Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-02
STENO6RAPHIC REPORT
(conti.ued from Page Two)

(contisusd from Page Twol
The history Of the state. Some Of
them had trouble with the drain
age. others said that the roads were
bad.
Now everybody here knows that
the roads in the State of Maine are
bad an OVER the State. That is no
reason why you should divide a
town. They said that the school,
houses were bad. Why, I understand
that a few years ago they had to
build two outhouses for every school,
house in the town. Even the condi-
tons in town often have something
to do with the conditions of the
schools Really you must consider
lust what the status Of morality
may be in these matters. But we had
no time to consider that any further
than it appeared at this hearing.
Now gentlemen, have in this case
reduced certain reasons that I had to
writing in order that the committee
Of the whole might have my views on
this proposition, and I have stated
them as reasons why South Thomas
ton should not be divided. In the
UTSL place tikC toWh 10 tOO small.
Owls Head would only have square
miles; what was left would only
have II. Now this is only 20 square
miles; that is half township The
old town Of Thomaston itself has
been divided and subdivided, and
where are you going to stop? The
population of South Thomaston, as
my brother from Oxford has said. was
a little over 1900 in the census of
1910. and at the last census of, 1920
il was only $50. Now the question
was raised, where have those people
gone? I do not know. They are
gone, and If you divide the town, you
get two little towns of less than 500
each. The statement of the pro-
ponerts that there are 10 towns in
the State of Maine that are smaller
in the point of population than this
one is no argument in it's behalf It
is a misfortune that the State has a
lot OF little towns. and two of them
we have disorganiZed right here in
this body this session.
We have Some more that ought to
he. ] saw one in the Maine register
that has no town officers at the
for an election and they are going to
stay in the express office because
there is no town clerk to receive
them.
My second reason for not dividing
the town of South Thomaston is that
it is unfair. The town of Owls Head
is asking for 100000 of valuation to
support 13 miles of highway of which
99SCn is State aid under patrol
which leaves to old South Thomas
ton. with only $4,000 valuation
g 1-2 miles of poor road. only very
small portion of which. ] think about
three miles. is under State patrol.
believe that on the question of high
ways alone this town will come be
fore this State asking for aid inside
of ten years.
The third reason why ! believe the
town of South Thomaston should not
be divided is this. the majority of
the Inhabitants of this town are OPP
posed to the division, about two to
one. At Ingraham's Hill, a small
village within the proposed area Of
the new town, 75T6 are opposed to the
division, and at Ash Point another
little hamlet, also within the Owls
Head district, 95N are opposed to
the division.
AS have stated the reasons for
division are only preteXts, and we
cannot see why private matters
should enter into these things. 1t is
very plain to me that in many of
these cases of special legislation,
what is one mans meat is another
mans poison, and we have got to
recognize that fact here in legisla-
ton, because it is almost p human
axiom.
My fourth reason is that this would
he a civil crime. A division of towns
directly concerns the future policy
of this State. 1t increases the eX
pense of civil administration. It
opens up the equalization funds in
this State to the demands of more
and more little towns, and it makes
it harder and harder for the State
to maintain its burdens which are al
ready large. One of the reasons
given in the hearing was that if these
two towns were created it would open
the equalization funds of this State
to their support. Now. gentlemen. a
rough definition of the law and the
enactment of law is simply, help for
the under dog IF all men were fair
in this world. there would not he any
need of any law or any legislation
if every man would try to help his
neiehbor and try to do all he could
for him. Now in this proposition 7
believe that the old dead end of
South Thomaston is the under dog,
and believe it is AGAINST the inter-
ests of the State of Maine to provide
any such little insignificant town as
this, do not believe. anC I do not
believe that You believe. in dividing
the State of Maine up into mince-
meat.
Mr.. THOMPSON Of Knox: Mr.
President the Sena tors who have last
spoken, Senator Spencer and Sena-
tor Eaton have reminded me of
some things which I intended to say
when 7 was first on my feet. 7 do
not know whether mentioned it or
not but the town of South Thomas
ton has trust fund the income OF
which is about 5000 annually. OF
course by any division the new town
would lose that fund.
l desire to answer the suggestion
made by Senator Eaton and Senator
spencer that the town had gone from
IL - H.