Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-08-26


DIR. l.. H. Dorr. who is candidate for
the State Senate. spoke briefly before
introducing the Governor and in the
course of his speech said that he well
coined to this meeting the people of
Wiscasset but more especially those
residents of other towns who had
driven many miles in order to hear
frank and candid statement of
the affairs of Maine.
Governor Fernald early in his speech
took up the financial condition of the
State and presented some more of
those comparative figures showing the
State taxes paid by the several towns
and the amounts which they received
back from the State. These figures
covered the entire county of Lincoln
and what he said of Lincoln county
is no less true of the other counties of
the state.
Il find that the county of Lincoln
pays into the State treasury in taxes"
said the Governor. 'the sum of $24.
600, and the towns of the county. al
together. receive back from the State
$32. 600 In this town of Wiscasset. for
example, the State tax is 1857 and
the town receives back $1542. Now,
gentlemen. 1 do not think the people
of Wiscasset have anything to COM
plain of in the way they are being
treated by the State of Maine and
am sure that you agree with me in
this. (Applause.) You raise less money
by one-half for your schools than YOU
did a few years ago. You do not have
to pay the expense of maintaining
your insane, nor do any of the towns
of Maine. You receive from the State
treasury large sum to be expended
in the construction of State roads and
1 could not help thinking today as
1 sailed down your beautiful river
and had walked about your elm shaded
streets what this progressive policy
of State aid in the construction of
good roads means. not only to the peo-
pie of Wiscasset, but to every town in
Maine. You do not want to go back
to the days of 1882. when under
Democratic administration the entire
sum expended by the State for good
roads. did not equal what this town
received for this purpose this year.
(Applause.>
Now let ns take the town of New
castle in this county as another Illus
tration. The State tax paid by this
town amounted to 1882 and it re-
ceived back from the State 1896. I
fird that throughout this county your
people are alive to the Importance of
maintaining good schools and l tell
you. gentlemen. that it is the high
moral standard and intellectual char
acter of our people which does as much
to attract to this State the half a mil
lion people who come here every
year to breath our pure air and to en-
joy orr magnificent scenery and who
leave YOU upwards of S35,000000.
Just for example let us take anoth-
er town in this county. that of Bristol.
which paid a State tax of s2S3S and re-
ceived fror, the State this year $3496
Dc you think that the town of Bristol
wants to go back to the old system or,
should they be satisfied with the treat
ment they have received from the
state of Maine and the Republican
party?
7 have here in my hand list of ali
the towns of this county and those I
have mentioned l. have taken AT ran
dom, because what is true of one town
IS also true of every other town. not
only in this county. hut all over the
State and this money which the Re-
publican party by it's wise legislation
IS returning in this manner to the
people of Maine comes from sources
well able to bear it. 1t comes from the
great corporations. whose taxes have
heen continually increa sed and who do
not complain from the public service
corporations and from the wild lands.
with it's promise. made to the people
two years ago. is now taxing an aoul-
tiona1 100000 per year.
The Governor spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Il want to say to you that it is not
in any spirit of self complacency that
come here today. My purpose is to
talk of the things which we have done
ir the past eighteen months ana say
TO YOU that we have no apology to offer
for that record or for the record OF our
marty for the past is years. All prom
ises have been kept: not an unn''eo
pledge remains before us.
The Governor then took up the imam
cial situation in the State. discussing IL
briefly. though making his point tieai'
He called attention to what the state
was doing for road improvements anu
schools. for the insane and the teepie
minded: how it was doing all that IL
could tn stamp out the dread disease
t,,berhulosis among cattle. how nght
was beipg made against the insect
nests which threatened the forests
and orchards of Maine. how the state
was spending in this manner ana LOT
other work for the good of all over Two
million dollars more this year than was
sncnt in 1882 under the last Democra-
tic administration. and doing IT WIN d
tax rate onlv half a mill greater
GLOW do we do it," he said. I'VE 90
- hocauso we are taxing our great
cornorations. We are doing it unoer
the policy inaugurated in lS'f uhuel
the wise leadership of that great
statesman. Nelson Dingley. At that
time Governor Dingley enumerated tne
theory that the railroads should pay 10
tho state a tax towards the support oi
the state. A law was enacted TO ina.
offect We have chung to and followed
that no,icv until today those and all
other policy service corporations pay
into the treasury of the state eacli
,.a,r a great sum of money for usins
go, Tho activities of Maine