Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-25

10 eNDtnu. IL YOU IolloN your IldHu ana
give each worthy object what appropria-
ton it needs in accordance with the pro-
gram you lay down there. you will have
necessarily exceeded your regular in
come of the State by many hundreds of
thousands of dollars. Somewhere along
the line you have got to say to the diff
ferent departments: Live within your
present income, for the Legislature cam
not materially increase the present in
come of the State. Don't dream of ex-
panision too quickly. Wait two years.
Hold up your plans for improvement a
little Keep along in the old lines and
do the best you can until we see better
business in the State of Maine and more
money flowing into the State treasury"
(Applause.)
Mr.. BIGELOW of Portland: Mr.
Speaker: The gentleman from Water
vile in his able presentation of this
matter is actuated only / am sure by
a desire to serve the best interests OF
the State of Maine. l entertain for him
great respect. | deem his opinion on
most matters valuable. l recognize the
effective and eloquent way in which he
has presented this matter, and l would
hesitate to speak upon it We're IT not
for the fact that as a member OF the
committee which reported faVoraDly
on this resolve | think | would be der
elicl in my duty if I did not explain
to YOU Why it is that we have done 50.
Further than that, / should feel that
had not discharged the obligation
which is incumbent on me if l did ont
t,1f 60 harc of this House
some of the facts which actuated tins
committee in recommending this APP
preparation.
The report before YOU comes unan-
inlously from that committee. Thcy
had a long and extended hearing. 1t
was attended by the leading business
men and professional men of the State.
Not one word was uttered there IN pro-
test against the appropriation of Soo,ooo
for the maintenance of hatcherles IN
this State; but the committee AFTER
considering the matter, and recoSnlZ-
ing the fact which the gentleman from
Waterville has called attention to rel
ative to where we were drifting WIFI
appropriations, saw fit to cut that APP
propriation itself to some extent. we
cut 1t all we dared to cut 1t, and now
we have placed it before you; and L
want to give you some Of the reasons
Why | regard this as a business prop
Osition. For, gentlemen. this Is q buS-
mess propCstOn and not a sentiment
al ore. Heretofore we have been con-
siderlne appropriations in this Legis
lature. ave have cared for the sick. the
lame, the halt and the blind, we have
- >f II whom
the state must care for, and all of
these gentlemen We're actuated ard
Influenced bv sentimental and symDa-
thctic considerations: but this as |
said is a business proposition and not
a sentimental one. What we ask you
to do is to make an investment for the
people of this State, not an investment
for the people of today alone but for
the people of tomorrow also. We ask
you to make it not for any one local
ity but for all sections of the state.
The demand for this appropriation
comes to us signed by $1,000 of the
leading citizens of this State; and they
tel us that from the office, from the
FARM from the factory and from the
shop, without regard to party or to
class without regard to sections 81 70
caiitieS or TO those who may be d.
rectly benefited by this appropriation
regardless of all these things. repre-
senting the people of the whole State
they come to US and ask us to give TINS
Appropriation our favorable consider
alton.
If you will bear with me moment
I wish to call your attention to some
III. HI t,.l
have considered; and one of them was
this. The State Of Maine, located
way uo here in the Northern part Of
this country, has none of the great re-
sources of other states. The future
prosperity and the growth of this
State depend upon the development oi
such resources as nature has given us.
We can never hope to equal the moth
er state of Massachusetts in her man
ufacturing industries; we can never
hope t. equal Pennsylvania or New
York in their peculiar industries; we
can never hope to equal the great aS-
riculturaI states of the Northwest.
where nature with lavish hand has
poured out her gifts. We are dependent
on what we have, and, gentlemen. we
must develop what we have. Now l
may be wrong but it seems to me that
the STATE, in regard to this great in
dustrv which is affected by this ar
preparation, has been extremely mig
gardly. Thirty years ago there WGS
not in the State Of Maine $o00,O in
vested in summer resorts: there Was
not $3.50, COG a year spent by the sum
mcr tourists in Maine. What is the
contrast, Today there is invested iii
summer resort property in the state
Of Maine $13S,00o,O0o; and annually
there is expended in this State, ac-
tcrding to the figures made by the cN-
perts of the Boston a. Maine Rail
road which handles the greater part
of this business, and who have made
Il careful study OF it-there is annually
expended in this State the sum OF
500 900 900; and, gentlemen, that has not
been spent in any one locality, that
does not go to any few individuals, but
il goes over the entire State. A mar
ket is brought to the farmer at his
very door where he can sell his milk
and his butter and cheese and all iIr
produces at tn highest market priC :.
He does not have to pay any tribute
tn the railroad or TRANSFORMATION com