Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-10-31
Edwards Expert Does Not
Agree With Assessors.
A. H. Pratt the Last Witness
On Buildings and Machinery.
Yesterdays Testimony Relative to
". D. Pencils Estimates.

with the close of the CT oSS- cXamina-
,;on of Agent Albert II. Pratt of the Ed
words Manufacturing Company early
yesterday afternoon, the company
III NJ experts and witnesses on the
,.aIu. of the plant was completed.
Thr outside property was the next
:, order ANA Charles S. Downing WAS
called. Before Attorney Heath began
,b. examination of the witness. At
torury Williamson gave notice that the
citv should object to any questions as
IN the value of property other than
that belonging to the Edwards Manu-
facturiug Co. These objections We're
over-ruled and exceptions taken. me
examination of the Witness then pro
ceeded. ,-.
Thus far there have been very few
citizens present to follow the nearing
eycept those directly concerned, but the
instant that it was noised abroad that
the outside property had been reached,
seats i'm the grand jury room We're at a
premium.
At 10 O'Clock when court convened,
Agent Pratt took the stand and Attor-
nrv Williamson took up the croSs-eX-
animation The transportation OF the
raw GOTTEN from the StorehOuSeS to tn"
nickrr rooms was the first topic. II
d4y.loIed tiat No. picker house IS
about as convent, ut as it could be, but
that No. 4 is 200 feet from the store
house The only way TO improve on
No would be to open the cotton in
the storehouse and send it to the picker
room by means of Il blower. With the
60, h.. y-h nf Ia
Would SAKE the wages of four men.
The witness testified Monday tnat the
fact that the mill was badly cut up,
made il necessary to have more over
srers Upon questioning yesterday
morning he said that he should have
said uverseers ana sccondhandS.
lii getting at the testimony Of the
witness in regard to the stock in pro
cess. Attorney Williamson brought out
the fact that extra rowing was made
duriul; the winter to provide for tn.
spring when the mill was likely To be
shut down on account of back water.
Also when the mill was shut down. if
possible. necessary repairs Wer'' mad"
and III" machinery received Whatever
ov.rhHUliug they W"r" able To give ii.
IT was Developed in the course Of the
examination that there is 10 other mill
in Maine that has aS many Draper
looms, in proportion to the total HtiH-
Der uf apiudlfs as tn" Edwards mill.
The extra help that would be neceS-
sary Ia operate the new spinning, in
case it was put in, was discussed. and
il was brought out that the mule spin
ncrs are men earning from 81: to SIG
per week, while the ring spinning
frames are tended by young women
who earn about $40 per day.
The witness stated that the mill was
shut down several months during hIr.
Cartrr's administration while the plant
received 4 general overhauling.
Concerning the stock in process the
Witness stated that there was an ar
bitrary price Of l. cents at which all
stock in process was reckoned, no mat
ter what its cost in the raw state had
been.
Tia" outside property was then taken
up. Ey agreement either party can refer
10 Engineer Gctchcli's plans of the city
in placing any property. The first wit
ness called was Charles S. Downing oil
Augusta. a fire insurance agent Wh'
has resided here 50 years. Some pre-
liminary questions wcr" asked INN by
both Mr.. Heath ana Mr. Williamson
for tn" purpose Of establishing his
status as an expert on the value ot Au-
guSta real estate. At the close Attor-
ncy Williamson took the ground that
the witness had not shown that he wa:
an expert. but the commissioners ruled
that they would hear his testimony and
Judge as To its value,
The witness submitted the following
schedule" Of general real estate in tht
city. his value of the parcels and tn
assessors values as he had them. -
much Of it as was presented yesterday