Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-02
HORNS ARE LOCKED.
Civ Government Fails to Pass
Appropriation Bill
Roth Brar ches Remain Firm As Hills
In Their Positions.
Mayor Lane Says amended t'll Will rass
m,yor Lane Says amended I'LL VIII Pass
Only Over His Veto.

- conference could not bring the two
branches any nearer an agreement
oyer the appropriation bill.
Tbn MI passed the upper board with
o,,t anv hitch. but when it reached the
,,yer hoard the trouble began. Ac-
c,rding to the bill as proposed $3.50
was laid by for maturing bonds. The
lo,yer board would not agree to this
and offered an amendment by which
x-oo il 10 be devoted to cemeteries.
$4,000 10 highways in the Eastern DIS
,rjct ana $4,000 in the Western district
This amendment passed the lower
hoard
In addition. a second amendment was
offered by Councilman Manley. lie
held that since economy was To be the
order of the day that each OF the
members could get along without the
so allowed for stationery and that
win mat amount instead Of being $500
as provided by the original bill, should
be $3.50. and that the amount thus
saved should be added to the appro-
priation for sewers.
The council also tried to make an
other amendment, that the amount
appropriated for parks be reduced
from 500. 1t was then that the menu
hers began to express themselves
strongly on the subject. In defence OF
the appropriation remaining as il Is,
e. s. Hichborn, the chairman nf the
park commission. outlined the work
that tn. commission intends t. DO. and
what il has already done. His stand
Wag opposed by several members or
the board. but when the vote was fin
ally taken il was in favor Of the ap-
propriation bin remaining as it was
when presented.
In this form. with the amendments
as indicated. the bill went to the up
Der board The aldermen to 4 man
voted against the amendments ana tn"
bin was sent back to the lower board
with the non-concurrenct stamp on the
back. The councilmen on their PIrt
became set in their opinions and refus-
"a to recede from the stand they had
taken Finally. committees uf confer
cnce were appointed from both branch
&C. II was $50 when all the business
except the appropriation bin had been
disposed Of and. at 11.30. Alderman
Srwall one of the members of the
board Of conference. reported to the
aldermen that the committee had been
unable to reach an agreement. and the
appropriation bill remains unpassed.
While the committee of conference
was waiting t. gn into session Mayor
Lane said To the members of the board
Of aldermen that he should not accept
any amendment to the appropriation
bill and that if it We're passed in an
amended state it would be over his
veto.
The committee on finance, which has
been working for a week on the appro-
priaton bill, reported as follows. the
full amount being $165,934:
Augusta. June l. 1900
The Joint standing committee on finance
70 whom was referred The estimates of
me several departments of the city Of
Augusta for thu current year. having
considered the matter therein, beg leave
% report.
That in the opinion Of the committee. it
should bc the policy of the city govern
ment to require the exercise OF the most
rigid economy in all departments, to pay
NE public debt rs it natures, to author
izr no expenditure in excess Of the cur
rent income. or directly or indirectly in
crease the public debt. that the rate of
taxation should be- reduced whenever
such reduction can he made without sac
rhctng the necessary requirements of the
public service.
The committee finds that the valuation
rs liked by the board Of assessors is con-
Sidcrably less than that of 1899: that the
payment Of maturing bonds requires i'm
addition TO the sinking fund an increased
appropriation over 1899 Of some $3.50.
These two conditions demand either an
increased tax rate of about | mill. max
ing the rate = mills or 4 reduction of
me amount to be assessed for city ex-
pcnScS of $500
The uncxpended balance Of the expense
account ct lN.tl was Sll 2!H. 81 with 8
tSSment Of $llNm0
assuming that the outstanding bills Of
lNN Ia be paid this year will be offset by
the bills of 1898 which We're paid in 1889,
t1nd the committee believes this II be i
safe assumption, the assessment for the
present year MAY he safely reduced to
Nll."r for city expenses. and cNtraordi-
nary requirements. as. for instance. the
l'hnd brook bridges may be provided for
bE re-apprupridting from the uncNpended
balance ~ 1850. leaving S5n0n or SGnOn TO be
carried 10 4 sinking fund to provide i'm
pIri for thr bonds maturing in he NUM-
cipal year 81 1912 amounting Ia SI6 JtN.
and Il further margin Of $1,000 To SjhOd for
unforeseen contingencies, provided al
WAYS that the city council shall require
III departments To absolutely limit the
expenses TO within the amount Of the APP
preparations.
That there would be- any disagree
ment over the appropriation bill was
not anticipated except by a few. The
assessors We're confident that they
would be able to go to work on the
hil, by $50 in the evening. and their
'~tks we're in the assess lrs' room.
waiting for the bill that they might
begin their work.
II was ll.30 when the meeting was
hh'lI! adjourned ana Mayor Lane an
'""h''d that he should not have an
.ih-r meeting Of the city government
rT'a until III" regular time for the
'u"' meeting. 1t is not probable that
we work If the city WiIl be SUSPENDED
t II VIII probably go on as usual
I'!' me meeting hll adjourned
u,e f"li wing orders were ~ passed:
nat 'haries H. Partridge b. author
' u place a hitching post outside
" Sidewalk in front of his residence
"a Sewall street.
"'' all taxes assessed for the chr
~ year shall be due ana pavable II
~ 'oi"ctor, August Is. provided that
/" collector may require payment az
H., irh ana personal taxes Immediate
","r ne day of commitment ana
sla'' cement or discount of per cent
,a-,,i. De allowed on all taxes volun-
ieild before August l.. ana 6 nar
0'h" interest shall be added f. an +av