Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-28

.eomplissi toner's tells. me that the bridge
viii be half 4 mile long. The county
commissioners also tell me that the
piers in the middle of that bridge win
be GO feet above tide water Further
more, / am informed that the bridge
would be made of steel and concrete.
and Still the county of Cumberland
should only be called upon 1or 100000
Who is going to furnish the rest OF
it? They win get 100000 into that
bridge and then they will come back t.
this Legislature in two years from now
and. want a million more, because You
know that no bridge over tide waters
with "a bottom the consistency of which
no man knows, q bridge half Il mile
long built OF concrete and steel with
roadway 20 feet in width, cannot
be built fo1 anything like 100000 or a
million dollars We nave at the pres
cnt time a bridge in Portland half az
long as that and no where near as
wide, with piers only IL CT II feet
high. and that bridge cost over $500. 900
They provide how the bridge shall be
built and what kind OF = bridge it
shall be, ana then they sly that the
county of Cumberland shall be only
involved to the extent of Si0o,0 Mr.
Speaker and gentlemen, You might just
us we'll so down here to the Augusta
House and hay" this Legislature pass
n resolve that you could board there
for So 80 week.
Mr.. Speaker. this is a big proposition,
and il involves ono million or a million
and half of dollars and We cannot get
away from il. 1t should he considered
as big proposition should be consid-
cred. There should be plans made.
There should be arrangements made
with the different railroads. The rail
roads may have to build part of it, and
plans should be made and it should be
taken up with the railroads and talked
over III this manner. so that the people
may know what it is going to cost be-
fore this Legislature commits the t"un-
ty Of Cumberland to a proposition the
pllce OF which no one in this House,
II" one connected with the bridge.
knows. as far as | can learn They
say the bridge is unsafe. DO the COun
~ commissioners say that That bridge
To-Day is under the jurisdiction and UNI
der the control of the county commits
SlonerS. Do the county commissioners
of the county of Cumberland come here
to this Legislature and ask that this
bridge lie built? No. The people who
any one else are the Portland Railroad
Company. They have a right to &c
over that bridge. Do YOU suppose the
Portland Railroad Company thought
that it was unsafe? Now, we ask you
simply to use US the same as we have
used you.
Mr. DRESSER: Mr. Speaker. my
brother, MIR. Scates. is a good deal wor-
riad about the railroads. This bill was
net drawn particularly for the rail-
road companies. We were trying TO act
and look out for the county of Cumber-
land. NJ brother is trying to look out
for the railroads. The railroads will
look out for themselves, there is no
doubt about that. We submitted this
matter to the city before it was pre-
sented here, and they knew all about
1t and they We're satisfied with it. We
submitted the plans to the city and
they We're satisfied. | know OF no rea-
son why we should submit them to the
different railroad companies. Il is q
bridge half a mile long. More than half
OF it IS not over the water it is over
railroad tracks. There is no great
expense. as there would be if we had a
soft bottom, but it is hard bottom. Il
has been tested and it has been so re-
ported Tho steam railroads have
brought about this situation of at
fairs. think they are willing to rene
dy that state OF affairs. They
claimed they are. and ii
they remedy it they will have to build
us bridge. We are asking Tor a
bridge and we have fought for that
bridge all the time. We expect the on
position from TIE railroad companies,
especially the Portland Railroad Com
pany. We are simply asking that the
county of Cumberland be allowed TO
vote upon this question. The county of
Cumberland l think is capable of vot-
iiie upon this question. We have stat-
ed mat the county of Cumberland
would not be involved to any
greater amount than Sioo.O
we 40 not 70 above that
We have been told. Mr.. Speaker. that
We must get plans and specifications. We
nave tried TO make arrangements TO that
effect. but We want to 20 a little ,lrthcr
me county of Cumberland would not
Know what they were paying for unless
there was something more than plans and
specifications for this bridge. They would
want to know what the railroad compa-
MES were going to do about it. There are
three railroad companies interested here
and we want 10 know what they would
do. We say in our bill that if any salts
factory arrangements cannot be made be-
tween our county commissioners and
these three railroad companies within
such a time. that it shall be left to three
judges of the supreme court as refer
endum. We have provided that these
three judges should hear the evidence and
should then decide l don't know how
anything could be any fairer than that.
! suppose that is fair tribunal We al
ways called it so. If there is anything
fairer than that we will listen to ii. Now.
gentlemen. l hope YOU will allow the pco-
pie of the county of Cumberland to saw
what they will do in regard to this
bridge. That is all we want
Mr. WALDRON of Portland: Mr..
Speaker the gentleman calls for a bridge
in his bill 30 feet in width. / would like
I,.A Il