The Portland daily press., 1899-03-02
WILLARD WOULD SECEDE'


psnses.
Mr. Libby, speaking as a taxpayer In
Cape Ellzateth. said he "tuld not under.
stand why anybody should object to odd.
ing Willard 10 Cape Eliaateth. The pso-
pc Of the two communities were old
fsiends Mr.. Libby wns authorized TO
say In behalf of Judge. .Symonds, who also
has summer home in Cape Elizabeth,
that he was firmly in favor Of anuexing
Willard TO 1t. The petitioners recognized
that they could not take hard and fast
position on public. question and so had
mnde an alternative proposition that
Willard be annexed to Cape Elizabeth
or made n separate town.
The witnesses 1ere then callei and
questioned by Mr. Meaher, VINO present
ell to the committee copies OF hgures
taken from the town reports.
Capt. a. ID. Boyd lead of. Capt. Boyd
said the wants of willard harmonized
more with those OF Cape Elizabeth than
with South Portland. Taxes are now S24
on thousand and next year aIe likely
to be S2s on thousand. Willard now
pays in taxes two thirds more than is ex-
pended In Willard territory. The people
are fishermen and farmers. Some OF the
farms are partly in Willard and partly in
Cape Elizabeth. There is one school dis
trict which includes portions Of both
towns. The Willard psople are so anx-
ious to get out that they are willing
South Portland should have the town
house, the $4,000 ferry landing and al
the school houses except the one situated
in Willard. Besides this, the Willard
people are willing to assume their share
of the South Portland debt. Nine .tenths
of the Willard people own their own
homes. They are unanimously in favor
of division from South Portland Will
lard has eight miles of streets. In the
whole of South Portland there are 10
miles. The amount of money appropri
ated for Willard streets is small. There
ara no sewers, electric lights or watering
troughs maintained there. In the Inst
10 years Willard has only had one repre-
sentative in the legislature. AS to the
people of Cape Elizabeth some wish to
have Willard annexed and some do not.
couldn't say what the maturity want
The annexation of Willard to Cape Eliza
beth would not affect the politics OF the
town.
Mr.. Spear asked some questions as to
the makeup of South Portland in the
matter of villages MIR. Boyd gave II list
of the villages and then Mr.. Spear asked
more questions to show that willard and
Ferry Village practically join Dir. Boyd
did not take this visw although he ad
mitted that they were pretty near togeth,
er. Then MIR. Spear started on another
track by asking how far 1t was from the
ferry landing to the centre OF Willard
village. Mr.. Spear wanted to know If
there were over six farms of moro than
not state. He did not think there were
70 farmers in either section of the town
who owned farms of over ten acres MIR.
Spear made his purpose clear, when he
asked If Willard was set off ii 1t would
not add to the burdens of the farmers
pie employed in Portland go there as u
rule on the electric cars. MIR. Spear next
wanted to know about the ferry landing,
asking If an effort was not made some
years ago to secure the ferry landing
Mr.. Boy d said that there had been IA ferry
landing ever since his recollection. The
towa leased it for ten dollars when they
might have had $4,000. and that's the
way the business has been done said the
captain,
Don't Willard people use the streets and
sidewalks of south Portland village IT,
getting to the ferry landings asked MIR
Spear.
Yes, and they use the sidewalks of
Portland in getting to their places OF
busines in Portland. retorted the cap
tain.
Mr.. Spear went into the question of the
water supply. MIR. Boyd said Willard
had. ne thought, about six tydrantS
There were no electric lights there nor In
South Portland village. There has been
very little laid out on the Willard roads
Nature has been kind to Willard and the
roads largely take care of thems selves.
What have you asked for which has
been denieds" asked Mr.. Spear.
ave have asked for streets and sewers
and have been denied" said Mr.. Boyd
A system OF sewers has been begun in
South Portland village Capt. Boyd
could not say how near TO Willard the
sewer had been extended. MIR. Spear
asked If Willard had ever been denied
representative or selectman on account
of prejudice against the village. Cant.
Boyd oouh not say. The cemetery used
by the whole town Is in Willard.
Then MIR. Libby took hand in
the questioning and mentioned
one road which neither nature
or the town have taken good
care of. That is the main road to Port
land Head running up over Meeting
House hill. This road Captain Boyd said
was in poor condition. A system of
sewers, said Captain Boyd could not he
conveniently built to serve both Willard