Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-22
Robert Morang Completes
Testimony "Wednesday.
Walter S. Wyman Gives Power
Values and Estimates.
Statements Of Experts Disputed..'
The End Is In Sight.

The Edwards tax abatement hearing
opened yesterday morning with Robert
Morang still on the stand. The direct
examination consumed about an hour
and the crOss-eXamination ceased
shortly before o'clock. Walter >.
Wym:in of Waterville occupied the
stand the remainder of the day. There
| is chance that the introduction of
evidence by the city vii! he completed
today.
Mr.. Morang stated that the cost to-
day of the new machinery that has
been put into the Edwards mil! during
| the past 10 years would be SiSl,l56. OF
which $117,5T worth has been installed
| within the last six years.
Asked as to the advantage of ii
| blower system to transport the cotton.
as suggo sted by a previous witness, he
| replied that these blowers had not
proven entirely satisfactory, as it az
| fected the fibre.
| The matter of excessive floor space
per spindle has been spoken Of by
| other experts and Mr.. Morang was
| asked what he knew about the actual
conditions in regard to that. He re-
piled that he never heard anyone COM
plain up there thaat there was too
| much room.
| F. z. Sheldon testified that the MOD
| ern cards make per cent waste as
| against II per cent waste on the
American cards III this mill Mr.. Mo-
rang stated that a large portion CT the
waste here was taken back ami mixed
with he cotton ana ultimately found
| its N,aV into the clOtr.
In summing up he said that this mill.
in his opinion, can compete success
| fully with the average New Engani
| mill in the manufacture Of print cloths.
| The cross-eXamination was cOnduc:e
| by Attorney Baker. In reply 10 Ques-
tons the witness stated that the only
| other mill that he had been agent of
| was the Savage in Maryland, Il coarse
| goods mill. but in which the processes
are essentially the same and in which
the work of the manager is even more
arduous than are the duties Of AN agent
in large fine goods mill. The reason
for this was. he said, because in larg-
er mills high priced overseers can be
employed to look after the details.
while in the Savage mill. he had to do
it all alone.
Morarg said that he went to Massa-
lchusettS and learned that power there
was worth from $50 to 500 per horse
power then he took an average of $50
land subtracting from it deprecia ton
of - per cent. he fixed the worth of
the Augusta power at SEQ per horse
power.
| Asked how he liked 4 value of 10
per cent. Per foot on the land in the
mill yard. he replied that that was
| what he thought that ii was worth for
mill purposes and that that amounted
to less than the value of the retaining
| wall
| In regard to the value of the old ma
Ichinery. Mr. Morang said that while all
1.-THE machinery in this mill is not as
good as new. yet neither is there any
piece there but what is of some value.
In reply to a question as to how he
could determine the cost Of machinery
today, that is not made by the manu-
facturers he said that the machinists
would make any machine that was
WANTED and could estimate the cost of
of making it. Such figures he Rad OBJ
ltained and used in his schedules.
On redirect Mr.. Morang stated that
exactly the same method was used in
reaching Il valuation of the Edwards
mill property and was used in valung
the other property about town.
Walter s. Wyman. a consulting ny
draulc. steam and electrical engineer
Twas the next witness to be called. He
said in his preliminary examination
that he was Il graduate of Tufts and
mad working experience of seven or
eight years and had been n consulting
engineer during the last four or five
years. His work embraced a period in
the employ of the Maine Water Co.
and in the employ of the Waterville &
Fairfield Light and Power Co. az man.
lager of its property He said that he
had recently purchased for them three
powers and was using one. He had tc
DO with the buying of several 9TH
ers. Some of these powers have beer
j developed to generate electricity and
they nave been greatly enhanced there
by Tor 1t enabled them to distribute the
power at considerable distance from the
mill privilege. This state Of affairs
mas tended to increase prices paid.
MI Wyman stated that ne had made
careful canvas and had learned thai
approximately 5000 horse power was
, developed by steam for manufacturing
purposes in Augusta, GARDINER, Hail.
: Dwell ana Randolph. He said that M
thought 1t would be feasible to develop
the power Of the Augusta dam and dis.