Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-15
Convention at Bangor Will Ne.
cessitate Outlay of $4,000.
This Will Be for transportation, Hotel
Bills, Music, Newspapers Expenses
of Reporting and IncidentaIs Always
Resulting from Such Meetings.

| there been so much excitement de-
velOped or so much energy displayed
as in the present three cornered race
between Cobb, Prescott and Fernald
| but it is not of this that is to be dealt
with at this time. The subject to be
discussed here is not to any great eX-
! tent one of politics though that very
| interesting study makes it possible.
| The question for consideration here is
| how much is it going to cost to hold
| that convention; to get at it in another
| way, how much money will be spent
by the people of Maine upon the con-
VentiOn?
careful consideration of the pro-
| positions makes it very evident that
when the convention in Bangor's big
Auditorium comes to it's final adjourn
| ment on the afternoon of June 10Th, not
| a cent less than ten thousand dollars
will have been spent by the citizens Of
| Maine in order that it shall be held and
that they snail all be able to know the
results. And this, too, is exclusive of
| the amounts which the candidates have
| expended during the canvass. Not a
cent of that is taken into consideration,
but only that which is expended as Il
direct result of the convention itself.
To many this figure may seem large,
but when the ground is thoroughly
covered it seems quite the reverse.
To start with there are 1911 dele
gates entitled to seats in the cOnven-
ton, provided that all are present, and
it may be set down many days in
advance that there will be no vacant
chairs. Some of these will be able to
reach the city of Bangor at a very
| moderate sum, in a number of cases at
a cost of less than half-a-dollar, but
there are great many, those in
Sagadahoc, Cumberland, Somerset,
oxford. York, Washington, Aroostook
and parts OF Hancock, who cannot do
it for less than considerable number
of dollars. Allowing that the average
| cost per delegate to the convention and
| back home is S., which is certainly low
| enough, you have an outlay of $3S13.
To this must be added one days hotel
BILL though many will pay two days,
which at 81 a day per man makes 4
total of $2542 put out for board in
Bangor, a total for both essentials of
| the trip of $Gi55. II the expenses of the
| delegates were confined to these two
i''ts'SSttl lcS yOu Noulu sui llttNc Ill COll-
siderable expense account, but it is
| not. The majority of these men will
smoke, many will use teams, While
| practically every one will ride once or
twice on the street cars and have their
shoes polished. To make a, most
| moderate estimate of this item of the
| expense to the delegates we will call it
one dollar per man, or $1271 for the
entire body of delegates. This added to
the foregoing gives us a grand total of
$I626 which the convention will cost the
| delegates.
Next comes the item of music for the
| convention. 1t is now known that
| there will be three bands at least and
possibly four. But taking three as the
| total number and you have an item of
| considerable outlay. Three bands now
being considered are all from other
cities from Bangor and will receive,
probably 500 per day and expenses,
| which will make a cost of at least $3.50
I and if the Bangor band is in at
| tendance. as it no doubt will be,
another 800 can be added, but for the
| purposes of this story the Bangor
| music makers are to be eliminated, so
| that the item music will be set down as
$50.
| To many it might seem as though the
| entire cost of the convention had now
| been covered, but it must be borne in
| mind that those who would like to go to
| the convention, but are unable to must
have a method of learning all that tran
| spires there. They will do this by means
| of the newspapers. Possibly few people
have an idea that this will cost much
Yet it will be no inconsiderable bill which
| the newspapers of Maine will have to set
| tie as u result of the convention. Prac-
| tically all Of the dailies will have special
men there to report it for them, while the
| Associated Press will have special man.
not depending on local representatives.
These men will have hotel bills to pay
also carriage hire and car fares. so that
| this alone will be quite a cost. Part of the
convention report can be sent by mail. but
the great portion of it will have to go by
wire, either telegraph or telephone BY
day the Geographic press rate is half a
cent and al night third of cent word
As a thousand words goes but short
distance towards covering the report of a
convention of this kind it can be seen that
this cost will mount up rapidly. The
local papers of Bangor will not, of course
have to use the telegraph, but they will
have one. two or three men at the convcn-
ton, which will increase cost. For this
item we will allow Sl25, which is I'M
lGuestionably much below what the actual
cost will be.
AS a result of the convention hundreds
will go to Bangor just to look on and see
what takes place. How many of these
spectators there will be is impossible to
say, but it has for present purposes, been
placed at 500. These spectators will spend
a large amount. How much will be hard
to say. To start with there is their loss of
time from business, the money they will
spend for carriage fares. car fares, shoe
shines, cigars, etc, railroad fare and
hotel bills. But for our purposes we will
simply consider the cost to them of hotel
bills and transportation. In this case We
will make the same allowance as in the
case of delegates and call it s. per man.
a total of $500
How to see what the aggregate is. The
following table will show:
lR r. Fares. Delegates. s3S1S
Hotel Bills, Delegates 2.5f2