Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-10-22
EDWARDS TAX.
Il. E. Warns|ey on the
Stand All Day Saturday.
Places Low Valuation on the
Plant For Business Reasons.
Makes Some Interesting Statements Case
Fought Stubbornly By Cit's Attorney.

The estimates of the value az tho Ed
ward; manufacturing COS. property as
mad" hy Herbert T.. Warmslcy of the
WamSutta mills Of New Bedford were
presented at the Edwards tax hearing
Saturday. Mr.. Warmslcy is the agent
of the Wamsutta Mills. He was born i'll
England an! has come to that position
after experience in England, Russia
and India,
Mill NJ. he condemned in unmcaS-
urcd terms, giving as his reasons that
1t was 63 years old, tn" light was very
poor. the beams cracked and twisted,
the floors saturated with oil and the
rooms small and low studded. He cSti-
mated its value as nothing.
In connection with the light PROPOSE
ton. the witness laid great stress on its
value in the cotton industry and cX-
planned the construction of a modern
weave shed. in which the light is adj
mittcd at the top.
Mills Nos. = and were described as
being fair mills Of their kind.
Mill No. 3 was put in the same cat
cgory as Mill No. |. The witness spoke
of the vibration in this mill as being
walls.
Mill No. 4 impressed him as being the
best on the ground.
Mill NJ. was like Mills ! and 3. The
cotton houses are of the old style. thai
is, the bales of cotton are piled up one
above the other. instead of being stood
| on cnd as they are in the modern store
houses. In closing his remarks concern
ing the buildings. Mr.. Warmslcy placed
a value upon them Of 100000.
He estimated the total value of the
land. buildings. machinery and acccs-
series. exclusive of the water power
ana its development ut 5000. The
valu" placed upon these items. includ-
ing tie water power and developments,
by tho assessors is $i0if.e00
II going over and estimating the
equipment, the classes were itemizch.
some kinds Of machinery being declared
Obsolete AMI no value put upon them.
The moistcninG system was treated at
some length, the reason for its u.s. at
all was explained and it was stated
that it was used at more expense in q
climate where the 1ir was dry. Where
the air was naturally humid there was
Iittl" need Of producing humidity by ar
tificial means.
one class of machinery new in 1901,
was Deprecated 20 per cent. in the
schedule Of the witness "bcCausn it was
not made by the best firm He OK
plainsd this further on crOsS-cNamina-
ton by saying that another machine
was in use that did more and better
work.
The cards and some other machinery
in the carding department he gave no
value saying that they should be re-
placed with the English cards. He
called tn" A.. 500 mule Spindlcs. which he
estimated cost new $l.13 per spindle,
worth nothing. He placed a value on
the looms. which he estimated cost new
$3.50, 900 Of $St, 300
Mr.. Warmslcy declined absolutely to
discuss freight rates. He was qlIoS-
toned at some length on the matter. hut
pleaded iGnoranc" Of freight rates "i amy
kind or shape though assured by the
attorney that he need not tell anything
about any rebates that his firm might
bc getting from the railroads.
city Solicitor DuttCn began to dn"S-
tjou the witness ut O'Clock. H. pu"S-
toned the accuracy Of the data used by