Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-04
LASTED FOUR HOURS.
Rousing Hearing On Prohibition
Autos From Mt. Desert Island.

Autos From Mt. Desert Island.
| The crowd was so large at the hear
| Ing Wednesday afternoon before the
judiciary committee on the act to pro
! l;ibt the>uSe Of autos in the towns OF
| Eden, Southwest Harbor. fremont and
| M Desert, that it was held III the Sch
ate chamber and lasted nearly -four
| hours. The proposed Legislation has at
| tracted the attention OF the country
and state.
The petitioners were represented by
Hon. Z. S. Clark of Bar Harbor AND
the lemonstrants by Hon. Oscar +
Fellows.
| In presenting the case for the propn-
| nents Hon. f. S. Clark of Bar Harbor
first read the principal part Of the bill
| and then touched upon the history OF
| the legislation as follows:
In 1908 an act was passed by this
| Legislature. which provided that the
| town OF Eden at any meeting OF the
voters thereof. could pass an ordinance
| which was ii town ordinance. merely
| providing that automobiles should be
| excluded from certain streets of Bar
| Harhor, naming the streets and dctin-
| ing their limits. Under that law in the
| spring Of 1903 q town meeting was call
| cd aud said ordinance was legally
passed. Since the adoption of that or
| dinance there have been various at
| tGlnlts for its repeal. The first attempt
| was in 1906, and again in 1907. and the
| last time was in 1905 ana at the annual
| Marcn meeting of our town. The town
n Mount dessert Dnh1jal tn he lI (
| Legislature and obtained q similar on
| dinance which was adopted at their
town meeting in 1908.
We have an island known os Mount
| Desert Island, with four towns upon
| it that | have named. There is no in
| dustry in these towns, but the inhab-
tants thereof depend wholly upon
summer tourists coming there and dur
| Ing the height OF the summer approx
imatnly $1,000 tourists make their home
on the island. Now these people have
at various times held public meetings
and they are. with but few exceptions.
unanimous in their opposition to the
admission of automobiles to the is
land.
At the March meeting in the town of
EGep in 1908. there was an article in
trOduced into the town warrant which
had in its effect the opening of one
read in the town Of Eden for the use
of automobiles. After the election Ct
the town officers when all the voters
were present. which was approximate
~ $50. it was stated in open meeting
by both sides, those who We're in ia :
vor # and those who wished to eX-
rlIldn lI,tntt1fhiInc that q do
al , o'clock they would vote upon said
article and requested that all persons
interested in the admission or exclu-
sion of automobiles should be present
to vote thereon, so that it could be
definitely aScertained the prevailing
scntiment in the town. The next day
at the appointed hour everybody was
present who cared to be- and under
said article q motion was made to in
definitely postpone and was carried by
10 yeas and Ia noes, making total
Vote Of $50 both for and against the
admission of automobiles to the town
| of Eden.
At the town meetings OF 1907 and
| 1905. when there had been articles in
| the town warrant to repeal the town
| ordinance excluding automobiles from
| certain streets. it was deemed advisa-
| BILE to make a canvass of all of the
| non-reSidents who both owned and
| occupied cottages in our town which
was done for the purpose of showing
| 10 the voters the sentiment of the sum-
mer clement. At both times the entire
summer population with but two ex-
ceptions were opposed to the admis-
| siHn of automobiles in Bar Harbor. a
| letter was written to each Of them
and they We're asked to simply express
their views on postal card and return
| the same which was done with the
above result.
| The pest summer we have been
more or less annoyed ut Bar Harbor
| with automobiles running into the up
per end Of the town. where they were
not excluded, and passing over some
of our most beautiful and pictures 1ue
drives. drives which were frequerted
every dav by our tourists and people
We're frightened to take out theii
horses. There We're several collisions
and in some instances very narrow es
capes. DR.. Weir Mitchell. the grea
nerve specialist and author. had {
morrow escape when he and his fam
| lily were thrown out and received
more or less injury. Oothers received
similar Injuries. until it was deemed
advis able for the preservation of ou
island. for the safety of the public anf
for the health and comfort of our Wis
iTors that we ask this Legislature fol
the present law.
The town of Eden has a tax vaiua
ton of SS.l03.3 03 OF this the non-resi
dents valuation of s3,44O.450
They nay town. county and
State Tx Of $50. t51. 7
The residents of the town have
property valuation Of 1862
51.
Their tax on this property is 71.1S4ol
Making total property tax for
the year. 1903 of sl6O. 5s57 e
The resident tax is made up as follows
Variation on wonen's property.
s41n9 a4
Tax ST., as s!