The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-16

destiny to come some other year and not
this year. At the present time the two
cities are virtually on the same basis
financially, so that there are no perplex-
ing problems.of debt equalization to be
fought over If union is brought about
There never cansbe time therefore when
the financial conditions will be more
favorable than now. This applies equally
to both cities The main argument off
erstt by the opponents of annexation this
year. in Deering is that the money raised
by taxation in that city is more likely to
| oe4spent to her advantage if she spends it,
than ii it be placed in the hands of the
greater Portland. But that argument is
going to be Just as strong in the future
as now, go that really it is an argument
aga1ns1 annexation at any time, and an
| nexdfion at some time they do not pre-
| tend to oppose But while Deering Is
Offering this argument against annexation
the opponents of union in Portland are
| offering one that is exactly the reverse,
namely, that if Deering is annexed she
! will be likely to get more than the pro-
portion of the Iaoney raised by taxation
that her valuation would entitle her to.
| They say, and with much force, that ir-
asmuch as Deering will present the most
| opportunities for the expenditure of
money, inasmuch as she is far behind
Portland in the matter of Streets side
walks, fire and police protection to her
improvement large proportion of ths
| money raised by taxation will 20. We are
inclined to think the Portland Cd.
ponents are right in this, and if
Portland would not reap advantages
from annexation through the
increase of her prestige by reason of her
enlargement in population to offset the
disadvantages of being responsible for
the improvement of large territory now
very poorly supplied with the necessities
ana conveniences of modern city life we
should certainly oppose 1t. But not only
will there be a strong and natural ten
| dency to spend large part of the money
until it is brought up somewhere near the
I condition ofsthe old, but the new terri
tory will be in position to compel such
expenditure, if not in the immediate, at
least in the not remote future If the
plan of the commission is ratified, at the
start Deering will have much greater
proportional representation in the city
government than the present Portland,
and as practically all the growth of the
! greater city must be in the Deering section
its representation must constantly tend to
| increase. Furthermore the interests of
the peoplesof Deerlng will be for many
fyears to come practically identical, and
her voters will constitute a compact
body bound together by common in.
terest. while There will be, as there al
ways has been. rival and conflicting fac
tions among the voters of the present
Portland.a 1t seems to us that sDeering is
destined to get the much better end of
the bargain if the two cities are annexed.
Indeed, as we have already intimated, if
| the question were one entirely of direct
| advantage we should say that Portland
had more to lose than to gain. But the
collateral advantages to Portland, none
of them in derogation of Deering inter-
ests in any direction, will, we are inclined
to think, compensate for the temporary
disadvantages which will be likely to
result from tho taking OH of large
territory which is little improved, and
must demand large expenditures.