The Portland daily press., 1898-01-20
ANNEXATION.
10 the Editor of the Press:

spanning our beniphted city during the past
few DAYS. is at last showing a tendency to
dissolve itself into thin air, as even the
brilliant Gaming of our friend Progress is
rnahla To maintain such a wonderful dis
NAV of ethical beauties for long period of
time. 1t was enhancing while it lasted, but,
alas! such things are never permanent.
The snectacie of Progress and prosper
itv,, marching down Forest avenue towards
Portland. shoulder to shoulder, their faces
oil aalow with the Esprit of the tmes,''
with their banners waving in the March
winds. emblazoned with that talsmanic
li,scrintion. "annexat1on' is certainly very
inspiring, and may be the means of attract
ing some followers to their ranks, but we
must be pardoned if we suggest even If it
mars somewhat the effect of the spectacle,
that on that same day, a majority of the
citizens of Deering will be found rallying
about her banner for the preservation of her
autonomy, believing as reasonable men
that her interests for time longer at least
will thus be better served
| But we would not seem to vie with our
| friend Progress in rhetorical effects, as to
! cope with him in that particular is beyond
our powers and purpose. We have tried TO
express our ideas simply and to conflne our
self to the facts, so far as it was possible
in discussion of this question:; although
| at times it has seemed unavoidable to dwell
| upon the probabilities. However, notwith-
| standing Mr.. PROGRESSES seeming desire to
cast reflections upon our sincerity by the
profuseness of his concessions on that point
| we must still insist that the facts are what
| we want, although, when we have settled on
all those, thus tar raised in this question,
there still remains the greater problem, in
| which the human element enters of what
Greater Portland will do for the territory
now included within the limits of Deering.
With the same facts different people take
different action, so even after the facts are
settled the question of what the city govern
mnet of Greater Portland Will do to i'm
prove the newly acquired territory, is large
ly question of probabilities, and we pre-
sumo there viii be differences of opinion,
hon estly entertained on that point.
Now when cur friend, Progress, in the face
OF our contention asto the respective debts
as to the two cities. retreats behind his
defences, of the fndsngs of the Commits
sion, which he seems to assume to be in
tallible we must caA for the figures of the
commissioners. 1t seems to us that the
people are entitled to know the facts upon
| which the Commission based its report that
| the net debt of the two cities are now with
I in small fraction Of one per cent. of each
other We have no intention of casting any
reflections upon the honesty or aeknowl-
edged ability Of the members who made up
that commission, but we had no idea that
anything akin to fallfbiltty would be set up.
We should very much like to know upon
| Sx,o tod md
we should be equally interested to see what
Mr. Progress terms an up to date statement
of Portland's finances. If this be treason,
friend Progress, make tia most of it
Our friend above mentioned, very exulc-
| ingly and much to our expected discomfi-
tlre, we presume, preceded to explain to
some of his misled friends how Portland
could avoid raising her tax rates in ease of
extraordinary demands upon her treasury.
But wherein his unquestioned solution Of
the problem offers any Balm in G1lead to
the Deering taxpayer whom he invited to
submit to Portland's rate Of taxation, in
view of the fact that for the past five years
it has been kept up, and this year raised to
meet extraordinary expenditures, is not SO
evident. 1t is very apparent that Portland
has been for more than ten years straining
five per cent limit without selling any Of
her bonds. SO thatzher extraordinary expen-
ditures have continually been a burden
upon her tax payers, and until she does, her
tax rate will not be an argument for annex
alton.
1t also seems to disturb our friends peace
of mind that we should call attention to
some of Portland's Indebtedness not in
4~E No.
liabilities, but we were only seeking after
the facts. They are not all Of the same
weight, but taken together make solid
wall that oar annexation friends are In
cined to avoid. Our object was simply to
show that Portlands liabilities were not
confined to her bonded debt; that there was
a possibility of its being somewhat larger
than her annual statements would make
it appear, and that Portland had consider
able on her hands to take care of her own
needs for the next few years, without under
taking to develop Deering. Items OF one
or two thousand dollars are indeed small
when compared with Portland's entire
debt, but 1t is well to note that the amounts
mentioned are but fractional parts of the
entire amounts due, being but partial pay
ment, and with other Indebtedness men
toned are enough to fa1Se fortlahd late
per cent several tenths Of one per cent.
Now the comparative effect of an increase
or decrease in Portland's and Deering's debt
about which we see frequent comments, is
worthy of a moments reflection. While it is
true that a sum which will cause quite a
startling leap in behring's rate per cent of
debt will scarcely affect Portland's at all. |
yet on the other hand, an increase in Deer |
ins's valuation of three or four hundred |
thousand dollars will send her rate down
like the mercury for the past few mornings, |
while the effect of an increase of double |
that amount iii Portlands valuation upon [
her rate per cent is hardly worth mention i
ing.
Our annexation friends hold out to the |
residents of our rural districts the prospect |
of Deering in debt. in u year or two more, |
up TO the five per cent limit, and unable to
raise more for permanent improvements,
except by excessively high taxes. But it
has never been suggested by any of them
that with the growth recorded in Deerlng |
for the past three years, she could, if nee
esSary. borrow and srapd in permaDent i'm |