Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-13

ITSSiUGut, IA tIlS vi any
othe. resolve l think 1t our duty to
consider the necessity of the PROPOSE
tor. and l would like to call the at
tention Of the Senate to the necessity
Of this bridge. The senator from Som
erset Las very explicitly stated the con-
dition of the bridge as it exists ;,.ere
at the present time. Our bridge COM
mission has stated that this bridge was
built number of years ago AMI that
Il cost somewhere about $4,000. and in
driving over the bridge and looking
at it | am led to believe that their :;
innate is very nearly correct. Now TIE
bridge that crosses that river at :he
present time is not safe for the travel
that IS required of 1t. We believe 1t is
the duty - the state of Maine to pro-
vide transportation that is SAT, for ou-
people coming into and going out OF
the state TIL, resolve asks for an
appropriation of $50 70" to be raise1 bv
bond issue There is also another
bond issue that has been introduced into
this Legislature measure calling for
an amendment to our constitution AL
,horizing the issue of a sum no 10 $10
na.hoo for IN purpose Of building good
roads and bridges throughout our state.
and if this resolve goes through ha:
will provide for that sjNnnn
Now the necessity OF the case IS this:
That this resolve calls for an appro7ri-
alton to build :. part of the bridge
across this ri-er. and the state of New
Hampshire has offered to furnish like
amount of money. and this would mean
that the to states would contribute
the sum of si.oGN.0o0. with the under
standing that the federal government
Will furnish the balance Of the money
to complete the bridge. which will prob
ably be considerably over a million
dollars. The resolve does not compel
our federal government to contribute
this money and it is not conditional
upon that. because your committee
1Ind out that further up the river il
narrowed up and it would be possible
TO build a much shorter bridge. ond i.
may be b" lit for the sum of 81 so. 90.
but the trouble was that the it woull
not accommodate the navy yard. the
people employed at the navy yard. and
tIt pEoIOSIliou tIldt Is put up " tHtilt
was tina. if the State of Maine and the
state Of Jew hampshire will contrib
ute the cost hat it would take TO bull
tri ige further up the river they Will
move the bridge down SO that the navy
yard would get some advantage from
the bridge. provided they wolli pay
the additional COT.
1t was at first considered that this
, amount of 1l,ney should be raised. as
/ the senator from Somerset recommends
by direct taxation. $4,000 ger year. but
can tell YOU that | like the sound o.
the phrase pay as you CO.: il ap-
peals to lie. Tell Qe. gentlemen. il it
; fair for this Legislature to say to
the people CT the State of Maine that
we won't tax YOU s25o.nD in 1919 and
$500 in l!D to erect q bridge that
will asst for a, least hundred years
! do not believe that our people at
home. that the State OF Maine is war
ranted in forcing the people to such
course for .he next two years. espe-
ciall.- with the financial conditions Of
the country as they are at this time. to
those conditions No hroad-gauged
business man doing business 'today.
when he see; that it is to his advan-
taee to in crease his business, no
man will hesitate about doing i,
simply because he has got to
pay as he goes. We all know that
the corporations of this country
| issue bonds when they see it is to
their advantage to increase their bus
mess. Is it any different with he
State of Maine? Are We not war
ranted. if ~ can bring more husi-
ness into the State and make it SAT-
or for the people Of the State Of
Maine-are We not warranted in is
suing those bonds and letting the
people who come after us contribute
in part for the advantages which
they will receive"
Our fellow senator from Somerset.
Senator Walker: has suggested that
these railroads at the present time
are under federal control. and that
VIC have no assurance that they
would not build a bridge there.
admit that. but it would be a free
bridge or toll bridge. and the COM
mission has shown you what the tolls
are now; and if the federal govern
ment would build bridge there and
If it were governed and handled in
the same way they do their other
business then tn pople going across
the bridge would pay double the
amount in tolls from what they pay
TO-DAY. They are asking double price
! for freight and double price for pas.
sengers. and have We not right to
assume that when they build that
| new bridge that it will be Il toll
bridge there. and that If they will.
charge us for toll in the same ratio
it will be double what it is today.
The senator from Somerset has
touched on the matter of me. MORTAL
bridge. That matter was discussed in
the hearing at Washington, and il
appealed very much to our federal
government from the fact that it WAS
10 advantageously located for q me-
mortal Tor our soldiers and sailors.
Our boys from the State OF Maine
went across the ocean for what Was
it for the State of Maine or for the
United States? They gave I'D their
lives for the United States. Why,
then. is it not proper that the peo-
pie OF the State Of Maine, the 90
pie Of the state OF New Hampshore
and the federal government shouli
Unite in making this a memorial
bridge?
MI President, il this resolge should
be indefinitely postponed l believe
no. - ~