Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-26

been feferred to as a precedent. know
about that; The people bought that is
land ana they made a corporation of it,
1t was a business affair and It has no
political Significance whatever And
there is not one single case in this State
where this thing has ever been proposed
in a town before, What would the gen
tleman from Portland (Mr' MarshalD
think if we should propose to have the
matter of building the city building or
Portland decided by men who own prop
erty there but who live somewhere else?
1t was not necessary to move to recon-
slider the vote which we took yesterday
in order to get this in here. But it is
done in my opinion as a subterfuge and
the purpose is to mix up the matter so
as to carry through this ubiquitous
scheme to divide the town of York.
The gentleman from Portland (Mrl
Marshall referred to a decrease accord
ing to the assessors report of the center
portion. / can explain that. There is
a house there known as the Norton
house which cost 5000 or $4,000. and
it is vacant That was owned by the
bank in Biddeford and it was taken on
account of money loaned. The same
bank owned property in the eastern
section of the town, so that the asses
sors last year in order to put the thing
together transferred that property on
the books of the eastern section so that
the property there was decreased to That
amount. about $4,000 think That was
the explanation that was made before
the committee and it was not disputed
I think there are some other cases which
are similar.
Now. they say there are serious flaws
in amendment b" / drew that up in
nv room hurriedly. Now, | say that II
this proposition is voted down and the
matter remains on amendment "B, 1
assure This House that that amendment
.R''- shall be arranged so that every
citizen of that town shall have NV"
chances. one this year and one a year
afterwards. to vote on the question
whether every citizen OF That secllon
shall have n chance to vote on the ques-
ton whether that shall be diNl led from
te town Of York. | want IT submitted
to the citizens who live there and VINO
have always lived there. This amend
ment ID" says property owners or poll
tax PAYERS" In the month of August
when these elections take place to divide
this town. according to, the pr )posed
amendment that section of the town
of York is damned full of men from all
the way from Boston to Chicago. ana
Denver and Texas and even CaliIornit.
They come with their chauffcurS. their
hostlers and their servants. Every one
Of those men can be made poll tax
payer or property owner in that town,
and | know "from my own knowledge
that mem come there as hostlers or
tea,nsters and their names have been
placed on Ire voting list and more than
twenty" votes in one year ] know were
cast bNthht class of men who whrr they
left there in the fall never paid dol
lar; their poll tax is paid by somebody
interested in their vote.
Now. it is for you to say whether or
not You will have that bill amended II
necessary l left it open without ma
chinery in it in order that the people +,
might have some leeway and decide for
themselves. | expected there would be
amndments offered; l am willing there
should be; but | want the amendments
made to amendment "B." AS to the
suggestion about the selectmen not call
ing the meeting, know7there is no pos
sibility of that being done.
Mr. PETERS of Ellsworth: Mr.. Speak
er. it is unnecessary to say that the on
ly way this question could be discussed
was by making the motion that was
made 1t is also unnecessary to say
that the only way we would be able to
vote ntclligently on the matter was by
hearing the arguments of the gentlemen
who proposed to offer an amnndment.
Before moving the previous question I
desire to say that those Of us who favor
giving to- those who want division the,
opportunity of presenting an amendment
changing the one offered yesterday on
the general principles laid down, will
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