Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-07

| lature. But these defects. these imper-
| lectiohs, these antiquities will be TAX
en- care OF by subsequent legislators.
suggest to this Senate this one
thing: That with all of the ability that
the senator from Hancock handled his
| side Of this case. that back OF this there
| Is something which does not appear
upon the surface. Bar Harbor, his own
native city-that beautiful city by the
| sea-one of the wealthiest towns in
New England, has been here at every
meeting of the committee that has con-
| sldered any question that suggested
equalization of taxation, and has stead
| tasty opposed such measure. If it was
education, Bar Harbor was represented
here to antasOniZe it. If It was for good
roads. Bar Harbor was here for the
same purpose-and why, pray?
ECr the solitary reason that Bar Har-
| Dor, revealing in local luxury, OF sew
ers, electric lights and many other pub
| tic utilities Gene OF which l saw pic
tured in the parers Of last Sunday
beautiful, magnificent proposed
school housnl has incurred public debt
| which undoubtedly means large taxa
| ton to her people. But is not that ana.-
| cred President should build in his COM
| munity q house with a fine bath room,
and with nice electric appliances and all
| modem conveniences, and should say
To his community: Why. l have put out
50 much money for my personal and
private convenience. l cannot afford 70
| assist you my own municipality, III
| paying your taxes?
I, Re.
u.c providing for public utility,
which the State should care for just
as much as care for the insane, for the
poor. for criminals. she should be will
! ing to care for these public utilities
| just as much as she does for ner other
public works, and. when expense IS DIS
tributed over this State, the burden Oh
That taxation for the taking over OF
these private utilities, then lar 5ar-
Dor. Of course. having taxable property
there in excess Of what other localltleS
have. viii be obliged to pay something
mere than She does today. But, IS II iiol
fair? she is 4 part Of the Stalc u
Milne. She is favored ny IroNlueilGo
in lot having bridges. Why should liot
She. even under these circumstances
assist in caring for these pubic ulill-
ties. 80
+ believe in the general principles Oh
~. bill and l hope that the nitas"i
will not be Indefinitely p"StPo.''N
Mr.. PARkHURST of PenopSc"l'
Nh, Presidential had not oeeh NY
intention to address the Senate upon
this subject. For that reason Wiz
may saw must be received Win y ec
+,in amount of conSidcra ton lor ~
inperfections Of detail. 1he ulscu'
sion has, however, Mr.. PTcSlueht' ~
preached such a position that | can
not vote upon the pending question:
with satisfaction to myself, WITHOUT
attempting to define my view OIL H.
The principle which tire Senator
from Kcnnebec has invoked, that tAe
state should take over ana ASSUME
tho charge altogether or in part Vi
certain public utilities, l believe ln' It's
onplication, by the terms of the Dill
nov before US, l do not believe III.
AZ I understand tho subject: the
"public utilities" that may be assumed
Nv the state, in any measure, are OF
several classcs-those. in the first IN
stance. that are primarily puplc Dur
dens; those in the second instance
that are partly public and partly local
ana. in the third instance, those that
are entirely local
The bridges that this bill deals with
may be Of either of the two latter
cIasscs-thosn that serve almost cX-
clusivoly the towns and cities in which
they ar. located and those that serve
the municipalities in which they are
located ana also serve the State at
large.
50 far AZ the bridges fall in the lat
ter class, ana serve the general public,
they might with propriety; and
should. in fact. To some extent, be
sustained by the State.
If the principle which is now being
ment' finds expression in the estab-
lishment of q series of State roads
throughout the State. it does seem to
me that the bridges that form part
of that State road the location of
which is determined by proper legal
means. are properly, at least in part,
charges for the State to maintain. |
cannot believe that those bridges that
serve the local purposes of Individual
towns should be at this time regarded
as proper subjects for general State
support
As the bill stands il fails to give
expression to that principle Of public
policy which has been involved. There