The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-03-19

| a favorable stock market aud sold her rail-
road stock. Then, had the bonds been made
optional, as was the issue of 1896, she could
have called in her bonds at par without re-
gard to market value.
AS the years go by, the citizens will see
more and more clearly the result of placing
their railroad stock beyond the Qty's con-
troll, and shOrn of all demagOgic sOphistry it
was crime that threatens Belfast's inter-
ests as has none other for many years.
TAXES.
The average tax rate in cities and incor-
porated towns in Maine is $22.O8 per thou
sand The tax rate in Belfast is $40 per
| thousand.
In view of the fact that our State tax in
creased from Sc, 1893 36 in 1906 to $8,374 20 in
1907, or $1,4SO 81. and our county tax in
creased from $1,000 13 in 1906 to $3,038 08 in
1907, or $1,O2S.95 making a total of 81, 500. "a,
and the further fact that we have miles of
plank sidewalk going to pieces that should
be replaced with crushed rock as fast as
| possible, and also that there must be an eX-
pensve outlay on bridges, do not think it
would be advisable to reduce the tax rate
this year. However, the amount received
from the increase of valuation the past year
can be dispensed with and trust the Board
| of Assessors will reduce valuations where
they are found to be excessive, and that
| they will strive to make the burden OF taxa
| ton more equitable than under present
conditions.
The primary cause for our large State tax
| is due to the enormous aggregate OF the ap-
preparations by the State Legislature, While
| a portion of the recent increase is due TO
the additional amount raised Tor the Dulld-
| ing of State road.
The increase in our county tax may be
because of good and sufficient reasons, but
they have never been made apparent to me.
The important fact. however, that interests
| Belfast'S tax payers is, that notWithstand-
| ing the increase in State and county tax,
! there has been no increase in the rate OF
| taxation under Democratic administration
| of our city affairs, nor any necessity Tor In
| creasing the valuation.
UncOllected taxes are carried forward in
| the city's assets from year to year, and as
| these tax accounts are settled, amounts
! more or less large, are returned to resident
| and nonresident tax payers, abated by
| assessors, etc.
The large amount of taxes in arrears have
| been collected as required by act OF the last
Legislature and there now remains unc0l-
| lected on the 1906 and 1907 taxes, but ST.
| ALPS ..
| In collecting the taxes, a total of So, 1920
was abated by the Assessors. or returned to
| resident and nonresident tax payers. These
| attachments had to be made whenever the
| tax accounts were collected, but when
carried forward as taxes receivable from
| wear to year, they continued to be reckOned
| in our assets while they were really OF no
| value SO while our assets were thus ap-
parently reduced, there was no reduction of
| actual assets.
| HIGHWAYS.
The city is now equipped with new 10
| ton Steam Roller of the OeSt make, that can
be operated much cheaper than large
horse roller and does far more effective
! work. We also have an up-todate Rock
Crushing Plant located on city land, proper
| ly housed, and sufficiently near the prlncI-
| pal streets to handle the crushed material
at minimum of expense. 1t has been
found cheaper to haul the rock from the
| suburban districts before being crushed,
and the only expense is the hauling, as rock
in large quantities can be obtained free.
| As large portion of the appropriation
last year for highways was used IN the
purchase of machinery. the Street Commits
sioner was unable to perform as much work
as was desirable. However, what he did
do was largely of permanent nature
$500 lineal feet of the worst places in diff
ferent parts of the city were opened, q
large V-dran placed in center, and the
ditch filled with field rock. These places
| instead of being the worst Will now be
among the best for many years to come.
Nearly 1000 feet OF crushed rock side
walk was built and 637 feet of macadam
street, % feet wide and inches deep, was
constructed under supervision of the State
| Superintendent. More permanent work
was done last year than in any previous
| year.
The city is now well equipped for the
building OF crushed rock sidewalks, and l
| would recommend that the rotLing plank
, walks be replaced with rock as fast as
possible.
Material for the street and sidewalk can
| be hauled at IA material reduction in cost by
having the same hauled by the ton without
| adltinnal travail the teams
can pass over the city's portable scales that
can be located i'll few hours in any place
desired.
Under the new law, the city will receive
| for state roads something over $500, this
| year, and by increasing our appropriation
for State road, and having citizens vote at
Spring elections to accept further State aid,
| we can, in future years, obtain something
over, $500 additional. l learned this fact
| too late to have it placed in the warrant
calling our spring election
A the State Superintendent assures me
that macadamiZed street requires but little
repairs for a long term OF years, thus max
ing it the most economical, would advise
that the State road be macadamiZed.
One of the leaks in the Street Department
is the fact that horses working for the city
have been fattened at the city's expense.
1t does not injure horse to sweat any
more than it does a man. and horses work
ing on road machines should be required to
| maui as luey NOulu III uduulluS lOduS, anu
should also move at reasonable speed in
stead of soldering along with the machine
tanning the air instead of moving dirt.
am told that several years ago this con-
dition became so unbearable in Monroe that
the street superintendent hired heavy teams
from away, with the result that better roads
were produced at much less cost, and if it
| is found impossible to find heavy teams
that will do efficient work, would recon-
mend the purchase of four heavy horses for
city work.
These horses can be made a profitable in
vestment, for when not working on the
streets they can be used hauling rock to the
crushing plant. They can also be used to
transport apparatus in case of fire. and for
the various purposes for which the city EN-
pluys teams. Other cities own their own
teams and if they find it economical why
not own them in Belfast?
Road machines are efficient III the build
ing OF repairing of roads when operated by
experts, and l would recommend that an
expert operator be employed to the end that
we may get efficient service for the money
expended.
Considerable money must be expended on
the principal bridges to keep them safe, and
| would recommend that this expenditure
be as small as possible, consistent with
safety, as there is great probability that the
State will assume the building of all long
bridges after the next session OF the legiS-
latureA