The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-29
ANNEXATION OF DEERING.
To the Editor Of the Press:

W1nQham IOr year.
ANNEXATION OF DEERING
To the Editor Of the Press:
Whenever the question OF annexina
Deering to Portland has arisen among
those in Deering who are opposed TO the
movement, it has been viewed largely
from the standpoint of dollars and cents
only; "Our tax rate is lower" "Our
valuation lower" ''We are not SO much
in debt, "We are growing at Portland's
expense. so let her sweat" ''We can have
what we choose to pay for in the way of
improvement now, while, if annexed, we
shall have what Portland will give us;''
1--WE would lose the increased Representa-
tlon in the Legislature to which we are
entitled at the next pportionment, since
Portland already has six representatives
and can never have more than seven;''
I'VE shall be tail to the dog generally
"shall get nothing from Portland and
will be powerless to help ourselves. al
though paying more taxes; I'VE need
no guardian, etc. These and many other
like ostensible and avowed reasons are
given. Then there are the real reasons,
the salaries and positions of the office
holders, the political pulls" and the
present possibilities of furnishing supplies
and securing contracts; and also the
probabilities of thus disturbing existing
profitable arrangements. And then there
are the charges made against the Desring
annexationists, perhaps more or less true.
that some of them are dissatisfied with
the city officials and their doings, or dis
appointed Office seekers, or disgruntled
politicians, dogs in the Manager, who have
lost their influence and, therefore. want
to break up the government they can no
longer control.
But the sober minded, progressive cit1-
zen, who thinks of something besides his
taxes and political offices and pulls, who
likes to see a businesslike and economical
administration of city affairs, who lives
in one city and has his business or work
in another, from the councils of which he
is debarred on account of his residence,
finds food for a little further reflection
upon the question, which now for the
first time, bids fair to be presented under
fair and impartial conditions, with the
terms of union determined by an able and
unprejudiced commission in the exercise
of exceptionally liberal powers. In foot.
we are about TO be presented with an an
nexation compact adjusted by just such
proceeding as many anti-annexauionists
have always claimed is the only fair way
of accomplishing annexation, an impair
tial tribunal. and an opportunity for
both sides to be heard; and this will be
for years admitted that annexation would
come, sooner or later, when it could be
brought about justly to Deering. What
can be more favorable or just?
How does it look to the annexationists?
Deering will undoubtedly he made into
at least two wards Of Portland by this
commission. Every Deering citizen will
tecome a Portland citizsn with vote
where his business interests are; and SO,
voice in the expenditure of the taxes
which he is compelled to pay upon his
business. He will thus gain more influ-
ence politically and otherwise; the fanci-
full line of local sentiment, which now is
sharply traced upon the earth about the
limits of each city, will disappear, and
with it all sentiment of rivalry, and an
tagonism, and petty localisnl.
Men who spend the entire working days
OF their lifetime in Portland will be no
longer omitted from the lists Of those who
are appointed to fashion and to father
important local enterprises and move
ments merely because they reside in Deer
ing, when in fact, Portland's business
streets would be lonesome without these
same business men who live in Deering.
We shall still have schools as good, at
least, as now and certainly as numerous
and we'll equipped. The entire salary
roll of the Deering officials will be saved.
and certainly the officials chosen from
the larger city are liable to be as efficient
and as representative as the present in
cumbents in DeeriTg.
We shall ct once come under q well
equipped ana web regulated fire and
police protection. We shall at once gain
free access to a large public library, and
shall be in excellent position to claim
from the Government an extension of the
Portland free mail delivery system to
cover the more densely populated parts Of
DeeIing.
Orr laboring people will no longer be
debarred from working for the city of
Portland, and our tradesmen no longer
subject to Il like discrimination because
they have no vote In Portland.
The Street Department in Portland
spends from $40, 600 to 500, coo annually
in Deering, $4,000 to $4,000; that is,
about six to one, but Deering is much
larger in area than Portland, has more
streets. and is rapidly growing and call
ing for increased expenditures and i'm
provemente. Deering has covered scarce
| ly any Vi WILLS lslgcT dIGh WIFI P6illlHlCEb
work, while Portland is almost wholly
thus covered. Under these circumstances,
where would be the call for greatest ex-
denditure in the greater city? Where
would the need be most potent, and where
would the larger portion of this combined
sum of street money be expended?
If Deering continues to grow, if Port
land is to meet the requirements Of this
new and progressive part of itself, if half
of this money, that is, if 500, 600 is spent
in Deering on streets, annually, what
does this mean to the citizens who want
improvements. and what to the citizens
who want workP This may not all take
place at once; but what are the tenden-
cies, the prospects. and the immediate
necessities and, hence, the probabilities of
such situation? Moreover, we shall gain
as citizens numerous rights, such as the
right to purchase in Evergreen cemetery
upon equal terms.
The problems of sewer disposal and of
the Back Bay nuisance, which promise
to be troublesome and expensive in the
near future, are at once solved, and the
future expense of a city building avoided !;
three electric light companies and two
water cOmDanieS will he oy.erattinO With n