Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-08
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
Drop the Capital Moving Nonsense.
(Wateryille Sentinel.)

| before the Legislature in q few DAYS
on an evenly divided committee report.
In our opinion the report of "leejsla
Ton inexpedient" should be .adopted
ana we wish to present our reasons for
our position in d calm and unimpas
| stoned manner.
| 10 start with why should Maine
change her capital? Surely no one
| would contend that change should nc
| made without strong reasons being
| given for X. What reasons have been
gwen? The first argument was that
| augusta did not possess adequate hotel
facilities and that hotel rates thare
| were eXOrbitant
| Inefe are only 1S2 members of the
| Legislature. Nearly all of them board
at places other than hotels. Most Of
them are housed and fed comfort;i blv
anu at reasonable rates. We admit
,hat when the lobby crowd into Au-
susta IL a corporation fight, the hotel
| accommodations are Insufficient That
Is not a bad fault. 1t would not iniure
| the State much if large part of th,
iopby We're obliged to sleep out of doors
Few nights i'll February. Their areu-
ments before committees would be less
heated.
Augusta met the hotel argument nv
| agreeing to build what would be Dracrj-
| cally Il new hotel. That ended the first
| lesson. Immediately Portland dropDed
the MOTEL argument and started in on
| the proposition that the capitol building
| was unnt for use. That is not So
There is nothing the matter with the
| capitol. 1t may need some repairs as
| every building needs them from year
to year. 1t may be slightly over
| crowded by unnecessary Office holders
a condition which would exist in a
building twice as large if the State
machine continued in power, but 4
comparatively small amount of money
| should pay for any changes or i'm
proVementS necessary i'll the building.
| We do not believe that it would cost
$4,000 to do all that really needs to
| be DONE
| What other reasons are given for a
| change? None ct all. If the hotels are
enlarged at private cost, if the present
| capitol is adequate for the States
| needs. or can be made so at small eX-
pensc, what argument for a change can
be made? We think of none. We have
| heard none.
| change. First, and from the standpoint
of the taxpayer most important, is the
| expense. Portland says that the ex-
pense is to be but $4,000 Even that
| amount is too much to pay out TN
necessarily. but what is going to limit
the expense to that amount? The bill
passed by the Legislature? That is i'm
possible. If the capitol building is be-
gun it must be completed. If the APP
preparation is exhausted another must
be made. Portland's contribution is
| limited, the State must pay ,he balance
of the bill be it much or little.
At present prices of material and
labor no proper capitol building car be
put up for less than double the con-
| temnlated amount of $4,000 1t may
he that Mississippi where labor is
cheap has built a fine building for state
| use at lower figure but union stone
| cutters, masons. carpenters and paint
ers do not work in Maine for negro
wages.
The next objection. and a strong one.
| is that the public have never asked for
| such a change and until they do ask for
| it. 1t should not be contemplated. If
| they had asked for it the sentiment of
eastern Maine would have been III
favor Of Bangor.
To all of this the Portland people
answer that they only ask for q refer
| endum so that the people may decide
the question for themselves. The
strongest advocate of the referendum
| never proposed that any question
| should be referred to the people except
| ing upon their request and on petition
| Of a substantial per cent. OF the voters
\ referendum must be preceded by q
popular demand. There is none in this
case.
| The mere expense of q special cleo
| tion in June is uncalled for That
would fall on the State. The expense
! CT n campaign is uncaled for. That
| would fall largely on the public spirited
people of Portland and Augusta and in
such a contest Portlands size and
| wealth gives her a great advantage.
1t is simply Sinking responsibility for
| the Legislature to- submit the matter
! to vote. The bill should be defeated
| where it originated, in the Legislature.
| IL did not originate with the people.
| They ought not to be bothered with it.
Portland is shocked beyond measure
| at the demand Of rural representatives
| that she should be taxed to support
county bridges and highways. Would
| the Cumberland Representatives and
Senators vote to refer the Sargent high
way bill and the Donigan bridge bill to
the people? Hardly. And yet those
two bills carry. even at Portland's fig
urcs, less appropriation than the silly
scheme to change the seat of govern
| ment.
| The Legislature would be doing good
work for the state. if it dropped this
piece of nonsense and paid strict atten-
ton to serious matters for the remain
| der OF the session.