Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-05
MAYOR SWIFT SPEAKER AT
THE ROTAR|AN MEETING
Gives Most Interesting Address in Which He
Tells of the Growth and Development of the
City of Augusta - 7. A. Cooper Explains the
War Savings Stamps at Friday Meeting

- - - ASA~1
fishing houses, our shoe factories, ETC.,
| all of which have played such import
ant parts in our progress.
i Augusta became a city Dec. 81. 1872
and since this time city governments nave
! labored with the problems of city man
agement and city finances. One OF the
difficulties OF a new city government, ami
Old ones for that matter, has been to get
at the expenditures OF different depart
ments in order to determine their needs
and make appropriations intelligently as
the system of bookkeeping was based
upon the plan of grouping various items
I of expenditures instead of charging them
TO the departments for which the money
vas expended. Re ferrous auxiliary books
were kept, all OF .5hich resulted in confu-
sion and misunderstanding. To obviate
this difficulty an entirely new system OF
bookkeeping has been installed i'll accord
ance with modern business practice. max
ing il easy for anyone to acquaint him
self with financial conditions and the
standing of any department. believe this
will commend itself to every business man
and meet with general approval.
! If time permitted | would like to take
up all departments, but will touch upon
highways as this is one of the most i'm
pCrtant and one in which everybody is
interested. ! wonder how many rehlize
, that we have 50 miles of country high
ways and more than 80 miles Of city
streets, mileage nearly equal to the dis
lance between Bangor and Portland to
say nothing of sidewalks and sewers
which are constantly demanding atten-
pass through wooded sections where prac-
tically no revenue is obtained; they are OF
. clay hilly and rocky and expensive to
maintain and must be kept open in win
ter. Many miles Of these roads are direct
thoroughfares where the public expect,
and they have q right to expect, good,
passable roads under all ordinary condi-
tons and when they are not complaints
naturally and properly follow. Our citi-
Zens are very reasonable, but | wish all
could realize the extent of our road mile
age and the many urgent needs for i'm
provement and the small amount Of mon
ey available for permanent work. as very
little is left after providing for fixed
charges. ! am firm believer in trunk
lines and believe we should strive con-
stantly to place more of our roads under
1 State patrol and State supervision A
section has been under State patrol the
past season with very satisfactory re-
suits.
! The present city government. the same
as all others which have preceded it, have
adopted improvements in methods and
equipment and have worked hard to i'm
prove and better conditions with, hope
some measure Of success. The auto truck
has proved very efficient and after OBJ
serving its work the past season 7 am
fully convinced of the value OF motor
trucks for highway work and believe one
or two light trucks can be used to adj
vantage in this department.
/ Sidewalks all over the city are in
need Of repairs and | have often
/ thought how much 1t would improve
our city and property if they were all
: granolthic. The city stands ready 20
assume half the expense of this work
making the cost to abutters about 75c
per square yard and if it were done in
j a large way by using a mixing machine
this could be materially reduced. |
know of no other way in which prop
erty can be so much improved for suol,
small outlay. Occasionally some one
! VIII say: The sidewalk on our street
should he broken out earlier In the
morning or 1T should be sandetll
/ earlier without stopping to realize
! how great distance the teams have
10 cover or that more teams greatly
( Increase the expense. But we are bet
/ ter off than in many other cities, where
/ the sidewalks are kept clear Of snow
and ice by the abutters and if they are
not promptly cleared the property
owners are fined. l do not favor this
/ plan but mention it as one of the ad-
! NantageS of Augusta. | should like to
! take up this department in greater de-
! tail II time permitted but your city
government invites and welcomes aG-
vice and suggestions. and stands ready
at AL times to work with you for the
betterment and Improvement of this
department and ali others.
There is one matter of which I did
, not intend to speak but as it is of vita!
importance to the city perhaps a few
| words regarding it will not be out of
/ place. and that is the railroad rebate
I "'iiNI was ing cause OF one OF the most
I stubborn fights last winter in the his
/ tory of the Maine Legislature. During
| the time this was in progress which
/ kept your representative on the an
( Xious seat every moment, | maryeIed
! at the apparent lack of interest which
! Was shown by our citizens, but be-
lieve 1t was due to q Jack of inforlna-
ton regar riding the situation. Prior TO
/ 1881. all stock in the railroads of this
state was accessible at the munjcipal
. rate in the towns where it was held At
( his time. it was found that many of
/ the large holders We're pooling their
/ stock. sending il out of the State, and
in this way evading taxation To cor-
/ rect this, the Legislature lev.Hl a tax
upon the gross earnings of the roads in
! lieu of all other taxation which was
! payable direct to the State treasurer.
I Recognizing the rights of cities and
. towns where stock was held to their
! share of this tax. of which they were
F.! deprived by this act. provision WAS
made in the law TO rebate or return to
the cities and towns a portion of the
tax based upon the amount of stock
which was held in the town. In 1916. the
state collected from this source a lit
tie over a million dollars and rebated
or returned to cities and towns wher e
stock was held a little over 5000 001
leaving about 100000 in the State
| treasurer. Someone conceived the idea