Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-30

50 changed and amended that it did
not have any teeth in it when it got
| through and 1t did not have any ap-
preparation. Four years ago, the town
of Mexico, through its representative,
came to this Legislature and asked
for the privilege Of the towns taking
| this over-the towns of Rumford and
Mexico-and providing that town meet
ings should be held. The town of Rum
ford did not call any town meeting;
they were not obliged to under the act.
Two years ago they came again and
they came at that time to form a bridge
district. That bridge district was
| formed and an appraisal had Of this
property, and the decision of that board
was appealed from the Supreme court.
The matter went to the law court and
then came back for second appraisal
and on the second appraisal the bridge
company was awarded the sum OF $16.-
600. It cost in actual expense, besides
a lot Of time put in by the citizens OF
the town Of Mexico, 1t cost in actual
expense to this bridge district the sum
Of $140O. making a total Of $17.60o.
Now the situation in the town OF
Rumford has been, and is now, little
peculiar, and their attitude on this
question is now, and has been, lit
| tie peculiar. Two years ago the town
of Rumford came to this Legislature
and asked this Legislature to pass an
act recurring the county of Oxford to
pay $4,000, and the county Of Oxford,
or the middle and west sections, asked
for a referendum. The town of Rum
ford, however, said I'VE don't want
it" and they had their lobby here and
they did not give the referendum to
the county of Oxford. The county of
Oxford paid it's $4,000 and that went
into municipal and court building.
Now 1 was not against that; the town
of Mexico was not against it. 1t did
not appear here for it, either. 1t has
paid its part in that instance. At this
l,session. gentlemen of the House,
the town of Rumford comes again.
and rightly. believe. to ask that at Their
| term of the supreme court they should
have a grand jury session. Again this
middle and western section Of the county
asked for referendum, and again Rum
! ford says I'VE don't want it, and 1t
was denied. Now, gentlemen, we have
/ DTOpOSlllOu mere VI DElu6c SHdl
stands that bridge district $176oo, and no
man can make a penny out of that, and
| the resolve went into this Legislature
asking the State to appropriate the sum
of $4,000. Now. gentlemen, you we'll
know that we had as good committee
on ways and bridges as could have been
| selected from this Legislature. They
| took the matter carefully under advise
ment, gentlemen-and l want to say to
you her and now that when they were
considering that matter and when we
first went before them it was pretty
cold proposition. The frost stood out
from every member of that committee,
and they had to do it, gentlemen. Why?
Because the Legislature was asking OF
that committee for nearly a million dol
! lars and they did not have it to spend
Now the municipal officers of the town
of Eumford came before that committee
gentlemen, and they said to that commit
tee: I'VE don't want you to give that
! bridge to US; we can't afford it, gentle
men; it will be an awful burden to us.
Gentlemen Of the House, they were aided
by an able attorney who is in this build.
this proposition. They were aided BY
an able attorney, they presented their
side of the case, and that committee
gentlemen, seeing far better than any Of
the proponents could explain to them
seeing by the attitude of the town OF
Rumford that we were helpless, did take
an interest Why? Because the town OF
Rumford at that hearing proved on,
cage much better than the feeble efforts
of any of the representatives of the towr
of Mexico could show it up to them. They
had produced here. gentlemen. bill fol-
your consideration. and they ask in this
bill that the State shall pay, not what
they would have to pay if we were build.
ing new bridge, because then the
amount which they would pay would be
$3.50 We ask that State of Maine unde,
this bill to pay $3.50 less than that sum
and who bears the burden? Mexico is
bearing that burden, not Rumford. We
ask the State of Maine to pay 20 per
cent. on $4,000. and that only. Under
the bridge act they would pay $500 The
committee considered the matter as tc
the ability of the county to assist, as
ehSs WOuio HdNS " dSSiol ulucI lHe
bridge act, and instead of the county
paying $3.50 they have asked the county
to pay $3.50. Who bears that extra bur
den? Is it Rumford. Not bit of 1t
The town of Mexico is going to bear i,
and is willing to bear it, and we do no!
need any referendum to do it. either.
| Now then We come to the town of Rum.
ford; and l want to say to you. gen.
tlemen, that the town of Rumford TO,
about 20 years after Rumford Falls be.
gan to grow was a one-man town. Now
gentlemen, it is not a one-man town. il
is ruled by two or three. The business
men of the town of Rumford petitioned
for this bridge to be freed by some meth
cd and it ought to be freed. Now where
| is it located? 1t is located nearly oppo-
site the oxford Paper Mill, nearly oppo-
site the Maine Coated Paper Mill, very
near the Maine Central railroad ship
which are all located in Rumford, and
the people of Mexico and vicinity pay
toll over this bridge to go daily to their
| work and from their work, and pay daily
to go to the town of Rumford to spend
their money with the Rumford merchants.
They pay daily to go to the town of Rum
ford to deposit their little savings, for
we have no banks over in Mexico. We
MT roOSt of o,1r savings into tolls II,