Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-03-12

peopRIATIoNs NOT TAKEN Up.
nr A G. Hagerthy was inaugurated as
u,oyor of Ellsworth on Monday, for the
aI.yenth time. Thsre was no special
obseryance, as has marked the last two
s.ors and the new board took up IT'S work
=, organization as routine.
The meeting was opened by City Clerk
uole. The board organized by the cleo
zion of Horace F. Nescots as president.
:, vas voted to accept the returns OF the
,-,-;ous ward clerks as evidence OF cleo
,ion. The roll was called as follows:
Ward Horace f. Wesoott
Frank r.. Moore
8 Leon II Brown
Lyndon II Phillips
Charles X Fuller
AID. Brown and Fuller were appointed a
committee to escort the mayor-elect to the
ch,i,. Prayer was offered by Rev. X. II.
uovle of the Methodist church.
The oath OF office was then administered
,otbe mayor and aldermen by City Clerk
Hale The board proceeded to the cleo
,ion Of city clerk, and five ballots were
cast for T. E. Hale, who was sworn in by
the MAYOR. This is Mr.. Hale's twenty
fourth term as city clerk.
MAYORS MESSAGE.
The message OF Mayor Hsgerthy was
then read by the city clerk as follows;
Gentlemen of the Board Of Aldermen
One year ago, with majority OF the
members OF your present board, we organ
lied for the then ensuing year, and in the
midst OF the worlds greatest war, planned
az best we could to carry on the duties
and responsibilities intrusted to us. The
visest person living could not prophesy
what the future would bring forth. We
knew conditions would be such that every
person. rich or poor, would be called upon
TO contribute TO their utmost to help carry
on the big ideas necessary to winning the
war as speedily as possible.
With this in mind and to make local
taxes as low as possible, we scaled down
appropriations from former years to
figures that looked uncertain. We sue
ceeded in giving the taxpayer a low rate
Il may say, lower than many towns in
this county. We made improvements in
many places, looked after soldiers de-
pendents in every instance reported to us,
complied with the mothers aid law, ex-
pended money in other necessary ways
that we could not foresee when the appro-
pristions were passed upon. Yet, with
these additional burdens and the high cost
OF material in every line, we came through
the year nearly within our estimate.
We are now about to plan for another
year. The war is won, but the bills are
not paid. Every citizen OF this city must
pay his proportional part Of the State and
national assessment in one way or the
other. Over those taxes we have no con-
troll, but we can do our part as far as we
are liable for local taxation. This is no
ordinary year, gentlemen, from business
standpoint, and 1 ask you carefully to
consider the appropriations for every de-
partment you will be called upon to APP |
prove bills for. suggest that before you |
finally agree upon the total OF your appro- |
pristions, you wait as late as possible, so |
that you may have time to try to ascer- |
tain what our State and county taxes will |
be for the ensuing year, both of which
are most certain to carry large increase
from last year.
personally do not want to curtail on
necessary expenditures and improve
lnents, and know you feel likewise, but
as business men you will consider care
fully between the necessities and lux
ures, and whenever or wherever the lat
ter appear, you must refuse to sanction
Them Ny hope, unless forced by in
creased State and county taxes, is to hold
the 1913 rate as low or even lower than
that Of 1918.
HIGHWAYS.
Roads, sidewalks and bridges in our
city are always troublesome problems.
We have many miles of roads to care for.
1t requires skillful management to APP
portion to the various sections what we
are able to appropriate. Seasons vary.
oftentimes we do not succeed in getting
the best results from the money expended.
we start out in this department this
year under new management. With the
assistance of the high-powered truck we
were able last year to get very good re-
SUITS upon State-aid road, and this year
we can doubtless do much more.
SCHOOLS.
without the common schools there
"ouio De no colleges. Our school system
~ tue past year has gone through an
Unusual experience. The members of
tne experimenting committee, who act
without any Compensation, are to be
a'uiS'eo upon the manner in which
'neS nave overcome many troublesome
'ua'iohs' Deserted by their superln-
'endent in the midst Of the epidemic
- IN tne middle of the school year,
embellishments