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


,otber matrimonial bonds this has be-
oor,e q little bit irksome after a while
and one of the consorts, you see, is OBJ
iecting to this yoke. / anticipate tnat
the one who wants the divorce in Mex
leo and for the reason of course that
they can get across the bridge cheaper
iif made a free bridge. But let's see
what the situation would be II the
bridge had not been built-if the fer
ry were there. How about continuing
as it is for just a short time longer
and then freeing themselves? Now
what do they ask? They ask that the
Legislature Of the State shall step in
and shall cut this bond that connects
them by making it free bridge. but
that they shall do it at the expense of
the rest of Oxford county. Now Ok
ford county isn't very wealth coun-
ty; and if I understand the law-I may
be wrong of course-I cannot see how
the bridge building matter should be
considered here or how it would have
any effect remembering that the Leg
islature already. right here, have set
down and figured that the people of
Oxford county shall be taxed especial
ly this coming year for Rumford and
tIACAlCo LII tuCy are utltcu duu li1teE-
ested in that supreme court business.
Remember this although you may get
the other impression from the speaker
who preceded me. that that arrange
ment was made by agreement of the
town Of Paris holding the February
term after the committee had reported
it out because they had agreed upon it.
But here you are asked to tax all the
property in the county Of Oxford, an
the farm property and visible property
that the town assessors cannot help
seeing-all of that you are asked to
tax all over the county to free this
bridge which by the united opinion of
the best business men of that section
will free itself In very few years
without any exorbitant tax on any
body. Now it is natural that the town
of Rumford should object to the State
and this Legislature assembled fixing
the tax of Runlford every year. II is
natural that they should say, "Why,
let us settle our own tax" 1t is nat
iural that Newry, Hiram and. Porter,
Grafton and such towns which will not
be benefited one iota by putting this
bridge over the Androscoggh at this
northeastern corner OF the boundary
should say, do not tax us for it" ]
am speaking advisedly for the rural
sections of Oxford county and there
are men good and true here who will
deny what l say if | am not stating it
right. When you are talking about put
ting a tax on property can there be
: anything more fair than putting it to
q referendum to the people who have
to pay the tax? Gentlemen, you know
the situation-spme of you-up in the
northeastern corner of Oxford county.
1t is bridge across the Androscoggin
river that affects a very small proper
ton Of the population of the county
and there is the rest of the county
that is not interested in or benefited
by itS Arrangements have been made
: by good business men so that it will
free itself in 10 years time. They asked
for this two years ago and got it and
were to be bound together for 10 years.
1t seems to me that the argument of
the gentleman from Rumford, my
friend Mr. Eaton, is the one that we
should accede to; and it seems to me
that my brother Hutchins would not
ask anything different except that he
represents the people that work or
earn their wages in Rumford and sleep
in Mexico. 1t seems to me fair that the
amendment be adopted
Mr.. HUTCHINS: Mr.. Speaker, I did
not understand that this referendum
had any thing to do with the other
sections of Oxford County than Rum
ford and Mexico. | did not under
stand that anyone was in favor of any
referendum except the town of Rum
ford. Does the amendment call for a
referendum to the County of Oxford ?
The SPEAKER: The Chair under
stands not-the town, of Mexico and
the town of Rumford.
Mr.. HUTCHINS: Mr.. Speaker. !
wish to say just one more word, anH I
hate to do 1T. But before that ! wish
to say word that l am glad to say,
and that is, if by any inference from
my remarks any member of this House
could consider that l referred to my
Brother Eaton in a way that would
suggest that he represented here at
this time any company or any private
interests, wish them now to under
stand that ! know he would not do it..
But do wish them to understand that
the powers -that-be in the Town of
1euiIiOiIo al e AIttiCSlSu III lilooC tlilHS3S
and are protecting somewhat the pric-
es, of land in certain sections of the
town of Rumford.
Now, I wish to refer to the financial
situation of the Town of Mexico before
closing. 1t is a town that has I'M
usual burdens. 1t is a town that is
poor and it has nothing to tax in the
way of Observation-Disclosures nothing.
The homes are taxed; the farms are
taxed, and that is about all we have to
tax Our burdens do not come from
that particularly. but from the fact
that in Rumford the land is so high
and rents are SO high that the men
working in those manufacturing
plants and the paper mills come into
the town of Mexico with their large
families to live, and we are glad to
welcome them. They come in there
and our school burden gentlemen,
believe, is unparalleled in the State Of
Maine. With the building of school
houses and the support of the common
schools and high schools, more than
so per cent. of all the taxes we raise
goes into schools. Now, we are not
Sinking that burden. I happen to be
a member of the School Board and
know what our burdens are. We are
0 fitting hnEG and iDlS ND