Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-01-22
ARTICLE Y.

THE PROJECT?
To very large part of our citizens
questions of valuation, rate of taxa
ton, etc, are among the mysteries of
ordinary life. And yet we cannot fair
ly face the project now before us I'M
less we consider the serious difficult
ties which confront us. Even slight
consideration of these reveals to us the
earnest thought and patient efforts
which our commissioners are called
upon to exercise in the midst of pc
culiar and practical difficulties.
Conditions in our municipal life are
altogether unusual. A rigid limitation
of our annual budget and most care
full computation of our resources seem
to be q constant necessity in our ad-
ministrative life. 1t is useless to rush
blindly into any act which Will serl-
ously modify present plans without
some fair consideration of the real diff
f1culties which lie ahead of us. Some
of these are as follows:
/. The present assessed valuation OF
our city is about three and one-haf
million dollars. Our rate of taxation,
% mills. How can we maintain this
rate, while there is not and apparently
cannot be substantial additions to our
valuations, and yet provide for pres
ent and expanding needs of our imam
cial budget?
a. The assessed valuation of our
property is high. In some cases higher
even than it's saleable Vaiue. we
should not therefore expect to increase
the valuation upon property already
existing and known. We have lost on
this somewhat by the proposed new
most office and by the destruction OF
the Oakland plant, and it has been by
rigid efforts of our assessors that we
have held the valuation to its present
figure.
h This valuation can be Increased
only by discovering property hitherto
untaxed, or by substantial addltlons
through building operations in our
city. We know that there is crying
need for such new buildings for rents
and homes throughout our city. But
the fact remains. owing to the present
cost of material and labor, that our
contractors and builders cannot offer
to investors good six per cent invest
ment Yet we need at once under pres
ent conditions the construction OF
hundred houses or fats fer residents.
q OF course such constructions
would add materially to our present
valuation. but there is little hope and
considerable chance in such a build
ing boom, unless it be brought about
through the cooperative efforts of
both investors and laborers. Such CO.
omy in construction and proportlonate
risk in the gains or losses which lie
before such an enterprise.
d. We cannot therefore expect in
the near future any great changes In
our assessed valuations. Moreover
we must recognize that the same
chances which our investors would
take in new building enterprises would
also be shared by our municipality
owing to the somewhat unstable char
acter of our industrial life. Our pres
ent Indebtedness is about one hundred
thousand dollars, with possible limit
of one hundred eighty thousand dol
lars. The addition of fifty or sixty
thousand dollars would bring us Well
up toward the debt limit.
Two other possible methods lie ahead
of us. One is the union of private
generosity and municipal response
bility, or the city assuming the whole
responsibility by a direct increase in
the rate of taxation.
2. 1t has already been pointed out
why it is neither probable nor desir-
able that the High school building
should be constructed by single in
he
for believing that substantial help can
be gained from private individuals,
provided our municipality should meet
as it ought the greater part of the
expense.
a. The need of Community Hall
of large capacity properly located and
furnished, has long been recognized
on the part of all our citizens. The
many functions previously described
call for such a general Assembly Hall.
1t could with very great economy be
made a part of the new High school
building by the proper arrangement Of
plans.
b. Perhaps a substantial and sufh-
cient sum could be raised among
half dozen people more or less for this
portion of the building. The names of
the donors might be inscribed upon a
tablet In this manner we should not
only recognize their generosity, but
perpetuate their leadership and inspi-
ration to unselfish public-spiritedness
and fitting civic pride.
C. But public-spirit should be de-
veloped in all our citizenry. 1t should
not be dema nded from a few and not
practiced by the many. And there Is
no way of so fittingly and fairly devel-
oping civic responsibility and pride as
by the system of just taxation. In
fairness to the people Of the present
and for the sake of teaching lessons
of nobler citizenship to our children,
the larger part of this cost should be
assumed by direct taxation.
3. The only method then left open
to us is by increasing our present rate
of taxation. 1t is not now excessive.
But in view of our high valuation 1t
is at least fully up to the average Of
other municipalities. Yet il this pro-
ject is financed not by adding to our
permanent Indebtedness but covering
only definite term of years, the bur-
den would not seem so onerouS to bear.