Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-12

| Mavor-elect Everett c. Wardwell,
| Republican. upon his Inauguration into
office at City hall Monday forenoon,
outlined his policies of work for 'le
| coming year. All through, economy
was the watchwurd and 1t was eVloellt
| that he intends mat the city AFFAIRS
| shall be run by r4ct business meth-
| DDS, and all possI. 49, expense cut doWh'
! No new projects NlIl be attempted "
the CITY if Mayor Wardwelrs policy is
followed and it is his hope to reduce
| the tax rate to % mills during his term
| OF office.
| He recommends the retention OF
! Eugene Crawford as city engineer anu
| electrician and also a civil service
basis for police department, street de-
partment and city hall employees. "A
city planning committee was also "spok-
en- of as possible Improvement III the
I management of municipal AFFAIRS.
| Mayor Wardwell said he saw no way
/ ir which the city could finance the pro-
/ posed park al, Lockwood and Bridge
streets He lto0k IN the fuel situation
and stated that conditions should be
fully known before, another winter.
In closing Mayor Wardwell solemnly
pledged the utmost efforts of the city
government in the support of the presi-
dent, the government, the army ana
the navy in the conduct of the war.
Party lines were strictly adhered to
in the election of the city ofhclals, anu
! there was not the slightest delay, IN
/ the contamination of the business IN
| hand. The Republicans having a plur-
| ality of one vote in the joint conNen-
| ton, carried everything with them.
| The entire slate went through as has
| been forecast, with hardly change
| The ceremony of inauguration of the
| new CITY government took place at
| City hall Monday morning. beginning
promptly at 10 o'clock. The retiring
mayor, Ora A. Meader, called the meet
| ing to order and appointed Aldermen
! Fred II. Rose George II. Simpson ana
Walter F. Thompson as committee on
credentials. Alderman Rose reported
| the following credentials received:
Ward /, Walter F. Thompson; ward 2,
Aubra McDougall: ward 3, j. Wallace
| West: ward a. George Hi. Simpson
ward 5, Fred II. Rose; ward 6, Fred e.
: Toulouse; ward I, Harry Belliveau.
| BY a compromise in the City council,
which stood seven to seven in regard
to party lines. W. r. Campbell, Repub-
| lican. was elected president and Emery
| L. csarty H"ss elected clerk.
| Mayor Meader uppoia Ted Alderman
| Rose and Councilman Campbell to eS
! cort Mayor-elect T.. erett c. Wardwell
to his station and tie oath of Office
was admit stored iy Carl C. Jones,
the retiring ciiy celrh
| ira rt VIZ. ,.rr,u ~ Rev. Frank
l.. ..uie.l of the Cultarian church, fol-
lowing which the joint convention was
dissolved
City Marshal Ernest E. Finnemore
/ appeared with beautiful basket of
Jacqueminot roses in which stood up
| right flag, sent to the new mayor by
the clerks III, his dry goods establish
meat.
Fred II. Rose was elected chairman
~ the board Of aldermen.
Tie city sfiIcials again went into
-"iut convention ard Mayor Wardweli
ro&l 81. .a. urui address "a follows:
M5yor va awclra Address
6eu;i1lnen q tIe c.! C.aucu..
We s,Il a>ssI.aa-aJ h-ic loday &C.
cause the voters D.. d: c4ty have in
| trusted 10 us the T;... Of conducting
| their affairs this fiscal year.
Ever since Waterville becamesa city
there has been steady growth in
population and steady increase II
valuation. The expense of conduotina
the affairs Of the city, however, hays
increased much more rapidly than tllt
| Voin1finn wit O. JaS1ilt that tnIJ
we are confronted by a situation thit
calls for intelligent thought, real Gus
mess methods and strict economy.
This financial condition can moi be
charged to any one bartysor any ons
administration. There has been more
or less steady increase in the 0ept
right along. Possibly one administra
ton would practice economy for a
year or two and reduce the debt a lit
tie, and the next government would
have a call for a schoolhouse. new
sidewalks, sewers, etc, and away goes
the previous savings and up goes tbs
debt to be handed down to their sue
cessors. II behooVcs us, as servants OF
the public. to consider carefully the
merits or necessity Of every item u
appropriations for money or orders,
I cutting out every dollar of expense noy
absolutely necessary.
The expenditure of over IS per cent
! Of the entire tax levy is fixed beyond
! your power to change. Such large items
! as school funds, high school expense
interest, State and county tax and 9TH
( ers are not in your power to change
| But on streets, City hall expense, poor
/ department, miscellaneous expense and
similar accounts there is chance ~
wise economy of cutting down the to-
tails very materially and of seeing that
the taxpayers get something for their
money.
! l see no way in which we can f.
nance neN projects calling for large
sums of money this year. Our finan-
cial condition at present is about as
follows: Bonded debt. up to the limit
! Notes in anticipation of taxes s13s. 600
! which pays the February rail. but
leaves little money for March bills.
/ nlfA nnTR 4