Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-07


taxes of the people OF the State.
He said that the Democrats had
imeg ined a crockery-cfate sort of q
State treasury and that they had a
band new one in place of the old Re-
publican one and the Governor was
looking fine, setting on the top of the
cover, where dollar couldn't be got
out Of it, although perhaps yau may
see a bunghole on the back side of it,
where the Waterville Sentinel is get
ting out a few dollars for State print
ing.
He pointed out that no money could
be taken out of the State treasury
except by an appropriation OF the
state Legislature and that it was for
making up these appropriations that
the Legislature met and committee
hearings were held.
PIaisted's Big Revenue.
The speaker accused the Democrats
of playing a flim-flam game in the
discussion of State finance There
was no reduction in the rate of taxa
ton in the Plaisted administration
Mr. Fernald had but six mills To work
with in his two years and Plasted had
II mills to work with in his two years.
Mr.. Pla1sted had $4,12S. 900 more to
spend than Mr.. Cobb had in his first
administration, 10000 more than
Mr.. Cobb had in his second admins
tfation and $1,000, 00o more than Mr..
Fernald had to spend in his two years
in office.
Continuing to explain the matter of
State expenditures Mr.. Haines said:
In the first place no dollar is paid
ont of the State treasury without au-
| tkority of law. The Governor, State
treasurer and State auditor can't
touch cent of it. But the Legisla-
| ture always provides tor the expen-
diture of money in what is called an
appropriation bill and the largest APP
preparation bill ever passed by any
Legislature of the State of Maine was
| that passed by the last Democratic
Legislature and approved by Governor
| Plaisted, March 81, 1911, which pro-
vided for the expenditure of $4,04, 139.-
| %, and | have been waiting for some
one TO tell me wherein this is Demo
cratic economy" ~
Mr.. Haines pointed out in this con-
nection that the last Legislature re-
| fused to pay back the towns the few
honest bills that they had incurred for
the support of State paupers and had
withheld bills honestly and legally due
private individuals for fighting fores'
fires, and that it had withheld appro-
priations asked for by charitable in
stitutions while the appropriation for
the ChiIdren's Hospital of Portland
had been vetoed by the Governor.
of 1909-1910 had added $S92,55 in
new buildings and permanent repairs
to State property and purchased land
for the State of the value of $25, 700
the new constructions of the Demo
cratic administration only amounted
to SIG, PASS and not an acre of land
was purchased
The speaker said that while the
State tax was raised By the acts of
| 1903 from three to five mills, the Fer
Maid administration paid back TO the
towns one and one-half mills for
schools alone and provided for the
new state House and other new public
| institutions which much more than
| covered the otheE half mill. He wish
| ed to know what were the appropra-
| tionS the Democratic ring criticised
| that were wrong. Was the appro-
priation for good roads to be distribu-
ted to poorer towns because their bur
dens were out of proportion in the
| matter of highway maintenance? Was
| it because of the extension of the care
of State paupers from town charges
to State charges or was it because of
the arrangement To take the feeble
mir Of no hon nd lot
the State pay the bills?
He punctured the claim of Governor
Plaisted in regard to the B. & A. re-
bate by showing that it had expired
automatically during the Fernald ad
ministration. The rebate while in
progress had added $22, 900 900 to the
value of the State and after that rail
road had been built up into Aroostook
county the Older counties were not
| assessed to help out Aroostook county.
The Washington County and Somer-
set rebates expired when the Maine
Central took over these railroads.
He said that Mr.. Plasted had
claimed in WatervilIe that he had
paid $15O0,O0O of dead horse" from
the Fernad administration when ii
cotlll De SHOWN HUN the state treas
urer's report that at the end of the
year 1912 there was still more dead
horse coming over from the first
year of the Plaisted administration.
| if the assets in the way of State taxes
due We're nor considered in either
case.
The speaker declared that the sur
plus which the Democrats had piled
up in the treasury for campaign pur-
poses would make it hard in 1918
when he was Governor. to prevent
those seeking money for various OBJ
jects from rading the treasury. They
were simply paving the way for fu-
ture extravaganza.
He criticized the Democrats for
passing a primary law that was so
bad even the Waterville Sentinel
| could not stand for it. As result
| the people enacted the Davies bill. He
| urged the voters to vote against the
ballot box act passed by the special
session of the Legislature, which
made the secretary of State special
returning board and worked great
hardship upon the people.