The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-29

whole of the greater city the same is true
VI STORES anu tradeSmen.
Deering land owners will find q more
ready market, notably with that large
Class OF Portland citizens who are desi-
rous Oh having a grass plot, q kitchen
garden, trees, flowers, pure air, sunshine
ana chance for their children and fam
Ines TO live more out Of doors; but WAC
are unwilling, or can not afford, to give
pup thelr citizenship in Portland. THESE
are the people of moderate means, VINO
cannot afford large Iots at Promenade
prices, but who are intelligent, and of re,
Ilned ana artistic instincts; who would
choose good neiGhborhood for their fam
lies and good associations for their chill
dren.
Deerlng is too small in population and
valuation, especially sir CO it is destined
never TO have the large valuation which
comes from the business growth and &C
tlvlty Of cities not suburban to larger
business centers, too small in population
and valuation, l say, and too thlniy
spread out over large area, to ever be-
come highly centralized in itself alone, or
to create or maintain alone those larger
public institutions, improvements. and
undertakings In which her citizens SO
strongly crave part, and in which as q
part OF Portland they might assist.
Annexation then is their only method
OF acquiring some things which they
want. On the other hand. Portland,
needs just this assistance to strengthen
and better all these. Portland has per-
haps more to gain than Dsering, but l
am addressing myself to Deering citizens
kand certainly, in this case, what is Port
lands gain is not Deering's loss, but is
likewise behring's gain. is this not
behring's opportunity, which, it is said,
comes once to everyone. That Is, If Port
land is willing.
touching finances, Mayor Randall says,
IN his inaugural address printed in the
last rapport of the City of Portland, that
tne net debt shows a reduction of 81 700,
45s since March 81, 1887 leaving 81 ,256, 1856
as the net debt on March s, 1897, which
amount, it will be noticed, is less than
the amount of reduction in the last ten
years.
OF this reduction or gain, 1868, AIS comes
from the increase in the value. in its
present form. of the Portland and Ogdens-
the remaining 81, 347, 029 of reduction con
slsts OF money paid largely by taxation,
very creditable showing. But the pre-
ceding ten years show still better
Mayor Chapman in his address, printed
IN the city report for 1857, shows re-
duction of the publio debt from April l.,
1877 to March s, 1887, of 50, 103,700
l VI alstll0 COIItlulSS stb bIllS rNIS, EuG
Will be entirely out of debt in less than
ten years.
Portland's net debt by the report for
1867 is 3.3 per cent of the valuation.
behring's net debt is, in the report for
1867, difficult to determine but taking
Mayor Davis's statement of the bonded
debt. and adding his statement of the
amount of the city's third Of the sewer
debt only, it is Si13,44S, which is $50 per
cent of the valuation upon which the
taxes for 1897 were assessed
Whether Portland's debt is increased or
diminished this year, do not know; but,
certainly, DeerinV has not spent SIS, 000
upon Forest avenue, constructed several
new sewers, and built a brick high school
building, without increasing her debt.
Portland has been incr, asing her tax
rate and paying her debt; while Deering
has been lowering her tax rate and adding
to her debt. The time of the meeting,
when the percentage of debt shall he equal
in both cities, cannot be far off, even if it
is not already passed.
PROGRESS.