Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-20
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from Page seven.)

Individual community enjoys.
They have unanimously decided that
| they want his common right who
has got the moral right to say them
nay?
| hope the motion to accept the re-
port of the committee will not pre-
vail.
/ Mr. ROLFE of Portland: Mr.. Speak
er, | only wish to defend myself for
the position in which | voted upon this
question. | may have to repeat some
of the things that have been said by
: the gentlemen who have preceded me.
! and when / get through with my re-
/ marks you may not know upon which
side STOOD so, to begin with, | want
to make it plain that I voted for the
division of the town of Sanford.
The town of Sanford is the largest
town within the borders of this State,
having population of something over
10. 900 people. Were you to divide that
town. today, upon the proposed divis-
ion, you would simply leave small
number, about 5000 people in the town
of Sprmgvale, and about 1000 in the
town or Sanford. The valuation of this
town as it stands, today if / am right
ly informed, is more than $4,000, 600.
New, the town of SpringVale only asks
To b. set off and take a little rising
the sum of $1,00000O. There is no town
in the state Of Maine. today, gentle
men, that has its two Boards of Trade
with tie exception of this town of San
ford: there is no town that is so di-
vided upon the question of its secret
organizations, today, in this State. as
as the town of Sanford; there is no
town in the state of Maine, today, that
deserves division in my opinion as does
the town of Sanford.
For example, the small village OF
Spiingvale has no Town hall; IT has
no decent schoolhouse, according To
what the gentlemen from the town said
before the committees. but it is an ac-
tual fact that they have no decent
sehoolhouse within that large and
thriving village. n 1910 and 1911. if am
rightly informed, the town of Sanford
did vote to raise the amount Of Sl2,oOo
for the building Of a schoolhouse within
that village. In a short time after
wards town meeting was called ana
they reso inded that vote whereby they
had voted to raise the sum OF Sl2ooo.
The figures I give to you may not De
exact. but the idea is right. In 1872,
they did have a chance to right them
selves before the people OF the village
of Springvale upon this question be-
cause tbs question was before that
town meeting and In the warrant; ana
what did they do? They mad the votes
to do it if they wished to do it, but
what did they do9 They voted to pass
over the article, and left the town OF
Springvale in the same condition, to-
day. that it has been for years past.
in giving statistics in regard to the
division of the town they did not go
back beyond the year 1905. when
fire almost ruined that village: ana
since that time of course il was ne
cessary. as YOU must admit for lit
tie more than the proportional part oil
the money to be expended in that enc
of the town. And they dwelt very much
uron the roads and the expanding oil
the money in tine part OF the town
when Sprngvale represents; but II
was admitted and brought out before
the committee that Sanford III ana Oh
itselif with a majority OF the voters
did want the money expended IN Ger
tain localities of the town, ana the To-
calities were within the section that
Springvale represents.
Now. | do not want to appeal 10
your sympathy, nor could appear
to your sympathy upon question Ike
this. AS it was stated before the COM
mittee, the idea of division and draw
ing apart has existed and still exists
today. Springvale comes before TINS
Legislature and says, we haven't any
town hall: We haven't any school
house: we have a nice little village
and an intelligent class of people; we
simply ask you to set us off; we
have the means and the ability to
show to the State of Maine in few
years hence that we will build for you
a town that you may be proud ,of.
tApplause.)
Mr. MAYBURY of Saco: Mr.,
Speaker and gentlemen of the House
if it were my privilege To possess the
splendid flow of English of the gen
tleman from Augusta, Mr.. Newbert, q:
the silvery tongue of my friend, the
gentleman from Pressure Isle, Judge
Smith it would be a pleasure and
delight to discuss this matter at
length. but as | have no silver IN
my tongue, and very little in my
pocket since paying my board, must
forego that pleasure.
As to the matter of the DIVISION OF
the town of Sanford. | hope the ma
jorty report will not prevail. 1t was
my privilege for several years to live
in this village of SpringVale, at
time when the northern end of the
town was in the majority. The only
argument that has been raised in the
lobby in regard to the division OF TINS
town was that it would make a Dem
ocratic town. Now, gentlemen, there
are worse calamities that might hap
pen to a town than to be Democratic
Some of you may not be able TO con-
ceive what they are, but there are
worse calamities that might happen.
My memory goes back some 30 years
and | remember that they used to nave
a High school there. and good one
/ presume, for taught it my1elf and
So | know something about the con-
ditions. There has always been etern-
al warfare between the two villages.
The village of Sanford has now