Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-13

their ward for streets, an" ''"e"dihS,
&c compared with the year 1904. when
a. 600 was spent there in permanent I'M
,,ovements. furnishing employment
for many of the voters i'll the ward.
Giving them a degree of municipal at
,.ption which never had been and never
would be accorded them under Demo-
lcratic rule? "Ah!" says the anonymous
communication in the New Age, "but it
cost more to remove the snow In 1904
than il did In 1899" Most certainly il
did. II cost more money and four or
FIVE times as many laboring men were
| employed for the simple reason
that. in 1893 the snow was not removed
from large section of the city, re-
| manning where il fell, while during
1904 our roads. and our sidewalks were
cared for promptly and efficiently. In
1880. there was a constant complaint
about the slippery sidewalks and acct
dents to our citizens, because the DEM
ocratic administration in its penurious
effort to make record for economy
had neglected to hire men and teams,
and provide the sand necessary to
make the streets and sidewalks safe
| for the use of our citizens.
| The people of Augusta have learned
nv bitter experience that they cannot
have the municipal service which they
feel they should have, and which is es
srntial to the comfort and safety Of
our citizens. unless they pay for ii; ana
they have never yet objected to paying
tor it. The laboring men of Augusta
| have learned that a Democratic ad-
| ministration which ,md, rtak.s to make
| Il record for economy for itself by fail
| ing to carry on municipal work, is no
| friend Of theirs. Their taxes and their
home EXPENSES go on just the
| same, while avenues Of employ
ment which would be open to
| them under a broad and bust
hess like administration Of city affairs
are shut off and their families forced tC
suffer harGshins that come from lack OF
employment Well may the working
men of Augusta pray to be delivered
from the evils Of Democratic rule.
| Perhaps the most remarkable thing Of
the attempt to show that something
over $4,000 was expended for streets
and roads in the city of Augusta last
year-a statement so absolutely false
| that it would never have been made by
anyone printing his effusioiis over his
own signature. 1t is not surprising
that the parties who We're guilty of
courage to sign their article. Even if
this statement had been true it would
simply have shown that this sum of
money had gone into the pockets of the
laboring men of Augusta. who We're
thereby enabled to earn an honest live
ihood in building up needed municipal
improvements. Let us not forget the
tact that money paid in the city of Au-
gusta to citizens of Augusta by the
citizens Of Augusta, for the good of
Augusta. is never lost in local circula-
the channels of local trade and goes to
build UP local progress and prosperity.
| The total cost of roads including
permanent work. and new concrete
| sidewalks was only S21, 900 in 1904 in
stead of $4,000 as stated by
the anonymous contributors to
the New Age. 1t is an interest
ing fact that these namcless writer's.
safely hidden in an oblivion of their
own deliberate choice, without the
| nerve to let the honest taxpayers of
Augusta know who is responsible for
| the wild and far-fetched assertions
they have inflicted upon the pubic.
have not been able to put their finger
upon one single item Of Republican adj
ministration in the city of Augusta in
the past dozen years. which has not
| haan Oh, -,t. l.