Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-26
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from Page Two.)


committee and he soon presented a bill
cutting out the railroads. and substitu-
ting forty feet for fifty feet. This was
more perfect than the first: but when
he came to investigate it further, he
| thought forty feet was not sufficient
and he has come now. with a report
| signed by a majority of the committee
cutting this down to thirty feet to bet
ter equalize taxation in the State of
Maine.
| Two years ago the Commissioner of
| Highways was asked to get a report
| from all the towns regarding the num-
| Der of bridges over forty feet in length
| We got reports from $50 towns; and of
those $50 towns, there was 157 that
did not have bridge forty feet in
length, and % of those towns had no
bridges at all.
Now, if the gentleman from Somer-
| set can inform me how he is going to
| equalize taxation by making 157 poor
! towns contribute to bridges for City of
Bangor and the City Of Portland where
| 1t costs hundreds of thousands of dol
lars, 1 should like him to make it clear;
but I am fairly good in mathematics.
| and 1T seems to me that it would be I'M
equal taxation.
| 1t is true that his bill now cuts a
| number of bridges down to thirty feet
l have not obtained the information re-
| qulslte to tell how many towns that
would shut out, but from the best in
formation 1 could get, it will shut out
almost as many as 157 towns He laid
great stress in the committee on taking
| over toll bridges. l want to say lust
a word in regard to that. Between New
Hampshire and Maine there is a very
expensive toll bridge which has been
| under discussion between the two states
for some time; and in the last Legisla-
ture there was committee appointed
to investigate the practicability eff the
State of Names taking over the toll
bridges. We are informed by that
committee that it costs about SIG. Que
to keep its toll bridge in repair; and
they say in the report: ITO purchase
the Portsmouth bridge, or build a new
one, or i'll any way replace it, would
De very expensive project-too eX-
pensiVe tC be considered by the town
of kittery or the city of Portsmouth
Neither of these municipalities bear
the burden of maintaining the struc-
ture"
l believe as to all these petitions
which have been sent in here from
the various towns, that the voters OF
the towns who signed these petitions
have given them very little thought
10 Substantiate this belief, | wouiG
say that l took the last Donigan britls.e
bill ana mailed to five towns in my
county, and without comments, wr1te
Il
you? From every one of these towns
me seiectmen wrote back, 1T is just
what we want. Pass it," The town of
J"nesport was among those towns ard
d representatives came to me and said
he did not believe in the Donigan
bridge bill. but that he was placed in
Il peculiar pOsltion-that the select
men of JoneSpOrt asked him to sup
port this bill. 1t happened few days
alter that one of the selectmen was
mere; ana | asked him what his opin-
ION vas in regard to the Donigar
bridge bill. He says: THAT is lust
what we want" l inquired, What is
the valuation in your town?" Well"
he says, about S600,000.' | said. TN
der the Donigan bridge bill this asks
Tor third of d mill, which in your
town would be $500 a year: and pro
vidcd this is not increased to a mill
ahd a half, but take it on the basis O.
Il third OF a mill, how would it affect
your town? You contribute then q
third of the money of the State-you
contribute third of the money CT the
county and you contribute a third q
your own bridges" He says, rs that
the way of it! 1 says, 1T certainly
is. He says, 1--WE don't want a;.I'
bridge bilr'-aEd that is the case in
all the towns to which l submitted.
that proposition. They get it into
their heads in some way or other tha:
If this bridge bill passes it is a propc-
sltion of the State and that the tax il;
RAISED upor the railroads and wild
lands o! the State only and that it
does not come into the taxable prop
erty OF the towns; whereas, in fact,
as | understand the law, the railroads
Go not contribute cent. The rail
reeds are taxed in a different way
but it does get at all the real estate
and property in the State outside OF
the railroads. | can see no good
feature in the so-called Donigan bridge
bill.
Mr. DONIGAN OF Somerset: Nj.
President: l am very glad that the
senator from Washington county is SO
good liz mathematics and l am very
sorry that the people of the State OF
Maine are so ignorant as he would
make you think they are.
In discussing the majority report Of
State ownership of bridges there are
many facts and figures to show why
this act should pass which / shall be
unable to touch upon in my remarks,
and 1 believe it will not be necessary
because this bill has been discussed in
every paper, in every store, black
smith shop, and by every fire-side in
tIaire for the last two years. 1t was
my privilege during the last Legisla-
ture. as a member of the House, to
draft an act for the equalization OF
taxation known as the General Bridge
Bill 1t was also my privilege to serve
on the committee on ways and bridges,
and | will say frankly that there
never was a committee appointed by
a Speaker and President that worked
more for the interest of the people of
Maine than did that one. After three
L.