Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-15
0 more than $4,000, 900 which is asked

State of Maine, look carefully before we
venture upon any such plan as That
which has been seriously proposed in
this $6,000.000 bond issue?"
Prof Files said that so far as the
| State of Maine is concerned it simply
needs mill tax for the next four years
! to come, which with the federal aid will
| furnish al the revenue which we can
| use economically to complete the roads
in our State and that in all probability
| this4would be true for the next 10 or
Is years to come
| President Charles F. Flagg of the
/ State Board of Trade, spoke in favor of
the mill tax, saying the State Board
! had gone on record in favor of good
roads and on January 10 this bill had
come before their Legislative committee
and a resolution had been passed en-
dorsing it. He offered tn. resolution in
evidence He said it was poor business
| to build good roads and then 60 to sleep
and let them go to pieces He believed
that good roads should be constructed
today so that we could enjoy them here
and not have to look down on them from
Paradise.
| Charles S. Stetson, formerly master
of the State Grange, said he simply
/
sions made by newspaper reports and
! by circulars to the effect that the ru-
raj people, whom he represented, didn't
understand the mill tax. He said he
was one who sat in to represent the
State Grange at the time this bill was
drawn and that they had authorized
him to endorse it. He said he had been
talking the bill before about $500 peo-
pie within the last few days and he
had found just four men opposed to
the mill tax plan. DO not think the
people of rural Maine do not know the
difference between mill tax and
bond ISSUE" he said. "They know
whole lot more about the mill tax than
some people give them credit for
Timothy F. Callahan, the budget di-
rector. spoke largely in figures. He said
he was for the mill tax and strongly
against the bond issue, because the mill
tax would give all the money needed
without any rate of taxation.
Hon. f. w. Wheeler of Brunswick,
formerly of the Governors Council.
spoke of the desirability of creating Il
mill tax fund. He said it would do
away with the special resolve which
has yearly come before the Legislature.
causing a lot of log rolling and imped-
ing good legislation. He believed the
mill tax afforded more satisfactory
plan for the development of our high
ways and that it has the popular sup I
port.
Others who spoke in favor were
Frank ReGington of Waterville, Ma
jor John w. Berry Of Gardner, +. l..
Brown of Norway, representing OK
ford county, and Charles l.. Cobb of
Denmark.
The opposition's side of the case was
opened by Rep. Redman of Ellsworth
father of the bond issue bill, who
claimed the right of speaking against
the mill tax bill and in favor of his
own bill and in rebuttal.
LYMAN H. Nelson OF Portland was
the first speaker against the mill tax
and in favor of the bond issue. He said
he represented only himself and dealt
in n maze of figures that would make
ones head swim to read. BY way of
Illustration he selected number of
towns which would be assessed under
the mill tax and the amount they :
would receive back under the same.
For instance, Bath would have to raise .
$64SS and receive back only S433, while ,
the town of Greene would have to raise !
$406 and receive back but $107, the /
whole source of this increase being a
direct tax upon the property of this
State.
He said that through the establish
ment of this mill tax a pork barrel
would be created and a pure political
measure would result. Il am a Re
ubican and / think it wrong to bring
this matter into politics and | protest
to turning this over to Republicans as
| did in turning it over to Democrats
Our present Highway Commission is
above reproach and | am proud of
them and ! do not mean to insinuate
that they areain any way or would be
in any way responsible if politics
should creep in
Mr.. Nelson then went on to show the !
merits Of the bill providing for bond
issue for permanent improvements and
said we would not escape interest
charges even if we had a mill tax.
Rep. Redman took the floor in his
own behalf and in burst of oratory
made defence of his bill which must
have had it's effect upon the commit
tee He said it cost about $4,000 a mile
to build road, but that after il was
oullt II would last and be of benefit for
200 years to come. -Four thousand
dollars Of the cost Of that road will go
into road that will be q benefit to
generations to come. Permanent con-
struction is the objective which we are
aiming at and do not believe in put
ting our money in surfacing."
after all is said and done. should
the mill tax go through, we only have
left $108,000 for State highway con-
struction and this must be divided all
over the state and the result is that ,
we will build about 81 miles of high
way and this will mean about two ,
miles split up into Is counties. the ,
18th county getting federal aid. f.,
You see lot Of farms abandoned
all over this state today" said Mr.
Redman. young men being educated
at the state expense and when thew
have received their education tbev on
into other states, catch the spirit ora
other states and never want to come
back to take up their abode in Maine
Sons and daughters of Maine are