Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-24

the High school as it is called, the
same as it has been; and they pro-
pose further that all Of the indebted
ness of the town shall be divided ac-
cording to the amount of the valua-
ton made this year; and that in the
division of all of this, that the county
commissioners, who as he stated live
there, shall live up to ito take care
of it's own poor and the taxes are to
be collected and they are to be divided
after payment of what they appropri
ate. 1t is an eminently fair PROPOSE
ton. / have been acquainted with this
town and its surroundings and lcca-
ton all the days of my life and I know
the trouble they have had there. Their
interests are not identical. These peo-
pie who come there for summer re-
sort are worth their millions and they
want many improvements. They do
not care how many improvements are
made or how much it costs, but they
want the money which they give to
be laid out in Improvements there,
while those in the rural districts are
opposed to this, so that their interests
have not been identical. Their in
terestS have been diverse and they
have been always in trouble; and now
it has come to this, that they ask for
a division which | believe is eminently
fair and should be granted.
They live in a part of the town that
is not developed, as a part which they
ask to be set off They do not take
off of the town, they take off the
bridges-they take about all the roads
all the main travelled roads; and they
ask for nothing but what is fair.
l have letters here but will not take
your time to read them. Many of the
homes they build there are elegant,
others not so much so. Nature has
provided them with the finest location
in the State and there is nothing to
hinder them, but they cannot and will
not come there and will not build, I'M
less they can have some assurance
and some certainty that their money
is to be expended to beautify the town
and to add to its valuation. 1t is now at
standstill for just that reason. There
has been no development in the south
ern part Of the town for two or three
years. These letters which I have in
dictate that these men will not come
| there or put their money in there I'M
less they can be assured that they can
have the improvements which their
| money would bring. They do not care
how much it costs.
l know we had a great deal of
trouble in setting off Old Orchard, for
a long while, but finally Old Orchard
was set off and it was a great thing
| for the city of Saco and for the town
of orI 4
off, Old Orchard began to boom and
| built up millions of dollars worth of
| property there, which 1 am sorry to
say was burned down year ago last
summer.
Now if you divide this town as it is
| indicated in this new draft, those peo-
pie who live next to the seashore i'll
those summer residences will certain
| ly boom that town and you will find
| it one Of the most elegant places to
| live in in the State. We welcome them
| there. to invest their money. We want
| it and we need it; and we need to in
| crease the valuation of the town and
that is why 1 am interested and why
| every York county senator is interest
ed that they should have it where they
can go ahead and not be handicapped.
l believe. too, that it is for the in
terest Of the rural part of the town.
They enjoy all the conveniences Of the
town and they are to have the use
of the school with the town, and are to
have all it's privileges. They are to d.
vide the towns Indebtedness in pro-
portion to the valuation. and of course,
the larger part will come in the new
town, as now called for
In the interests of progress, l say
that this is a fair bill and one that
ought to pass. l believe it is for the
interests of the rural part of the town
because they have all the advantages
of market. 1t is not 4 line-it is an
imaginary line-not a line they cannot
cross, and every farmer knows that he
is more prosperous and that his farm
is worth more in a place where there
are consumers and where he will have
a market.
l will not detain' you longer in this
matter. ] wish you would examine the
plans and read the letters and petit
tions that l have here; and you will
say with me that this is q fair act. 1t
Will be an absolute benefit to the ru-
raj part of the town and will give them
one of the best markets in the world.
Mr.. KELLOGG of PenObscot: Mr..
President, We have listened to the
very able argument of the senator from
York and he is on a committee here
which has had several hearings before
it this winter-the committee on
towns-and they have tried to decide
cases according to the evidence, and l
presume his committee has done the
same. We have heard this case and
we voted seven to one that the divi-
sion ought not to be. If this is a good
fair proposition, why not have anoth-
err hearing on it, and give the people
of this town chance to come up here
and say whether they want this divi-
sion on this new-proposed line. I do
not believe the senator from York, or
any other senator, wants his town di-
vided on the say-so of two or three
men. and without having a chance to
have Il hearing on it. 1 would advo-
cate that. if this division is wanted,
we have another hearing.
What senator is there here who
wants to go into another town and pay
f.fI.. n>~l> n~4h