Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-19

which ndioins de one ia question, and q
one time the towa of CAmdsa was part Of
my tovn. Tia question b whether tbs
town shall be divided or not. Il hes been
ufgsd that this matter 10 alnoss u1paral.
letIed in history, but when IL 10 considered
IN the light Of common sense, thas hardly
proves 70 be the case. From tbs day OF thA
discovery Of this country until The present
time changes in this very direction have
been going on. These tvo Villages are
pleasantly sitnated and each has rs own
peculiar interests. A. . member Of
the committee il appears to me from
the evidence aad the appearance here
Of tbs people on both rides that there
10 trouble there. II this division does not
take place Q city charter will be ssksd for !;
If il does, il will not Rockpers claims
that Camden has been very sxtravsgant in
the matter Of expenditure for roads, side
valks, water and the like. Camden says
We have, bus we have not what We need
nov, bat with your permission We will 90
by ourselves, guaranteeing to pay our
fact that Camden had been 20
extravasaut, that when this matter was
talked Of in the fair way in which it IL.
they would let them 60. | see by the
document on my desk that in the last six
years the town has raised, to pay the town
debt, Sl4 600. yet the debt in this time has
increased sl5.5 Rockport claims that
this increase 10 owing to the exsravagsnt
expenditures OF Camden. There 10 also 10
this document . statement Of the division
Of the town property according to the petit
toners bill. The relative length Of the
roads in the two sections, ~ near - can
be obtained from . quite accurate compute
ton, shows two and one-q usrter miles more
on the Rsckport side than on the Camden
side. am somewhat scqualnted with the
roads in the two sections and 10 my judge
ment these on the Camden side are much
harder to keep in repair than those in Rock.
port. The gentleman who had charge OF
the expenditures tor roads on the Rockport
side last year claims that he KEEP. within
his appropriation, come $500, and that his
roads were 10 good condition, while, on the
other hand. the gentleman Ia Camden had
oyerdrxwn nearly 50 900 and still the foads
were hardly passable. The line Of di.
vision, rs understand il. 10 considered by
both sides to be quite fair and impair
lial. Even Mr.. Burgess, . very candid
gentleman, who appeared before the
committee, stated that if there
were to be . division he knew of
no better line than the one proposed. l,
has been presented to the committee that
40 matter Of fact In few years these two
villages would become one. 1t 10 an utter
impossibility for this to happen. and the
reason 10 this lying directly between these
two villages are very extensive quArfies.
Nd iNtr, tha
and come to the road. They are being
continually worked and during
their operation it 10 necessary that
more or less blasting should be done,
making it very dangerous for persons to
be near at times. For the past fifteen
years there has been space Of nearly a
bird OF mile, but not . single building
has been put upon it for this reason. Mr..
Mr.. Carleton in his statement before the
committee said he had conveyed to his son
in New York $4,000 worth Of personal
property. This has not been denied, and
SLOWING it to be the fact, this would nat
urally accrue to the benefit OF the Rockport
side.
Mr.. TiIton of Cape Elizabeth will
say for the instruction Of this House that
there 10 city charter prepared and In the
hands of the committee that. in case the
town 10 not divided, will be proposed for
the action of the House 80 that the objec-
tons that are now maintained will be some
what obvis.ed. As member of the com
mittee who signs report A, l think, per
haps, that it M is my duty to
explain my position and reasons therefor.
What il asked for by the petitioners? 1t
is simply proposed to divide the town of
Camden, a town 100 years old, second to
none in the State in point Of merit, energy
and thrift, situated in Knox county. on tue
shores of Penobscot Bay. and to divide it
nearly from east to west, separating the
two thriving villages. These villages are
about mile and half from centre to
centre, growing towards each other until
now but fifty rods separate the two. Now,
in cases of dissension snd disagreement,
We understand that it is where natural OPP
position and dissimilsrity Of interest exists
between the farming and village sections.
1t is the trouble this? Not at all. Had
these petitioners suggested a reasonable
line, one that could have been agreed upon,
10 include sufficient territory on which they
might together expand, l should have been
willing to consider their prayer. But l ap-
prehend that we have not the hardihood to
divide the town simply because severs!
hundred come up here and ask that ii be
done without making out 8 case. 1. is no
unusual thing for town to make this re-
quest of the Legislature, but it is an un-
usual thing for petitioners to come up here
without the slighest ground for their COM
plaint. 1 approached the hearing OF
this case with my inclinations toward
division, but when / came to sum up
the evidence could arrive at no other con-
clusion than that q. which I did arrive.
What are their complaints? They say that
Camden is unable to secure her just rights
in proportion to her part of the expendi-
lures. | hold ia nv hand a circular,
Reasons Why the Proposed Division OF
Camden Would Be Unjust" and believe
that the statements made in this paper are
substantially correct Is presented in evil
dence to the committee. camden village
has always had her full share of all town
appropriations aod benefits, and the evil
dence showed no in,tance to the contrary"
"She complains as to highways, but
the highway money raised by the town
annually has been sbou. 50 900 cash, on
less than 100 miles of road, or $50
per mile, which is more than almost any
other town in the State esn show." think
that 10 pretty liberal appropriation. 1t is
almost more than any other town today can
show. OF the SO, 600 for highways Camden
village has had $4,000. She then went on
and spent nesrly $1,000, adding nearly
$4,000 to the town debt. which would be
charged to the joint account of the old
town a. well as the new, while the new
- L. - e -
They claim that the t~o villages are dis
tinct in interest and community, that feel
ing exists. How long since these dissen-
sions have risen? In the testimony il
appeared that it WAS at the annual meeting
only year aso. They assert that they are
known as t~o towns by the outside World, that
persons living in each village register THAR
names a. residents Of Camden and Racs-
port. Is that any reason fcf divorce? I
live in South Portland, sm resident Of
Cape Elizabeth. / register at my hotel
from the part II shich / lire. The town
At the meeting in 1870 refused to purchsse
500 copies OF boox entitled Picturesque
Camden" published by Mr.. Simontoa. {
was not aware that Ii vas the duty Of to ans
to go into the picture book business, That
vas alleged on the stand as reason why
shefe was great necessity for Dividing
Roekpors and Camden villages Nos.
il there has been dissensi1a, I wouli
lie to kno~ If, where large
viii. yss sns flaming communities are L.
cat 'e5e nav . ats ben ei.serssi%H.
ana 'iI4r+a.v- ~ p&gl3s p, Fessft TO ne
sxet aiaie me far 'se.s d. 70, e.Fe
for sewers or sidewalks. fsr water system.
or styeet lights They say lhey caa get