Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-29
GREEDY DENIES
ALLEGATIONS OF
BRISTOL PEOPLE

Portland. Me, June 2s.-Representative
James W. Greedy of Portland. secretary
Of the legislative committee on towns,
has issued q statement answering and
denying the allegations In a statement
circulated by the residents of the old
town Of Bristol seeking to secure a refer
endum on the act of the Legislature d.
viding the town and creating the town
Of South Bristol. This fight, which has
waged bitterly through six years, was
finally carried by the divisionists at the
last session. and now the opponents Of
! division are seeking a referendum on
the act.
The citizens committee OF Bristol in Its
| statement Of why Bristol seeks a refer
endum on the act Of division alleges that
Bristol was divided contrary to the law
and the evidence presented to the COM
| mittee on towns; that the committee
promised a second hearing, owing to a
prevailing storm, and then contrary to
all presidents went into executive ses-
sion and voted ought to pass on the pc
tition for division Of the town: that insult
| was offered to the "old and honored town
| OF Bristol" when only four of the 10
members of the committee were present
at the second hearing. They allege that
| the division Is unjust to the citizens of
the old town, claiming that out Of 40
miles of road in the entire town the new
town gets only al miles; that out of IS
schools the new town gets only four;
that out Of the town poor. costing from
!
none; that out Of the psf feet of bridges
In the town the new town gets only 81,
and that with small proportion of eX-
penses the new town takes s447,0 900 of the
taxable property leaving the old town
SAL. 600 poorer, with all the poor to sup
port, and 200 feet of bridges and III miles
Of road to maintain.
| The citizens Of Bristol appeal to
the oters Of the State of Maine from
such an unfair DIVISION" taking adj
vantage Of the referendum and asking
for 10000 signatures.
Representative Greelys statement
as secretary of the committee on
towns, is as follows:
| The people of South Bristol resent
the attempt to obtain signatures to a
petition for referendum by false pre-
fences. Every statement made in
circular issued to the voters in an ef-
/ fort to obtain signatures is unquali-
1edly false. Each of the first three
statements is reflection on the hon
esty Of the committee on towns, the
Legislature and the Governor and an
insult to the gentlemen elected to rep
resent the people.
/ l. The town was divided in accord
ance with the law and the evidence
presented to the committee. The COM
mittee listened with great patience to
the evidence on both sides and voted
unanimously in favor of the division
2. The committee not only prom
ised but granted a second hearing and
held same which lasted from 40 to -
o'clock at night.
g. The records Of the hearing show
that only one member of the commit
tee was absent. Nine members were
present instead of four as charged. The
absent member was in attendance at a
meeting of another committee.
4. The evidence given showed that
the town Of Bristol had 80 miles of
road instead of 40 as claimed; South
Bristol gets six schools instead of four,
as claimed South Bristol will have it's
full share of the cost of maintaining
the poor, the bridge at South Bristol
as was shown by the official records
at the time of the hearing-costs as
much to maintain as all Of the other
bridges in the town. due to, the fact
that it is swinging bridge and needs
constant attendance.
General:-Stated as briefly as possible.
and emitting many minor details. the
reasons for which the people of South
Bristol asked for a division of the town
were: That the size and shape of the old
town make it impossible for the select
men to give proper attention to all of it:
that the people of South Bristol are prac-
tically disfranchised because they are
nine miles from the town house and have
no method of reaching the Town meetings
! except by teams over roads which are
generally, at the time of the town meet
ings, almost impossible; that their
schools, roads and sidewalks have been
Systematically neglected: that they do
not receive. in improvements. fair
share Of the taxation; that some of their
people are unfairly taxed and that only
at great intervals. and then only in the
face of bitter opposition, have they been
granted any share in the town govern
ment.
The committee on towns took exhaus-
tive evidence concerning these matters
and voted unanimously mat the petition
ought to be granted. The Legislature
adopted the bill and the governor signed
1t. I contend that there is no reason for
an attempt to override the action of the
men selected to represent the people in
the government Of the state.
4 JAMES w. GREELY,
/ Sec. Com. on Towns.