Of or-
position. We shall show that there will b
no saving of taxation should the division
be granted.
He produced figures to elucidate this point
and that it would cost the people more undel
town government than BY the present sys
tenn. He referred to the great debt Of 500,