Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-21

T.,
handling the property committed 10 ou
care that We should have if it were Gu
| own. If we can maintain this eleva tt'
state of mind for the year to come M IN
discharge of every duty. howeVct ~
| the administration OF the municipal a; a.
fairs of Gardiner for 1879 U VIII ,,ies' ''
appreciation of every gOou citiIel. . 1;s
| l shall not attempt at tins unle ,, ~
cuss in detail the needs. OF the nario ~
departments. l shall only can ES 70 most
consequence. One of your m1st .o l,ifp
tant duties, and one which VIII c9h1ro oii
YOU early in your labors IS that Vi nl anr
ing appropriations Tor tn ft,is co mntter YOU
will have done much to tighten your ,u,
ture labors. There is a certain annrn.
that must be spent what eve tI yot eSrreise
of a most careful discretion. your I'm a W.
the one hand will be to Keel, ' not he
penditures down SO tnat ~ ~dte much.
if anv beyond what it has beeh lol ~, ~.
past two years; on the other 70 III, STI nor.
each DEPARTMENT an amount tiisti wiii -
mir its work to be done IN Sucti 81 IT,; IL
nor as TO satisfy the citizens OF Inns ~
telIigent and progressive community 't,nont
is difficult to say that one ucp''i I ntr,,
n,bn ma are interested in one more than an
other will doubtless urge upon you apE1r
ial consideration OF some Pil,dS ,;da,,
branch of work: ~ aoa zach bn dena rtment. as
nrasnuted to you, and then use your pest
Judgment remembering that 10 our cIti-
zcns as whole, each department. mus
he reasonably provided for. ana th:it no
one department can afford to be crippled
ut the expense of another GIVE 10 eac1
department. so far as you are aDie, an
amoI1nt which would satisfy you. ii the
dmties of that particular department de-
voIved upon you, and then corporate with
me in endeavOring to restrict each depart
ment to an expenditure within its appro-
nf T. me m
Should distinctly understand that except
in the event of some unforeseen emergen-
CIV he will not be allowed to go beyond
the amount apportiOned to his depart
ment.
The auditors report will show you in
detail the liabilities and resources as well
as our net debt at the present time. /
will not take up your time hy going over
it again. 1t is gratifying to note, how
ever, that the net debt has been reduced
under the last administration. There are
no bonds that mature this year. Their
ar overdue notes not s to the am"urt of $40
Oct. 90. This and one of like amount We're
given June Goth. 1903, to take care of So
900 in bonds which fell due at that time.
They were made to run so that one fell
due last October, and WAS paid, and it
was hoped that this one could be paid
this year. l would earnestly recommend
that you appropriate enough to care Tor
this when it becomes due. II seems to
me that we ought to make it Il settled
policy. unless in the event of some I'M
fOreSeen emergency. to reduce our permd-
merit deDt at least 5000 annually. | WOULD
also call your attention to the advisable
ity of changing this Sfi 100 now due in the
form of notes, into bonds bearing a low
er rate of interest l believe Il material
annual saving could be made for the city
by so doing. You will notice that Of this
SAG, 100 $1,000 bears interest at the rate of
Il. per cent, and TIE balance at per
cent. All of the bonds issued since 1897
bear 3ls per cent. | am advised that city
bonds to the amount of these notes could
be readily flOated at 81 per cent If 50
you would make an annual saving on
your interest account of $255. You will
be the ones to determine the wisdom of
such Il step. and if you decide to do it.
permit me to call your attention to tn"
bonds that in the years in which bonds
already outstanding do not mature. about
5000 of the new bonds would mature each
year.
There are two matters which seem to
me of great Importance and which l trust
YOU will consider with great care. On
is the dcsirabiltY of cooperating with
our Board Of Trade in developing the in
GuStrial resources of the city. Although
this organization suffered Il severe bluw
in the loss of the Coliseum. which was
of so much convenience to the entire city.
vet through its efforts during the past
factory has been enlarged. 50 thai it has
increased its employees to the number of
20 or more. To the Board OF Trade. also,
is due the credit of establishing the car
ming factory. which will he ere cted in Il
few weeks and which will add much to
the prosperity of merchants, lab"rers and
farmers alike. This organization is StruS-
Cling now to locate one or moro hew in
drstries, and finds constant field for tbs
expenditure Of its best efforts. | believe
it is entirely legitimate for the city to
cooperate with it, to a certain extent III
interesting capital to come here. Every
new industry means added prosperity to
the community and an increase to the val
uation of our taxable property and as Il
necessary result. increased revenue to the
city. For this reason l believ, that a
rea sonab appropriation. so that you can
cooperate with this organization in its
work as occasion arises, to be not only
proper but good economy.
The other subject which T trust YOU
Will carefully study is that of good roads.
Cur street department has always been
subject to much criticism, but inquiry
shows that this is largely true of tn"
street department of ev"ry town and city
in this State Orr street commissioner
have very generally been faithful officials.
The trouble is not SC much with them as
with the system of repairing ana build
ing roads and streets. The method of
road repairing and building in almost thu
entire State is years behind the times.
We are following the temporary and
makeshift methods of our forefathcrs.
Our sister commonwealth of Massachu-
sets for several years has followed tho
example of more progressive communities
and i,iiueuratcd Il system of p"rmanen:
road building with most satisfactory re-
suits. Let us get in step with the process
sion and appropriate at least small
amount each year for the construction of
a permanent piece of road. ! believe that
if the system is once established and fol-
lowed long enough to secure results. that
We shall wonder why we followed for SO
many years such II short -Sightcd polio y
as We now pursue. In this connection let
me commend the system recently adopted
by our predecessors of constructing con-
crete sidewalks whenever the wooden ones
have become unfit for use, and urge thit
| this plan be followed for the future
believe further that while the sidewalk
| on Water street We're improved last year
| that there is much work that still needs
| to be- done. To my mind there is no ex-
penditure of Il reasonable amount which
would give more general satisfaction than
| in improving the condition of our bust
ness street. There is no place where NOR
| people would more quickly and apprc-
ciate the results, and none where AUDITORS
are more entitled to cOnSido ration in view
| of the amount they Day to the city in
| taxes. nor whore people from out of town
| would more quickly form Il avorabe OF
| unfaVorable opinion as to our status as 4
progressive community.
| The city government of last year and
| the street commissioner should take great
| ere dit for the marked improvement made
| in nepOt square, by properly paving it. 4
matter which will be early brought to
your attention is the matter of granting
| to the Augusta. Winthrop & Gardiner