Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-02-17

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Editor Democrat:
Az there 10 strong probability that
the people of Paris will have chance to
vote away large lot Of money at the
coming town meeting In March, wish
to call the attention Of the tax payers OF
the town to Just what the question IL
that they will be called upon to decide.
That there 10 need of something being
done to remedy the condition of the road
between the two towns 10 too apparent
to be discussed. The road last summer
was q disgrace to any, community and
such condition should not be allowed
to be repeated.
The proposal is to spend q sum of
money not exceeding $48, 10000 to build
cement road from the Norway line,
through Market Square, and on the Paris
Hill road a. far a. the Park Street
bridge, distance Of something IKE q
mile and quarter.
II has been gone into carefully, and by
the best advice that the citizens can get,
| it seems that cement road has been ap
proved of, as the most desirable and
that Ia what is proposed to be built.
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIONS TO THIS
ROAD?
10 there any citizen of the village Of
South Paris that has not seen pipe laid
sewer dug up, or the street dug ar
for some reason, at some time of every
year, within this mile and quarter that
Is to be put down in solid concretep
With the present trouble of frozer
water mains, what an endless expense II
would be to have to cut through the
concrete to get at the pipes beneath
As the water pipes get older there viii
possibly be more need than ever to gel
at them for trouble that may come In
the future.
There should be sewer the whole
length of this road, and the time will
coms when this will be necessity, and
the sewer should b. put in before there
10 anything permanent like a cement
road built.
WHAT WILL THE ROAD COST?
The proposal is for the road to cost
not more than $4s,OOO.OO. The citizens
of this town are too familiar with the
special town meetings called for the pur
pose of raising money to pay bills thai
have been incurred for highway ex
penses, so they must not be surprised II
this road overruns the proposed cost by
many thousands of dollars.
am not familiar enough with tht
details of the plan to make even poor
guess at what it ought to cost, but OF
general principles l would say that II II
Is estimated by engineers to cost $4S,
10000 that the actual cost will be Ovel
$50, OO0 90 before We are done with it.
There is always something happening
that we do not look for, the cost o.
material will 60 up, there will be BAG
weather, Q scarcity of help, poor help
the teams will not be there when wanted
too many teams one day, not enough or
the next day, always something to make
the cost larger than was planned on, anG
these may just as we'll be figured on thu
start as the finish, for they will have tc
be paid for.
HOW WILL 1T AFFECT THE TAXPAYERS
The present tax in the town of Psril
and especially in South Paris village Il
80 high now, that 1t ia not q good bust
ness Investment to build a house, and q,
badly as We need houses, there are 6
very few that have the courage to builG
one.
Assuming that am wrong in my fg
ures, and that the road will actually be
built for $4S, 100000 as according to thu
plan, what does that mean to the tax
payer?
It is doubtful II the bonds can bt
placed at this time for less than pei
cent, and II placed at this rate 1t would
mean S2SS0.00 for interest to be added
to the present amount to be raised, be-
sides the amount to be paid on the
bonds.
1t would not be wise to expect to pay
off these bonds faster that $4,000 90 q
year, which added to the interest would
start with an additional tax of $6SS0-0 O
for the first year, to be gradually de.
creased as the bonds are paid.
What has been the experience In the
matter of bonds and interest on ouI
water worksp
We have now been enjoying our OWL
water works for about ten years, and up
to this time we have paid off something
and have paid over SIS, 900 90 in interest
At this rate, we will have paid several
times the FIRST cost of our water works,
in interest, on the bonds, before they are
finally paid. Please remember that
these bonds were sold at per cent
rate which Is much less than We expect
to sell any bonds for at this time, and
which will largely increase the cost to
the taxpayers.
am going to assume that it will take
at least twenty years to pay off the $4S,-
10000 road bonds, and that the interest
and bonds will amount to considerably
over 500, 100000 before the bonds are
fully paid, even II the cost Is kept down
to the engineers estimates.
As matter of fact 1 really believe
that the estimates will be largely over.
run and that before the town has finally
paid for this small piece Of road, they
will have paid In bonds and interest over
1895, 100000. II am anywhere near
right, 1t will mean that the man who
now pays $4,000 per year tax, will have
to pay for this road alone, In addition TO
all other taxes, at least $25000 for every
$4,000 he pays now before the bonds
and interest will be completely paid.
HAVE WE A RIGHT TO SPEND so MUCH
MONEY?
You have all seen the advertisement,
diamonds on Credit" which is intend.
ed to make 1t easy for the people who
have no money, and need 1t, to get the
diamonds which they are better off with.
out.
Have we a right to spend all this
money on so short piece of road, even
If 1t is the most travelled of any road OF
similar length in the town. We should
do something to make this road better,
but to burden ourselves and our chill
dren, for something that Is better than
we need, seems to me to be unwise and
not good business proposition.
Paris Is large town, with great
many miles of road, and comparatively
few people for the size Of the town, and