The Portland daily press., 1897-10-29
ANNEXATION SENTIMENT.
What Deering People Think On the
Subject.
A GREAT DIVISION OF OPINION
FOUND.

What the Act of the Legislature Provides
Interviews Collected By Representa-
tive of the Press.
The act of the last legislature brings
up again the question of the annexation
of Deering to Portland. That act pro-
vides thai fifty citizens of Portland and
fifty citizens of Deering shall petition to
Hon. John A. Peters, chief justice of the
Supreme court, to appoint three commits
sioners who shall be disinterested parties
resident of neither Portland nor Deering,
to formulate a plan of consolidation.
Those three shall make their report not
earlier than December 1, 1897, and not
later than January l, 1898. The municipal
officers Of the respective cities shall then
incorporate the question i'll the call for
the elections next March and if MAORI
ty of the voters in both cities vote 'yes''
the cities are consolidated.
With an idea of finding out the senti-
ment Of the Deering people representa-
tive of the PRESS questioned those whom
he saw yesterday with the following re-
suits:
Ex-Mayor John E. Sawyer said: "We
are not ready for annexation from the
fact that our needs can be better attended
to through our own legislating rather
than by being annexed to Portland. We
know our wants and can spend our
money to better advantage than Portland
could for us. We shall sometime get to
that point as there are needed improve
ments that must come and can only come
with the assistance of Portland
Ten years ago annexation could have
been accomplished but do not see how
it can be done now for at least 10 years to
come.
My interest naturally would be with
Deering and don't think it for her best
interests, but it would be for the best
interests of Portland
Mr.. +. B. Moody, the druggist at
Woodfords Corner said: "The city is do
ing well enough as it exists under it's
own charter. Deering is making good
progress and with harmonious board
of aldermen to work for the interests of
the city the future success of Deering is
assured
Mr.. Fred V. Matthews; the city solicitor
and rising young lawyer in Portland
legal circles, said: ST think the subject
Of annexation is as dead as julius Caesar
for the present, and I don't expect
sufficient encouragement could be found
at present or for the next five years to
even warrant commission to draft d
bill. I am opposed as L always have been
to annexation. The city is doing well
enough as it is and we are making i'm
provements faster than we should if we
were annexed. Nevertheless our tax rate
remains several dollars lower on
thousand than those of Portland. Next
ep. ing Deering will start out under the
new provisions of the city charter when
we shall have eleven aldermen instead of
seven and when other important changes
in the mode of administering the city
affairs will be set in motion. This taken
in connection with the fact that the city
is already engaged at considerable expense
in fitting up new co1nmodious and suit
able city quarters would seem to indicate
that there isn't any great call for annexa-
tion.''
Mr.. D. W. Heseltine of Lunt's Corner,
merchant in Portland, said: 81 am in
favor of annexation as I always have
been. 1t would be an advantage to our
city. Our taxes are as high comparative
ly as they are in Portland and we do not
get the improvements we ought for our
money.
"We ought to have increased police pro- |
lection and more modern mail facilities
and these can only be brought about
through annexation. AS judge the
pulse of East Deering, though not par
ticularly enthusiastic on the question of
annexation, believe the majority of the
voters are in favor
Hon. Augustus f. Moulton, the we'll
known attorney at law and a resident of
Oakdale, was asked for his opinion and
said: 81 do not believe annexation is
profitable for Deering at present. The
Deering people now manage their own
affairs. If they should become annexed
they should have at most two aldermen
out of nine and would have to accomplish
by petition what they could now do them
selves of their own accord. 1 do not be-
lieve that Portland would be disposed to
give Deering the Improvements which
they need in the way of streets, sidewalks
and sewers If one compares the suburbs
of Portland with Deering they will find
that Deering is decidedly in advance.
portland takes excellent care of the
centers of business and the better portions
Of the city and is inclined to neglect the
suburbs.
"Deering if annexed would be merely
an appundage.
81 believe the general opinion to be
that the two cities will ultimately be
united, but at present do not believe an