Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-14

Mr.. Speaker Il hope the minority report
will be substituted for that of the majority.
In every sense in which the life of town
depends upon its business prosperity. its
financial integrity. its territorial advantages,
its control of its property for purposes of rev.
enue, l rise to plead for the life of Rockland.
In my view this is question of State impor-
tance. The vast inrerets involved raise it
above a mere local issue into the domain of
craftsmanship. In discussing it l shall en-
deavor not 10 weary the House with details.
but confine myself to matters of weight and
moment, as affecting the prosperity of each
part.
lfyou will give me your kind attention
while shall go over some of the details.
hope that may be able to influence any un-
biased and un,ramelled mind TO see that it
would be an outrage to split that city in two.
II, perchance, there is any gentleman before
me, (and see by your eager attention that
you all feel the importance of a right ieci-
sion,) who has had his mind tramelled. ask
that he will, for moment, at least, throw
aside his convictions and listen while | at
tempt to present some facts.
l know that there has been a prevailing i'm
preston among certain members Of this
House that the city of Rockland and the 9TH
Ward were drawn up in hostile array. They
seem to think that there is actual battle going
on upon either side of that ward line. But
wish to inform the gentlemen that there are
no two sections of any city in this State.
where greater harmony exists. socially and
commercially, than between Ward and the
rest of the city of Rockland. Nay. it cannot
be otherwise. Our business associations are
so interningled, our relations are such our
prn Is N 1Orafed a 6 n torbiH tho sliubf-
est friction between those two sections. The
people who reside in that ward are a noble
and excellent people. In an equal number of
people in any society in this State any where
YOU will not find people of more intelligence,
of more excellence than those of Ward. :. There
is absolutely no friction. There is no trouble
between nus. | know that time after time
when we have been called to the Legislature
for the purpose of meeting this question, there
would appear to be hostility existing among
us, but, gentlemen. it is not so. The i'm
preston also prevails that Ward : is substan-
TALLY unanimous in asking for this division.
ask your attention for moment to the
petitioners.
There are in Ward about $50 inhabitants.
231 of whom are taxpayers. Out of that
237 legal voters there are % who haven't
signed the petitions which have been pre-
the wealthiest and most prominent men in
that ward. They represent large amount
of its taxable property. And besides the 9S
who haven't signed it. besides the Sl45. 900 of
taxable property which is not represented up
on the petition. there is $4,000 worth of
property owned by inhabitants of the city OF
Rockland and non-residents of the.
ward which is not represented on iti
SO that in the aggregate there is s255 1000
real estate. gentlemen, located in that ward.
more than half of its whole valuation, which
is not represented by the petitioners here. !
ask ycu to take that into consideration when
YOU think that Ward is substantially unan-
imous for the division.
1t is necessary that should call your at
tention for moment TO the history of Rock
land. In lS4S Thomaston comprised what is
now Rockland, Tbomaston and South Thom-
aston, about two-thirds of a township of land.
4 large village had sprung up at Thomaston.
She was engaged in ship-bnilding and lime
burning. seeking the sea by Georges river
There was another large village at South
Thomaston, finding their way to the sea by
the Weskeag river. There sprung up anoth-
er village. what is now called Rockland. open
to the sea bv our bay. Those three villages
were separate and entirely distinct. They
had no business connection whatever. The
inconvenience of attending town meetings
was the cause OF the division pf that town.
Rockland was set off from the rest and com
prised the little territory of ZOO acres. You
will see on the map, if it is large enough to
he seen. what will be left of the city of
Rockland, if the PRAYER of the petitioners is
granted TMr. Hall here explained from the
map the topography of the territory in que.-
ton. The meadow runs from Chickawau-
l., Lab ri anl - i
very fertile and beautiful piece Of territory
| doubt if you will find anything more beau
tiful and more fertile than that piece Of terri
tory. in our county. The people there are
independent But along on the territory
where the main population is located very
large portion of the people are engaged in
the lime business either in digging the rock,
or in hauling the rock. or in selling the rock,
or in some way connected with the quarries.
Now the lime stone quarries Of Rockland.
as has been suggested by the gentleman who
last addressed you, are really the heart of
Rockland. They were the occasion of its
first settlement. They have been THE
occasion Of what little prosperity it has en-
loved since that settlement. Every cask of
lime stone is within the limits Of Ward :
not an once of it is within the limits of the
other six Wards. yet it all has to be taken
there to be made into lime and shipped
The petitioners ask YOU to set off52J0 acres.
nf our ZOO, more than 81 of our territory.
They would take at one fell swoop every
single particle of the lime stone. including
sos 900 worth Of real estate which is owned
in the city proper. They would leave a
territory of 1850 acres, not larger, dare say
than some of the farms which are owned by
some of the farmers who are listening to me
to-day. | have heard il stated that that is
nothing; it will still be as large as Portland.
Gentlemen. because Portla nd was cut off from
Falmouth hundred years ago " hen it had bnt
.. 600 inhabitants. and saw fit to limit itself
to a point Of land vi here it could not expand
and grow without making land 10 the extent
Of more than $50 acres within the last so
years. il it any reason why you should cut
Rockland up and drive her into the sea to
build land for her purposes 1t is true
we are located upon bay. There is abun-
dant space for US to extend out into the
harbor But it is expensive gentlemen. We
prefer the land that God has given Us in our
rear to expand upon. So much for the his
tory Of Rockland and its size.
Now, why do they want to be act of? The
grievances a. alleged by the petitioners, are
these: that they are a farming community
located in the suburbs Of that little city; that
there are certain expenses for improvements
and for the government Of the city in which
they do not share an equal benefit. And they
name among them, the fire department the po-
lica dennrfsnenf the expense Of lighting our