Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-26

ioWh-MilIoia bridge, was taken from
the table. Ia Axsss A. rs }FsRE
Mr.. O'CONNELL: Mr. Speaker, i move
that the original resolve be substituted
for the report of thes eoplinittee In
making this motion ! wish to state that
the resolve in favor of the Old Town.
Milford bridge has been before the Leg
islature here since the 18th day of tep-
ruary. and it has been long-drawn-out
fight. The members Of the committee
have given the matter careful considera-
ton and 1t has been gone over and
threshed out thoroughly I make this
motion just the same as YOU would>,
make it, gentlemen. if YOU had a case
in court ! consider that an Injustice
has been done to the people Of Old
Town, Milford and Penobscot county.
We have not asked this Legislature TO
support our bridges. bur we nave asked
them to support their bridge. We will
take care of our bridges. and all We ask
you to do is to take care OF yours.
We have already SO bridges in Old
Town and Milford, more bridges than
any four towns in the State of Maine
have got, and we allege that the State
OF Maine owns this bridge, ana | can
prove 1t to you. The charter for this
bridge was granted In 1929 the bridge
was completed in 1892 and at that time
the state of Maine said that the corpor-
alton should have the right to collect
tolls for 10 years. That started in 1872.
ana four years later they granted them
the right to collect tolls for 40 years.
Ihat charter said that the bridge should
revert TO the State of Maine at he end
of 40 years In 1872 If he state had done
its duty the STATE would have taken the
bridge then. They let that CORPORATION
rob Us for % years. until 1897 before tho
state woke up TO the fact that the town
was being robbed by a bridge cornora-
ton. The citizens of Old Town run toll
bills amounting to $500 and the bringe
corporation sued them. The supreme
court had that case before it until 1Sq2
This Legislature the years before that,
IN 1891. said that the bridge did revert
to the state, and what did the state do.
they Immediately settled II off ono the
towns of Milford and Old Town proyioed
the supreme court said the bridge had
reverted to the State. In 1875 the SUI
preme court again said that the bridge
belonged to the State of Maine and MIL
ford and Old Town had TO maintain II
for l6 years =-zss---t
Now what did the Legislature of 1907
do? In 1907 the Legislature of this state
took the bridge over. the abutrnents and
everything connected with it, and 4 DEFY
any man in this Legislature or any man
in this State House to show me that the
state of Maine did not own this bridge,
l don't care who the man is or where
he comes from The attorney general
lgSt Sis 40, s-ofa a ta,s
it, and / say that you own it, and the
statutes say that you own it. l want to
tell YOU, gentlemen, that Milford Will
take care of its own bridges; Penobscot
county will take care of its own bridges
and Old Town will take care of its
bridges, but l want YOU to remember
this, that Milford has IS miles of road
and L bridges, Old Town has rs miles
of road and % bridges We do not want
you TO allow the State of Maine to take
this step backward. The people OF the
state of Maine are taking over the
bridges of the state. YOU have already 4
a 100000 road bond proposition for thsS
building of highways, and 1 ask you
what the bridges are for If they are not
continuation of the highway
l ask you If you are not satisfied that
the town of Milford with it's 97l inhabl-
tants hasn't got road enough TO carry,
and If you think the town of Milford
ought to take over anything that be-
longs toethis great State ;sapd also if you
people want to go back into the old stage
coach methods of years ago. then 1t is
your duty TO vote this bridge out of the
control of the State of Maine In the
spirit of fairness and i'm the spirit OF
progress / claim it is your duty TO vote
to leave the control of this bridge right
where it is. / claim that the State of
Maine ought to take over ,nree or four
of these bridges every year and give us
people in the country chance 10 strug-
gle along. Look at this opinion of the
court in the S5th Maine and give us a
square deal, but do not let the State OF
Maine dodge this bridge. $50
Mr.. JONES of China: Mr.. Speaker. l
believe in all justice. and fairness that
the State of Maine should take over this
bridge and maintain it, and l hope the
motion of the gentleman from Milford
(Mr. O'ConneiD will prevail.
Mr.. BUTLER of Pennington: Mr..
Speaker. just word in connection with
the position of your committee in re-
gard to this Old Town bridge. The
statements of the gentleman from Mil
ford. as | understand them. are correct
in regard TO the history of this bridge
that il was taken over by the State by
the Legislature of 1907. AS, we under
stand from the Attorney General the
Legislature now in session has the same
rights in regard to this bridge that the :
Legislature of 1907 had We have
made an appropriation, this year, for
the western span of the Old Town
bridge of $4,000 in our committee: we
also made an appropriation of $4,000
for the construction of the eastern span
of this bridge. 1t is estimated by the
engineer of the State that this bridge
will cost $4,000, allowing that it is
placed above the railroad bridge as it
is now contemplated. ] think it would
cost much less money to lay it on the
old piers, reconstrueting these piers, and
placing it below: but the committee
made the appropriation of $4,000, leav-
ing two-thirds of the remaining expenses
for the county of Penobseot. and one
third of the remaining expenses to be