The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-14
DISCUSSING A CITY CHARTER.
westbrook Citizens Want a Change
in Government.
A Meeting Held Saturday to Con-
slider the Question,
Which as Yet Remains To Be
Settled.

The citizens of Westbrook held a meeting
Saturday afternoon in Odd Fellows Hall,
Saccarappa, to consider the subject OF city
charter. The meeting was a large one ana
many of the leading citizen of the town were
present, among them being Frank Haskell,
president of the Westbrook Manufacturing
Company, Hon. c. b. Woodman, George ID.
Raymond, George Mariner. W. K. Dana,
John W. Warren, John E. Warren. ii. X.
Griggs, Judge F. NJ Ray, Kimball Eastman,
James Pennell, W. W. Cutter, Leander Val
entine and others.
The meeting was called to order by c. B.
Woodman. and Kimball Eastman was chosen
chairman, and Arthur Kicker secretary. Mr..
Eastman read the call for the meeting, and
said he hoped the question of city charter
for the town would be fully discussed. Mr..
Leander Valentine was asked to give his
opinion of the ACCESSIBILITY of asking the leg
islature for city charter, and he said: 81
am not prepared to say whether am ready
to advocate this proposition or not | think
this is proper time to come together to get
the views of the people. suppose we shall
get the views Of both sides, and that is what
we came here for. 1t is evident we have got
to do something, and think we are all salts
fed that something must be done before a
great while, if so, we want to go ahead"
G. d. Woodman said-"I have thought for
some time that before great while a change
will be necessary In our system of govern
ment / find there are quite number Of
cities with smaller populations than we have.
Bath is smaller. ! don't pretend to say that
government under city charter will be as
cheap as under the town system, bu. the af-
fairs of the town will be dealt with in a more
business like manner than in open town
meeting. These are some of the reasons
why favor changer"
John E. Warren said: at is quite plain to
us all that we cannot get along with town
government always. and we shall have to
change over before long to a village charter
or form city. The latter change seems
preferable to me. My own impression is
that we are hardly ready for 1t yet We are
still able to get through the list at our bus
mess town meeting When l came here 20
years ago we used to do our voting and at
tend to our town business in one day, bu. it
never seemed so satisfactory as having day
set aside for business as we do now. don't
think that body Is too cumberson to transact
the towns business as yet. There is one
matter we cannot handle as well under town
government and that is the building of side
walks and bridges. So far as the manage
ment of town affairs is concerned l think
that our selectmen should employ somebody
to do the work for them. The town accounts
should be kept by one person employed for
that purpose by tine selectmen. In regard to
the matter of roads and bridges / think it
would be better for our selectmen to employ
q man to take charge of this part of the
towns work. Our rselectmen should be
much like board of aldermen. they should
plan the work but not do the work them
selves. / am not inclined to favor city char
| ter and am not inclined to oppose it."
Geo. Raymond-"If was convinced that a
city charter would be best for the town l
should be in favor Of 1t, but as yet am not
convinced. AT present have nothing more
to say"
WV. Cutter-"l am in favor of city char
ter. 1t seems to me the expense of running
the town under city charter would not be
greater than they are now. / wrote to Calais
to get the figures concerning the expenses of
their city government. They have seven
wards and seven aldermen, and in 1880 their
population was 6173. They pay their mayor
$500, clerk $500, treasurer $500, school COM
mttee $780, street commissioner $500, max
ing only 5000 in all. l infer they pay their
aldermen nothing"
that think may be of interest to you. The
population of the town OF Westbr00k when it
included Deering was 65S8. When West
brook was set off 1t had 1887 population.
Last year the population of Westbrook was
S5o within dS q the population Of the
divided
w. X. Dana-"This is subject that
have given some attention. As general thing
1t costs more to run city than a town.
They would give great deal in Hallowell Il
they could get back to town government. If
we become city can we have more than one
post Office? Now we have four, and il under
a city government we are to have but one /
should be opposed to such change. III 1t is
for our advantage to be city l want to have
city charter. l have no doubt we will
sometime have large city here. The gov
erDment of cities in this country as a rule
have been failure. II we have city
charter we want Just as good one as there
is in the country"
ii. K. Griggs-"I know that the old town
system we love, but still there Is time
when the business of the town gets too cum
bersome. When places become compact,
new wants arise calling for new expendi-
lures. Government under city charter is
town system, but the expenditures are gen.
orally placed where they belong. You caA
assess and collect. One-half of the expense
| of the Portland sewers were placed
on those who were directly and Immediately
benefited by them, and that is just. don't
think that people living outside the village
| need oppose city charter for the whole
| town. As for the post offices the govern
ment will look out for them. would vote
| for city charter if l could have such one
| as desire. believe that under the present
| system one-third of the money raised for
| highways is wasted"
John Knight-"I came here to listen, still
| am in favor of making change If it is for
| the better"
| Leander Valentine-"I don't think we
want to follow Hallowell. 1t became city
| with 1900 population. They seemed to
| strike into it because 1t was fashionable.
| They hadn't anything like our population"
| Mr.. Harris-''I think the city of Gardiner
refused to provide as many post offices as
| were needed Ii the majority of the people
| OF Hallowell want to change. back to the
| town system Of government what is to pre-
vent them? | think the legislature would
| repeal their charter. have taken pains TO
look over the expenditures of some of our
smaller cities, and don't believe that any
/ respectable town can be run for the figures
stated by Mr.. Cutter Bath pays its mayor
| $3.50 and Saco $500" Twenty-eight hundred
| dollars paid the salaries of all the officers
| of one small city to which Mr.. Harris
| referred.
Mr. c. b. Woodman said: "0ur salary list
| figures up $4,000 and more. If anybody
| doubts this statement can prove it, That
| is more than the sum stated by Mr.. Harris as
| sufficient for the salaries of city officers"
Frank HASKELL am inclined to think that
a city charter would be better for us.
haven't any doubt that If WestbroOk had
had city charter few years ago she would
be better off now than she is. There would
| be no trouble about the post offices. | know
a city in Massachusetts, with 10000 inhabi-
tants that has five post offices. Under our
| present system if four or five people want
sewer worth $1,000 or $1,000, they go to
town meeting and get it,"
Chairman Leighton of the board of select
men was called upon, but he said he did not
come to speak but to listen.
+. NJ. Ray-"It seems that the prepondel
ance is in favor of city charter. Mayor
Foster of Waterville sent me a city charter
and ordinance of the city of Waterville. !
asked him If he would advise city council
in connection with board of aldermen and
he said he would. Mayor Foster wrote thai
II would cost US more to run city govern
ment than 1t will our town government
But he also said that better government
could be obtained under city charter. 1