The Somerset reporter., 1909-04-08
The Horridgewock Toll Bridge
Resolve.

4.,A.a.t.. b =. -
a o'oo' i'o'' "'' - ~" anu 'as
oeen Tor some TIME past, Interested 10
make the bridge across the Kennebec
Mt Norridgewoek free sends Ia the
..5.'.--s...s.z. -
I'M" ny ooiiiiii UNI aei'hi giving the
facts Of the matter from his point Of
view.
On March "a f,over,or Fe,n.ld an.
proved tne resolve in faVar af ~
town Of Norridpewoek for the sun of
S3.500 20 aid in 9eftfrf, a frDe bri,0e
For the ben.fit Of f6o.e citizena of
NorrIdgewock VINO are IN donbt a. Ia
the adYisabiity aud advantages in
dollars and cents Of free bridge oyer
a toll bridge, the selectmen submit
the following facts.
The tolls charged various iudfyidu-
ais living in NorridR eWoek range from
81 to SO each. People Oh the north
side OF the river are charged 81 each
to a considerable extent. People on
the south side OF the river pay from
81 to s1.50 Oh the average Mer-
chants pay considerably more where
delivery teams cross to the north vii
lage
Nearly every family which owns q
team and lives on the south side of
the river, hires the bridge. Nearly
every family owning a team on the
north side of the river, hires the
bridge. The only exceptions being
the few families in the northern and
northeastern parts of the town, who
go more to Madison and SkoW hogan
to trade.
1t will thus be seen that whatever
tolls are collected BY the bridge COM
pany, with the exception of a compa-
ratively small amount from transients.
are collected from the citizens Of Nor
ridgewock itself
The bridge company collects from
800 to $500 year. Its average annu-
al cost for repairs for the iaat fen
wears has been ONLY about 400
Hence. it is easy to see that from 1900
to 300 a year more than the cost off
maintaining the bridge, has to be paid
over to the bridge company each
wear. 1t must therefore be a fact
that. if the town can run the bridge
for the same amonnt ner wear IA t6e
bridge comnanv. il can save its citi-
zens some $500 or 500 wear. not
taking INTO account what transient
tolls are taken.
The main ouestion ia Gan the
town afford to make the change9
And to answer the Question ahsoInfe.
" and surely. we xD,2Sa 12R1ye onr fax
rate based on the valuation of the
town and on the animal cost ner year
of maintaining the bridge
The valuation of Norridoewock in
1908. was in round nnmbers $500 600
Assuming that II will cost s1n0 a vear
on the average to keen the brid 9e in
repair. the rate of TAXATION for the
purpose of keepinq nm the bridoe will
he sixteen cents on q tbonsand dol
lars consequently tavnavar who
owns one Thousand doIIare worth Of
nronertv would he taxed on the aver
AGE sixteen cents a wear extra On ar
connt of town ownarehin ~ tho
bridge IF he ovns two Thousand
dollars worth of nronertv bia taY ner
annum wonld he thirty two cents
Considering that nerhans s1o0
wear on the average. NAV he too low
an estimate for keenino nm the bri,oa
we will donhle the fionres and cali it
5000 a wear. Then the tax on a thons-
and dollars worth ~ nronertv viii ha
only thirty two cents a Year,
Suppose that figure ia too low we
will call 1t S4(M wear for m lint Amino
the hridoe and still onr toY rota 10
only 81 XIV fonr cents on a thousand
dollars worth of property. or 81 % on
$4,000 worth of property'
The only conclusion We can draw
then is that eyery one who now paws
a toll. is paving from twice to fifteen
times as much to support a toll bridge
as to sunport a free bridge
There can be absolutely no one who
will not benefit by the change to a
free bridge except a very few indeed
of our townsmen who do NOT n ou
hire the bridge. and all non-resident
taxpayers.
The bridge company is willing to
sell the bridge. il will cost ahout e57o0.
the state gives us $500 making $4,000
for the town to raise. In order TO
make I'D the $500. This sum can be
raised on interest hearing town orders
PAYABLE $500 wear on one. two. three
and four wears. if the town should SO
vote.