Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-28

! into silence. But they are now seeing
J the light and realize that they have
| been fooled long enough. I have al
\ ways been in favor of letting auto
! mobiles in and have not been afraid
| TO say SO. | did not want to go to
! the Legislature. this winter, but was
| persuaded To accept the nomination
| by these who were in favor Of the adj
! mission Of automobiles and who l.new
| the decided stand / had always taken.
| 1 was elected rs about POE majority,
| running ahead of the ticket in n
| town which is naturally Republican.
| This was not On account Of popularity
I or ability / WaS due to the fact that
! the people i'm the town were thorough
! ly wrought up over the automobile eX-
clusion farce and wanted some ono IN
| the Legislature who would do his best
| to free the town from old fogey rule
and The money power. Ny opponent
was Dr. r. j. Morrison, one Of the
! shrewdest politicians in the town.
| Realizing. after a canvas of the town.
| that no person. however popular, could
| lie elected to any office there, who was
opposed to the letting in of automo-
biles, a few DAYS before the election
town with them, in which he said
Any person saying l am opposed TO
autos. is trying to defeat me by false
statements. Signed f. J. Morrison
dated Sept I. 1912. ] make the broad
| assertion that no man could be elect
ed Il constable III the town of Ear
| Harbor VINO openly declared himself
opposed 60 the admission of aatomo-
| biles
"3Yhere does the opposition to the
repeal of the law come from, asked
| the correspondent.
Representative sherman replied as
| follows:
| First, from a very few rich and pow
| erful cid men who want TO keep people
! and business out of Bar IIarbor. The
| lesser lights do not dare 10 oppose
| them.
| second. from the livery men. hack
! drivers, horse shoers. carriage build
ers. hay and grain dealers, coachmen
ana srooms.
! a monster petition could be OBJ
| tanned among this class of people to
! exclude automobiles from the state Of
! Maine. But it has always seemed to
! me that this legislation is so unusual
: in fact, unheard of. that no Legisla-
/ ture should ever have passed it with
I out practically the unanimous consent
; of all people affected. ] think that
! there is no other place on earth that
| can he reached by an automobile
! where they are totally prohibited
| Mount Desert Island is an island in
name only. 1t is connected with the
mainland by a bridge ana the road
from Bar Harbor to Ellsworth, dis
| tance Of 20 miles, is one of the best
in the STATE. All of the mountains are
south of this road and there are no
/ hills that can be called hills on it,
and much Ct the way it is macadam-
! iZcd We have spent more money for
! good roads than any other town in
Maine and have more miles Of road
| suitable IL automobile use than can be
! found il many cities 1t therefore
seems an unjust use of the police pow
! or to say that any man who has
helped to build these roads and who
! likes automobiles shall not Use them.
1t IS Unfair To the 10000 automobile
owners of the State to say that they
shall not use roads which the State
has helped to build and which they are
tSNAtti " bulltI ana MAINTAIN.
Charles J. Glidden of the famous
Giidden tours, who has covered the
I'World in automobiles. spent some time
at Bar Harhor, last summer. and in
| writing 20 Il Boston paper said among
| other things:
Bar Harbor has acted unwiselv
in barring the automobiles from it's
roads. During the past five wears
business has slowly fallen off and cot
| tages built for rent are idle or &C.
! cupied at much lower prices. while.
the hotels are not filled as in the past.
All this | attribute to the action of the
authorities in keeping out the auto
| mobile as hotels on the automobile
routes are enjoying a prosperous sea-
son. 1t certainly cannot be assigned
to any other cause as the beautiful
! scenery has not changed and Bar
Harbor and the surrounding country
| will always hold first place among
! The charming spots of the world. There
! is in Bar Harbor not including the
city streets, 120 miles of good roads
TO this can be added 240 miles of good
road in the adjoining towns on Mount
| Desert Island. The people are longing
| for the return of the good old time
and the entry of the automobile, which
can be accomplished only by an act of
the Legislature. In March fully so per
cent. OF the people voted to ask the
Legislature To repeal the act.
In speaking of the road from Ellis
! worth to Bar Harbor. Mr.. Glidden
said II was my pleasure to drive
over this read Part of it is a State
road and the remainder one of the
best for motoring, and perfectly safe
for the largest touring car. An av-
eraGe speed of 20 miles an hour can
safely be maintained all the way from
Bar Harbor to Ellsworth. a distance
OF 20 miles. Bar Harbor Will give the
automobile Il royal reception
AS stated above at the annual
! town meeting, last March, the town
4 voted to ask the Legislature to re-
! peal this exclusion law the vote being
l 469 IN favor to 112 opposed Isn't il
assuming good deal for a few people
to maintain lobby at Augusta work
! ing for no change in the existing law?
The law should be repealed at once
. j in