The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-23
THE SCHEME FOR A GREATER PORTLAND
BY he Union OF the Forest City and
Its Beautiful Nelghbor.
oeerlng AnnexatIonIsts MASTERING
Their Forces for the Test.
Arguments Used by Them and the
Reply OF the Opposition.

| OeerinB' For some time there has been
considerable activity on their part, and al
ready the people Of the town are pretty we'll
| divided of into annexationlsts and anti-an-
nexationists. So far the annexationlsts
| seem to have the advantage Of organization
and industry on their side. IL they can
make 1t all tell on the day Of the election
they will be likely to win.
There has been one meeting to vote on this
| question already. on April 2, 1890. when an
nexation was defeated by vote Of 3o6 to
1888. After this meeting the annexationists
felt that they had failed simply because they
had not got their strength out. When the
| legislature Of 1889 was petitloned for an act
to permit annexation the petition In favor OF
the act was signed by 445 voters. The an
/ nexationists thought that this meant that
AS citizens would vote for annexation In a
| ;.eetlpg, They feRRdaeat. however, that 10
Is easier to get busy man to sign a petition
than 1t is to get him OUT 70 spesiaf-t2gn
| meeting.
The people Of WOodfords and Oakdale,
most OF whom do business In the city, did
not attend the meeting very well, and to
their negligence is due entirely the reverse
which the annexationists met year ago.
The friends Of annexation determined that
no such negligence should defeat 1t the next
time. They organized with an executive
committee composed Of j. N. Read, f. r.
Pierce, ID. ID. Chenery, Edward b. Sargent,
g. G. Hopkins. Myron Il. Morse and Warren
Sparrow. The first thing the anIexationists
had to meet was the proposition for a sepa-
rate city charter. Some people OF Deering
preferred to make separate city OF 1t, and
In accordance with the act Of the Legislators
OF 1889. a meeting was held In February OF
this year to vote on a city charter. In total
vote Of upwards Of 400, the charter was
feated by nearly 100 votes.
This left the way clear for another trial Of
annexation, the last allowable under the act
OF the legislature. The executive committee
OF the aLnexationists are at work In prepar-
alton for this meeting, which will probably
be held on Monday In May, either the 1ith
or the 18th. A very thorough canvass Of the
town Is about completed. and Is said to show
a strong support for annexation, even larger
than had been expected. This will mean
that the annexationists can propably count
on about 500 votes II they can get them out.
The past history Of Deering politics shows
| that considerably less than 500 votes will
| swing the town either for or against the
change. In the September election on the
last Presidential year total Of 1,113 votes
were cast; In the last September election. an
of year, the total Of votes was 955. No one
expects that on the question Of annexation a
vote nearly so large as the last September's
vote Is likely to be brought out. The total
vote when annexation was tried last was
less than 100.
Nevertheless the vote Is likely to be larger
in the coming May meeting, because the an
nexationists are better organized. They will
probably be provided with means Of getting
their vote out So far the opponents have
shown no energy. Indeed, some who have
opposed the project most heartily in the
past express indifference. Perhaps they will
not be SO Indifferent though, on the day Of
I, the vote.
The opponents CT annexation have on their
side the very potent fear Of taxation. Macy
| fear that their houses will be assessed a
higher rate under the higher valuation Of
the city assessors. On the other hand the
annexationists point to the fact that taxa
rG II4n Is going up IN the town all the time.
and that 1t Is $50 now. Then there Is the
tow debt. No one seems to be certain inst
how much i Is. IL Is said to be ali the way
a aIom Soo,VVp 70 SlOOOO0, according to the
assets, Last year the debt was decreased
somewhat and the programme is 10 decrease
It stu more this year. Then there Is the
aepa pocs ss%sr so"s which gets into Hu
sewer runs up the Forest ayenIe from the
vicinity Of Winslow's pottery 10 Fessenden
street, and up Fessenden street. There Is a
nltcn ABOUT assessments on adjoining proper
W, and the work Of extending the system is
not progressing.
Should the vote in the coming NAV meet
Ing result In favor Of annexation, the clti-
zens Oh Portland will have to make up their
minds pretty quick what they are going 10
do about 1t. The law provides that In case
Of vote In Deering favorable to annexa-
ton the town clerk shall certify the vote TO
bn Hs bm9RRielpal sRs 6UeeE q the s 81 :,
to the voters Of the city In ward meetings to
De called Immediately after the receipt OF
such certificate"
match between Portland and Deering will be
about the dowry and the settlement Both
parties to the match will have to bring debts.
and the dowry and settlement part would
The act Of the legislature recognizes this
fact, and provides for an evening up Of debts
and sewers. Recognizing that Deering has
no sewerage system, the act provides that
Deerlng, before the completion Of the union.
might Increase its debt so that the total
town debt should amount 10 FIVE per cent OF
the valuation, this money raised by the ad-
diton to the debt to be used for the cOnstIuc-
lion OF sewers and other improvements. un-
der direction Of the city. Portland, on her
part, would then assume all the Indebted
ness and liabilities OF the town, take the
town assets, and continue Ii as an integral
part OF the city, as an eighth ward.
OF course there are some political consid-
erations as well as financial ones. Under
the Constitution Of Maine, the number of
representatives Of the city Of Portland, or
any other town OF city, In the lower branch
Of the state legislature can never exceed
seven. Under the new appOrtiOnment Port
land Is to have six. Deering has one now,
and as she increases In size might have two
or even more should she remain separate,
while Portland, as she might increase, would
get an additional one. But annex Deering
and 1t would at once bring the representa-
tion OF the people In the two places to the
constitutional limit Of seven, which they
could not exceed. This argument Is heard
quite frequently.
On the other hand there are many and
great advantages to come to both places.
| The only question Is whether the disadvan-
tages are heavier than the advantages.