Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-20

nay claim b ret tnepSfakoa %
70 Il seain. Who Gala foR this lssss exrsn-
ditsrs 81 money b KIfAssy! 6evsniy-oae
Only u ths legal vSs=fs Of Eliot Tvo
s,ssl, petitions appear from S,ath Berwick.
Th<se cuntaia the nAnee Of The people Of
Etios vho are bshinA this pFojecs- They
live sen miles away and are hsstef accom-
mcdssed by the pesssae highway than they
would be By the proposed new one. Then
Shers Appears . ps<itioa containing TIE
nance II 81 Of the business men Of Pofss-
mouth. Donr you considef these people
rather hard up for strsaath to 20 over iafo
New HAmpsnife when theie ase S3e voters
ia Eliot whose manner are not found
in their home pssiio1- Coold you
hear what is said BY these same hnsihess
men Of Port msutn, Nh, rcw undfrstand
the matter. yen would coscluds Stth me
that DO petiticn shoald be considered except
see one contAinieg II names from Eliot
Woo .ppesTs against this pscjeetg Eighiy-
nine from Eliot. representing large pro-
portion Of the taxes of that town, and all
Of Kistery. We presented . petition con-
tainins SIS MINES Of legal voters. No
claim appears tina. any business could Do
fos,ered or developed by this outlay Of
uorey. The census returns show decline
in Eliat in the last decade, both in business
and population. Il was said before the
Committee that Kittery has no business
except politics. Il 10 true we have gov
ernment plant which 10 curss rather
than benefit: 70 us. 1t has been aud 10
nov . great impeachment to our growth and
prosperity. We have . heavy town debt
which hiss been decreased within the past
4 - ,nr~ AID ca ND ~ q
expense Of needed internal improvements.
We s,e compelled raise from S6oOo to
$4,000 additional to our regular appropria-
tors at our annual meeting next week to
construct one new bridge 700 feet long, to
put the six We nov msintAin In repair, IS
we'll as 10 put our roads in condition TO sat-
isfy the demands Of our summer visitors.
Our population decreased rea,ly Is in the
last decade and our rate OF taxation last yeas
was nearly l Q per cent on full vaius,ion
which il bu. $3.50 600 - made BY the last
valuation commission. In view If these
facts are you resdy to saddle our old toSn
with $4,000, when We can give these
people ali they should desire for cne-third
this amount When We expend this
smouut we are making the road to
our own village longer, ard as have
stated, saving the petitioners only 1 mile
travel TO &c. to Portsmouth. Beside the
first cost the maintenance of this road bridge
q d road parallel to the one We now have
would be matter Of no small consideration
II hiss been said that this proposed route
would open up property in the vicinity.
We would have 10 open mp many iedgss and
A hill 81 I. ct high Of solid blue rock to let
the road through, but nothing will be added
to the value Of real estate in this section.
Every property holder appears on . petition
in remOnetraace.
There ha, not been a Few house con.
st-ucted on the old road 70 Eliot parallel
with and bat few rods distant from the
proposed new road within my recollection,
and none near the latter since the days OF
Sir VIM, Peppsrrell, and there will not in
all probability be another until Kit.sry
sends cut another hero OF Louisbug.
Stand upon Portsmouth bridge and
what do you see? Niue Of the
people of this neck going under
in b3sss while one crosses over the bridge.
The toll collector informs me the. two
yearly tickets are sold 10 the whole town Of
Eliot. Why is this? The farmers have
better markets in other directions, and the
n OK people take to the wafer like ducks.
They do Lot travel the old road neither will
they the new. What is the secret Of this
matter? A few nxbobs xish to open az
additional drive for the guests of a small
summer hotel On the banks Of the Piscats-
qua lust sbjve Eliot Necs. Shall this te
done at the expense of Kiitery? !
don't believe this body will permit such
legislation You will be told thai
this 10 simply permissive' bill
that this LEGISLATURE has passed similar
bill. submit, gentlemen. that there has
not been like case before US, and the
committee who had this in charge so under
stood the matter. The county commissions
ers are on record previous to the action OF
this body. Our board remains the same
with one exception, and when you pass this
bill You are sealing the verdict as far as the
county commissioners are concerned. We
can appeal t, the courts. which we have
done in previous proceedings, and no I'm
p,edjadicsd, fsir-minded committee will
give these people what they demand. Il
takes money to follow these matters, and i,
is within the power Of this body to burden
us no fu,ther. Cans you call to mind,
gentlemen, where towns hsve been
nearly ruined by this permi,sive leg.
isia ion, and unjust decisions Of
comfy commissioner? Rave no. such
towns b.en knocking at the door, OF this
Legislature, aud have we not been voting
aid to them? If We should not adop: the
msjority report Of the committee, aud
should pass this bill, these people will GO
u the commissioners aud courts and Claim
that they are bscked By this b ,dy. Iappeai
to you, gentlemen. to withhold this unjnst
burden from the oldeet town IN our Steta.
l cal. upon you who are from towns which
are suffering sor want of some msnufacs-
uring business and which are decreasing in
population, whose rate Of taxation is i'll
cressiug and whose constituency had TO 90
deep into tbei. pockets to meet the tsx
they are required ~ pay, 10 vote in this
matter as you would IL your town were in
v0lved. LIE. The people OF Eliot be coutent
with necessities and leave luxuriss to be
dealt out by future sessions Of this h,dy.
Ne. Harrington of NorridgewocS- We
passed an act rot long ago authorizing the
commissioners Of Sagadahoc to do the thing
which is asked to be done here. There il
one element 10 this case, however, thst did
no: exist in that. ard tina. is thst IN tai,
case two OF the presen. members of the
b5arl Of County commissioners have
ooce given their verdict to lay the road
where this proposed bridge would have t.
be bull. In 9th words, il we submi' ths
csse to tie county commissioners of YcrS
county we .ubtoit j. to jury, two Of the
members Of which are already COMMITTED
This Legislature, .tandinQ for the State Of
Name, ought Dot to submit this question u
a board unless /: ia satisfied that publi
necessity and convenierc CO require that III
thing should be done. The Legislature bs
already authorized tie county commission
.rs to lay out bridge across Spinuey creek
and I unders a1d tina, the bridge 10 CO :
s.Iucted Prior to that the iuhabitauts
Of Eliot were obliged either to
eros, the Piscatsqua river or TO pass
southeIly and then northerly around Spin.
ney creek. The proposed road would rul
down across Weir creek, another inlet
from the Piscstsqua river. The commit.
Tee found the estimates OF TIA expense OF
sDch road to vary from $1,000 10 $4,000.
think that the cost Of ,hs bri,ge and
building OF the road must come no into ih ?
Thousands. From the PROPOSED road 10
the one sugge.red in its stesd il about 100
rods. The ev;d snce tended to show tha,
$500 at the outside would build this latter
road. which would avoid their pa..ios
across Weir creek ard only lsngthen tie
distance SO rods in getting into Portsmouth.
Mr.. Graves Of South Befwick-The
gentleman from Ki'tery ssys thst there
we're fe petitions for thia bill Those in
South Eliot who wers directly interestei
in this mater signed The petition. Beside s
this there are several long petitions from
Ssush Porwick Davsr and p,ytanautb N