Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-13

F.. tnat 10 OOtn parties the controversy
Is entirely sincere, and that the Gov
ernor is entirely honest in his behalf
that no money should be allowed for
! special resolves; but the members OF
this committee feel that their posi-
, tion has not been plainly set forth
f: in this message and that some ex-
! PLANTATION is necessary.
| desire to refer to one or two par
! agraphs of the message. On Page 2.
at the bottom of the page. and ex-
tending on to Page we read: How
; resolves now before that committee
would be included in this program.
am not informed. If it includes them
! all. the amount directly involved
would be UP toward a million dollars
+. Members OF the Legislature know.
what unfortunately the people of the
! State ct largo, do not know, that this
committee has never asked for any
! such sum of money: that we have
| never planned or contemplated the
; expenditure OF moro than 100000,
and that we have pledged 10 keep
! ourselves that mark. if possible.
On pages four ana five Of the Mes
sage. We are confronted with a start
! ling display of figures regarding the
, effect that certain legislation would
| have upon the taxes of the various
! counties and classes there named
! l regret exceedingly that the impress
! sion should have gone forth into the
| far coners of this State that by reas-
! Oh Of the attitude OF this committee
such great sums are likely to be add
| ed to the tax burdens Of the class
; Of towns represented by it's members,
! and | have been at some pains to de-
ternline exactly what would be the
effect upon the taxes of our various
! classes if this 100000 should be
! raised by direct taxation. find
; that the Lisbon class, represented by
Mr.. Ciason, would pay sl,3o3.oa, and
| not SJl.47S. as the careless reader Of
this messabe might infer. The Booth
| bay class, represented by Mr.. Love,
would pay $1,o3-.0o. the Dixfield
class. represented hy Mr.. Pattee,
/ $4,000, the Perry class, which have
+: the honor to represent. $4,000, and
! the Wells and York elias. represented
| by Mr.. Williams, sl,a94.ro.
(! Another unhappy feature of the
J document before us is the repeated
| ailusiun to our House chairman.
F! want to say a word in his defense
/ have served with Mr.. C'ason at "A
| previous session. l have sat by his
side through many long hearings. and
; through many executive sessions
| lasting far into the night hours. and
i I have never yet known him to ask
| for a dollar for himself or for any o:
| his constituents. l have never known
/ him to ask special consideration for
! anyone who might be a friend OF
| his. 1 know of no one better &C
! quainted with the road problems OF
| Maine through actual contact with
| them than he. lie las always taken
! the ground that whereas his class
| was benefited by direct contact with
| the trunk line. he believed that other
F! less fortunate sections should be re-
membcred. Neither House nor Sem
ate chairmen have ever tried to die
! tate the policy Of our committee.
! The only word we have ever had
! from them was that we must keep
F.: these appropriations down.
! Now Just a word as to the merit OF
! some of the propositions that come
| before us for special resolves. We
have appeals by the dozen from poor
. and remote towns. towns that come
! to us with tales Of death and dis
! aster, with tax rates ranging very
, high. towns with no trunk line and
where the state aid seems slow
/ cure for their troubles. We have ap-
rcals from towns and plantations for
! the maintenance of roads that are of
F, no real value to the towns them
! stlves-simply thorouyhfarcs where
automobile traffic passes through:
| and have in mind one resolve for
f: the maintenance of a road across the
| Indian lands Of this State. That road
! was first provided for by a special re-
| solve III the Legislature Of 1868, and
, we have the record. 1t has been the
/ subject OF special resolves by every
Legislature from that day 10 this and
! there is no other way to provide for
, it. It is true that we have an cnuali-
! cation fund, hut | have Yet to learn
! where q single dollar Of that fund
(. was expended as the committee and
'
| 1t was established as AN experiment
/ tai measure, and from the point of
+; view Of our committee, the expert
| :lent was q failure.
Nor do | believe that all needs and
emergencies Of Names great system
of bridges can bc provided for un-
der the provisions of the General
Bridge law. l want to name one or
; two specific instances, and I may eng
| large upon one just {: little bit be-
cause ] happen to be familiar with
the conditions. | refer to the East
port bridge, su-ca!lcd.
This bridge forms the only bridge
to the city OF PASSPORT accessible to
the farmers of Washington county,
the automobiles Of the State at large,
or the touring parties making visits
to the coast Of Maine during the
summer. 1t is twelve hundred feet
long with tbirty-flve feet Of water
under it at high wate---water driven
with the whole force of the Bay Of
Fundy tide. The harbor ice crashes
against it in the winter time and it
is practically certain death to the
occupants of any team Or automo-
bile that break through it. Very
We'll. you say. PASSPORT should take
care of the bridge. Eut consider the
condition! The city has debt al
most to its iimit. carrying So, 900
of Civil War debt and $685. In