The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-25
ANNEXATION OF DEERING.
To the Editor of the Press:

40 ute EuttOT " tN6 fTeSSs
I have read with great deal of.interest
the articles for and against the annexa-
ton of Desring to Portland, published in
the PRESS, and being voter and also
small property holder in the city of Deer
ing am therefore interested in the welfare
and prosperity OF that city and if L can be
convinced that our city is TO derive any
benefit by annexation to Portland cer-
tainlv shall vote for it. also think tha0
the great majority of the voters OF poeh
of these enterprising and progressive
cities will be Influenced only by what IN
their Judgment will be for the best IN
terest of themselves and their respective
cities AS there has been SO far' SO muoh
said in favor of annexation and SO httle
against it that the readers OF the PRESS
would be quite likely to infer thaU the
voters of both cities were almost unanl-
nous for annexation. but l think such Is
not the case, and although they are not
holding public meetings or hiring writer's
to present their side of the case to the
public, majority of the voters OF Dear
ing at least are satisfied that their own
city is good enough for them.
After reading the articles regarding the
financial condition of both cities, 1 have
examined the reports of bothPortland and
Deering from March, 1899, to the present
time and am somewhat surprised to note
the difference between the printed reports
of the city officials and the statements
made in the articles referred to, and to
avoid any misunderstanding I will say
that the facts and figures I shall give
were taken from the reports of the officers
of both Portland and Deoring, which re-
ports I shall take as evidence of the finan-
cial standing of these cities until 1t is
clearly shown that they are unworthy of
credenoe, and, therefore, the makers
thereof unworthy Of the office they hold.
The city of Deering adopted its charter
in March, 1892. and it appears 1t from its
report for that year that 1t inherited from
the town of Deering a net debt above all
available resources Of $72, 1893, this amount
being 1-3 per cent of its entire valuation
which at that time was So, Oe6, 23O At the
closing of the year ending February.
1897, find from the same authority a net
debt of $9S,877, or less than l2 per cent
of the city valuation of 81, 400. $40.
| In looking at these figures the voters of
Deering can very readily sec that in five
years of business depression their city has
increased her valuation of a little more
than s., 900, 600 in 1892 to 81, 4O5, $40 in 1897
gain of 81 1909, $40, while with all the
permanent improvements made in that
time on streets, sidewalks, sewers, school
houses, electric lighting, water supply,
fire and police protection and the many
others that the people of Deering fully
understand and appreciate we have in
creased our net debt but s25, 5S3. II Deer
| ing had kept her tax ratio in the mean
time as high as did the city of Portland
she would have received more than $40, 900
in additional taxes, and thus kept her
debt intact, and still had enough left to
pay the $l5, 600 expended on Forest ave-
nue. The friends of annexation tell us
that Deering on account of the low rate of
taxation has been increasing her debt
from year to year and prophecy "dfre
calamity" to the city when the 8 per cent
limit of Indebtedness is reached which
warming If coming from citizen Of Port
land should be carefully considered, as all
tax payers Of Portland can certainly I'M
derstand such condition of affairs, as
their city has been in that situation for
years, and while we have brighter hopes
for the future of Deering, did 1t ever
occur to her voters that the day we be-
come part of Greater Portland we shall
be in just that financial condition that
the annexationists are SO strongly warn
ing us against, for glance at Portland 8
latest report will quickly show that her
great debt with all her boasted reduction
is still more than per cent of the COM
bined valuation of both cities. While the
valuation of Decring has increased nearly
so per cent in the short time she has been
city, an increase that has no equal n
any city or town in the state which rate
of increase bids fair to continue in def
nitely, what has been the growth and
prosperity of our sister city which the
advocates of annexation think is SO we'll
qualified to take charge of and properly
and economically conduct the affairs OF
the city of Deering.
1 find the valuation of the city OF Port
land in 1899 was $50, G42, $50 or nearly
twelve times the valuation of Deering
and in the same time that Deering had
increased her valuation 1901, S35 or nearly
but 1858, $50. being little more than
per cent. This shows the relative gain OF
the cities from the time Deering became
a city ins1S92 to February, 1896. Port
lands gain during the year 1895, l am
unable to give, but the gain of the little
city of Deering for that year was more
than 100000.
1t is true that Portland has reduced her
debt s107, 1881 since 1899, but it has been
done by keeping her tax rate from 81 to
49, 80 per 1000 above the rate in Deerlng,
which simply means that If the tax payer
in Portland had paid no higher tax than
mis- neigh5or in Deering during that time
it would have increased Portland's debt
more than sec, 900 year or $500 900 insthe
six years named. have only touched the
financial part of this question at this
time. which earnestly ask the voters Of
Deering to carefully weigh before they
decide matter of such vital Importance.
A. STONE.
Deering. January "a, 1898.