Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-28

| prosperous. When times are dull, no
| one is prosperous.
| Augusta is a beautiful city, we are
| justly proud of 1t. Let us for mo-
| ment look at the business side. Ask
| twenty business men what Augusta
! needs most, and at least nineteen will
answer New Industries We tell the
manufacturer, looking for location,
of our business street, the finest Of
any city of its size in all New Eng
| land, of our public buildings, of our
| splendid stores, of the honesty and
integrity of our people, of our skilled
workmen and mechanics who have no
superiors, but Mr. Manufacturer, with
an eye to the business side, investi-
| gates our finances, he learns that we
| are nearly UP to the constitutional
| debt limit, that our taxes are high, and
| that we have a bonded debt of consid-
| erably more than third of a million
| dollars. He decides to look further and
| is not heard from again.
| "Of the large number who look over
| the general situation, say nothing and
| pass on without comment, we know
| not. This condition should be RENE
| died. 1t cannot be done in one year,
| it cannot be done in two years, but
| policy should he adopted with this
end in view. Augusta should have an
| economic administration; 1t should
| adopt an economic policy. BY an eco
nomic policy | do not mean a narrow
! or a mean one, as this is bound to be
| expensive in the end. Augusta should
| have q business administration. This
| has been said SO many times by so
many men, with no regard to its mean
| ing, that l hesitate to say it, but
| there are different ideas and ways of
! doing business. / mean an administra-
ticn and policy that will conduct the
affairs of the city of Augusta with the
| same economy, the same care, the
same thought and the same long look
| into the future that we would use in
our private business, or in the man
! aeement of any industrial corporation,
! with which we are connected. If the
! policy adopted by Charles Hichborn,
when mayor of this city. had been con-
| tinued until the present time, our
! financial showing would be far diff
| fereDt today.
An examination of the city auditors
report as printed gives but very
vague idea of the. financial standing
of the city. / do not wish this to be
| construed as a criticism, or rejecting
! in any way upon our city auditor, as
| this is the same form of report, which
| has beep in use for many years. 1t is
| the fault of our system of bookkeeping
| and accounting. If the Republican
ticket is successful at the coming cleo
! ton, we propose to ascertain the true
| financial condition of the city and to
! install a system of bookkeeping. ac-
/ counting and auditing in accordance
with modern business practice that
will enable the city auditor to submit
| a report that can be readily and cas-
! ily understood. giving the true financial
condition of the city and every de-
| partment.
I sometimes hear a man say that
| politics should have no place in muni-
/ cipal affairs or in a city like ours This
| is true. This would be the ideal con-
dition, if possible, but you know and
| l know and every man knows, who
] has observed or studied conditions that
| this is impossible, under a city charter
/ like ours. l have realized for some
time that our city charter is archaic
| but have felt that we could well af-
| ford to wait the result of experiments,
which other cities We're trying. l be-
| lieve that we should take action in
| this matter, in the near future. That
we should obtain from the legislature
a modern, comprehensive charter,
which will enable us to conduct the
affairs of the city of Augusta entirely
free from politics, and eliminating ev
| erything of a political nature. AS con-
ditions now are. this is 9 government
I by parties, and there should be party
responsibility.
Gentlemen, though the coming cam
! paign will be short l apprehend that
| it will be a warm one. Let us remem-
| ber that our opponents are good fell
lows. that While we do not agree with
| them in politics, they are our friends
and neighbors. Now hope and trust
no man working for the Republican
ticket will either through thoughtless-
ness or excess Of zeal so far forget
himself as to personally abuse or Will
fy any opposing candidate.
II do not ask you to vote and work
for the Republican ticket for the rea-
son that I am a candidate. l do not
ask you to vote and work for the Re-
publican ticket simply because this
man or that man is a candidate. I
ask you to vote and work for the Re-
publican ticket because l believe in
the principles and policies, which the
Republican party advocates today, be-
cause l believe in the honesty, ability
and integrity of the men whom we
have nominated upon our ward tickets.
because l believe it to. be the duty of
every man, who disapproves of the
measures, which the Democratic party
have enacted into national law, of its
attitude upon State questions, and its
general policy, because I believe it to
he tire duty of every man opposed to
those measured to register his disap-
prevail at the polls upon every oppor-
tunity
Gentlemen. If I am elected I pledge
| myself to give to Augusta the best
service there is in me. shall feel that
/ am but the agent of this city, charg-
ed with the duty of carefully looking
after it's interests and I promise to
| perform that duty to the best of my