Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-04-01

to them that they must reduce their
tax To 4 mills for 1913 and 1914 or they
will be liable to the charge of eX-
travagance if they do put their tax
rate back To mills where It is now.
Mr.. STAPLES. Mr. Presidents The
senator SAYS that he i somewhat slr-
prised and ! know that he is. | am
aware that he expected that the Demo
cratic party. the majority IN this Sen
ate, would not hay- the courage to
raie. the tax rate t. mills to pay the
debt that the Republican party be
queathed 10 them. You must rccollect
that Governor Flaisted found the treas
tnry Of the state in a sreatlS different
condition than the FrTnald administra-
ton found il. 1t IS Il fact that there
was &5GS geo in thu treasury besides the
mill tax and al tn" other tax you
raise. You dtSsipatpd tIlt, YOU ran US
in debt Il million or more and S., are
trying to pay il. and we haF" the cour
age to say Ia the people of the state
that we viii pay those debts for the
good name of the state and not have
'anybody's warrants lingering along in
the face of the voters and taxpayers OF
What is the fact about this \ few
days ago the senator and myself agreed
that il was bad policy to transfer to
the next Legislature certain honest
debts, and he agreed with me at that
time. rather than postpone those mat
ters that il wouId be better to raise
the tax two mills on the dollar and pay
them no. That is the fact about il. !
haven't any doubt bur what the SEN
ator from Aroostaok if we hadn't TAX
en- the emergency clause out, when lie
had a good chance he would have KILL
ed the whole bill. We got scent of
what he was after. and we think it is
the consensus Of opinion not only to
the leading Democrats of the state, but
to the business men Of the State. Re
publicans as wei as Democrats. that
we should make some provision to pay
those debts that have been forced upon
us to pay by the administration of the
Republican party. What is the fact
about it? The appropriation made this
year amounts to about $4,000, 600. There
are about $4Q9,001 in warrants drawn
by the last administration when they
didn't have a dollar in the treasury to
pay them with. Those men need their
money and we, the majority party. say
to you that they ought ia have it, We
must pay them Immediately. and we
shall pay them this Year. II IS bust
ness proposition. | know it takes the
wind out of the sails of the Republic
cans for they wanted to make cam
paign material out Of it. on, no, you
nave all you could attend 10 TO patch
up and get the men OF the state 10 FOR
get the great heritage You transmitted
to the majority party now in power.
Six mills will bring an income from
taxation Of S4,t2o,00o by actual fgureS
that | have in my hand. There ought
not to be any pohticS IN TINS matter.
am very sorry IL we nave taken the
WIND out OF the republican sails. ]
shaii go nome reJolclhg that Tor once
STOOD upon the moor OF the senate. a
member of the majority party trying
to do something to build UP the bust
ness OIL the state AND SO we are GO
ing To pay hespeopie VINO h9ld THESE
soeo,ooo worth OF warrants some Oh
Whlch nave STOOD lof SIX holltiS. we
say IL Is WISE ana good business poilc9
Tor the majority party or any party 10
pay their debts. They should be pald
TINS year. and we are gong TO pay
them. nope we VIII nave III the treas