Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-03
The city's Financial Showing.

| the present Democratic CITY duihAAAAS
tration of Augusta which asks an
endorsement at the polls next Mon
day? Is the stewardship OF which
Mayor Plaisted is to render an ac-
count as creditable as he tries TO
make the taxpayers of Augusta De-
lieve? We believe not, ana can show
that the glittering generalities IN
which the Democrats are INDUCING
are nothing but so much dust thrown
in the eyes of the voters.
Not within the memory of man has
the city administration of Augusta
had so much money to spend as the
present one. Yet the city debt has
been largely increased and if the bills
outstanding were paid it is alto
getiler probable that there would be
| a large deficit at the end of the NUM-
cipal year. At the close of the last
Republican administration there was
a surplus of about $4,000 which was
turned over to the Plaisted admins
tration. On top of that came the
$4,000 in back taxes from the
Edwards corporation. Then came the
| $4,000 bond issue of which there was
s6.419 left after paying the contract
price of the rural highway improve
| ments. In spite of these great sums
80 - al 20 ,1r,.
receipts from taxes, the city had only
a balance of $3.50 according to the
report of the auditor February 1, 1908,
with one month of the municipal year
yet to run. Where has the money
gone?
In the highway department, for in
stance, there had been up to February
1 an overdraft of $41S5 with many
bills yet to be heard from. We know
of one special instance in which a bill
of nearly $500 has been held up in
order that it might not appear in the
report until after the city election,
and have every reason to believe that
there are other bills similarly held up
draft of s4,lS5 to much larger sum.
This too it must be remembered. in a
year when the city ought to have
saved much in it's highway repair bills
by reason Of the permanent improve
mentS made on eight miles of the
highways leading out of the city.
These figures speak for themselves:
and the taxpayers of Augusta Will
have little trouble in deciding
whether there has been more politics
or more business in the management
of the highway department during
the past year
During the past two years under
Mayor Plaisted the bonded debt of the
city has been decreased $4,000. Dur |
ing the two preceding years, under a |
Republican administration. the bonded |
debt was decreased s2S,50O. differ
cnce of $500 in favor of the Repub-
lican administration. But this tells
only a part of the story. While the |
PlaiSted administration has been de-
creasng the bonded debt SCI, 900 it has
at the same time increased it $4,000,
making a net increase of $4,000 in the
bonded debt under Mayor Plasted.
But the Democrats say that the peo
pie of the city as whole. at 4 special
election called for the purpose. voted
in favor of this good roads bond issue
and SO this large increase III the bond
ed debt should not be charged up
against the Democratic administra-
ton. Eut if the people as a whole, and
not tie Democratic administration.
are responsible for the increase in the
bonded debt. so they are also to be
credited with the policy of rural high
way Improvement which the Plaisted
boasts of as its own
great and glorious achievement. And,
speaking of this highway work, the
taxpayers of the city would IKE to
know what has become of the $6f19
left of the s4O.OOO after paying the con-
tract price for the highway improve
ments 1t looks as if nothing but the
use of this borrowed money has pre-
vented big deficit from appearing at
the end Of the municipal year.
In connection with this highway
work it is also to be noted that the vote
by the people plainly specified that the
interest on the bonds to be issued
should be IL per cent. The $4,000
bond issue of the Plaisted administra-
ton bears interest at per cent, and
the local banks and investors were
not given any chance to secure the
bonds at that Was this business or
was it politics? Was it following the
will of the people. or was it something
that might be characterized by quite
another name?
Not only are highway bills held
h,o nc ~. p,onfiored above to pre-