Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-30
chelsea's Board Of Control.

ter the destinies of the city of Chelsea
since the great fire. and in general are
of the opinion that the procedure in
the case was not only wise. but that
Chelsea has made more rapid progress,
has been rebuilt to greater extent,
has lower insurance rates, has been
loan rates and has done more to es-
| tablish feeling of confidence, than
could possibly have been done under
any other system.
Lately there have been a number OF
complaints against the administration
of this powerful board, on the part OF
a certain class of Chelsea residents.
The attack has taken the shape of
demand that the salaries of the MEM
bers. of the board be reduced. 1t is
claimed that, whereas formerly the
mayor received $1,000 year, now four
The parties who are making this cam
paign against the board are using this
fact as the backbone of their argu-
ment.
| They do not enter into the consd-
Grafton of the worth of the services
nor to the fact that the four members
give all their time. All of them gave
J up better positions and took up a very
disagreeable task, less for the none
tary compensation than because they
believed in the future of Chelsea. if the
| management of its affairs could be
trigue.
During the term of this board per-
| mits for new structures have been is
sued to the amount of $5796,527 of
which amount s4,710,467 is now tax
able. To this should be added per-
mits for alterations and repairs valued
| at $296,217 of which all but $90.1SG is
now taxable. The public buildings
are in measure grouped about a
l
been economically erected and yet
represent the best modern methods
and are INTELLECTUALLY pleasing. The
two new schoolhouses have been pro-
nounced by educators to be the best Of
their class. They occupy large lots of
land and are in every way suited for
| the purposes for which they We're
erected. The new public library is
larger and better than the old one.
The city hall now in process of cree
ton. the new armory, the municipal
stables, the two new fire stations, the
postoffice and the other public and
semi public buildings would be a
credit to any large city. The stringent
building laws have resulted in the
erection of better class of tenement
and business blocks.
Elmer F. Murch. in discussing the
administration of the board of control.
in the Boston Transcript. has the fol-
lowing to say in regard to the finan-
cial management: One million dol
lars We're raised by special loans au-
thorized by the legislature for perma-
nent improvements. and of this amount
100000 remains. The loans, start
ing from the very first showed that
the names of the board had been suf-
ficient to encourage financial interests
to pay good rates for the bonds That
confidence of financial men has in
creased as the work prOgressed-than
which there could be.few better testi-
mOnials as to the excellent character
of the works. shown by the fact that
the loans have constantly commanded
larger and larger premiums.
mot only did the money for the
municipal buildings mentioned and
some smaller structures and their
| furnishings come from this 5000, 900
but larger amounts were spent for
| land takings for street Improvements
and enlarged sites for public buildings.
| ne Idllu Tor TIE Guy nan dloIt Cost
$72,9S0; the Shurtleff school $4,000.
Owing to these heavy drains on the
treasury the tax rate was fixed at $23.
| OF this amount the appointments for
each $1,000 were as follows: State tax
and metropolitan levy. 32O25:
municipal requirements, $131765;
sinking funds. $21S67: interest,
$41595; damage claims. $.1735: over
lay or abatement. $.1013.
| IN 1909 of the $152,569 for interest
and sinking funds $72994 was on ac-
count of the general debt of $s99.50O.
The sinking fund will next year can
Gel this debt and the annual expendi-
lures will thereafter be reduced by
$72.994 The table shows that the
rate for municipal requirements was
only s1.1765 above the $12 permitted
before the permissive act increased the
limit to $14, which was passed by the
Legislature following the fire. In
L L. ,lxNT1