Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-18

found in the amount of the approprla.
| ton provided. $4,000 for each OF tne
there that the expenditure would stop
there1 We have just had an liiuM IL
mating exposition of what may .pe s
done by a governor and counch VII W.,
some 50, 100000 of the states Iunos
expended without specific direction py
| the Legislature. Every tndnkinE per -
| son is aware that 100000 wouIo u, e
| but q slight distance in the d1recIlon
in which this bill travels. is aware tnat
| 1t would make but a small start;
Most of US who have watched snc
work of the Legislatures know that
once a state is committed to prolect
and a start in expenditure has no3en
made that each succeeding sesGQn
sees larger and larger sums expe2ned
has been made and that unless Ethe
project Is continued the hrst- appro,
! priations will have been/wasted. And
so the good money is invariably thrown
Now let us see what is proposed for
a park. 1t is almost wholly in
Fiscataquis county with the exception
of quarter of township which Is IN
the area to Mt. Katahdin proper. but
takes in much territory at it's slopes
and to the east extends far from the
mountain- AS we understand 1t the
plan contemplates the eventual owner
Of which but about one-third is the
area of the mountain itself.
Apybody who has 5pe Least east * Kn onee
| recognize that an appropriation OF
100000 would be but a small start
in the direction Of accusing this
an acre the plan contemplates an ex-
penditure of 100000 for land: The
assessed value of this land is 1926. 772
and assessors value is far below the
But the purchase Of the land is but
the start of the expense. There would
be the loss to the State of the taxation
value of the properly, neat sum each
operating labor on hundreds of thou
sands cords of wood at Sc cord, to
say nothing of the cost of labor on the
mill end. And this wood would not
be cut on the mountain but at conSid-
cradle distance from it and in no way
injuring the scenic value,
The plan of the promoters contem-
plates a series of roads and paths,
from Stacyville and from Millinocket.
These roads would be long and diff
cult of construction and estimating
the cost from the expense undergone
road construction under similar condi-
tions it is fair proposition to esti-
mate that road into the park from
s ssSo gv to 3 p0 d oo you'd cost from
You see that rolling like SNOWFALL
from the small start there opens
vista of expense TO the State of Maine
reaching into the millions. And after
pleted, should the good sense of the
Legislature and the people Of Maine
fail. we would have what?
We would have a State park at
Mt. Katahdin but what would we have
that We do not have beyond very
expensive addition to our road sys ten?
We would have Mt! Katahdin and its
adjacent suburbs owned by the State
but we would have nothing for the
people that they do not now have. To-
day anyone who wishes may freely
visit the mountain and enjoy it's seem
cry. The beautiful peak, most. of the
time, snowcapped, and towering ma
Jestical1y.. cannot be lowered by hui
mar: hands. There is no incentive to
lumber upon the mountain for the cost
would be xcessive.
The people Of Maine have always
possessed Mt. Katahdin, they will al
ways possess it regardless Of it's own
taken away or the protection that it
affords to the water powers by it's
sheltering shades. 1t is. a territory
that is free to visitors.
joyed statehood there have been no
strings upon Mt. Katahdin and why
now. when the exchecquer Of the
State is in the most serious condition
millions be expended to acquire some
thing that is practically and to all in
tents and purposes the property of the
cannot et We'll is ea aoe aone why h
sudden emergency has risen to make
necessary such draft upon the State
treasury?
;, The suggestion has been made that
the State may .recoup something of it's
eXpe1n,dltures by numbering. What
gument has been that the region
should the State enter upon the Ium
berlng business? And if numbering
why not agriculture and manufacture
Ing in various industries?
There is not the slightest reason to
our mind why the proposal should 20
beyond the purchase Of the mountain
itself. If that. Anything else is IN
dous burden upon the State, a burden
tnat would steadily increase for many
years until the purchase price and the
road aevelopment is completed at a
would be the upkeep and the personnei
making a very material draft annual
~ upon the States resources.
erss1 r n mas Deen suggested that the Fed
oyer Mt. Katahdin for Federal park.
me national government is steadily
emerging It's system of federal parks
a tablis very probably will eventually es-
has on Mt. Desert Island And then
the people of Maine would have every
possible advantage that could accrue
from ownership without the expendi.
ture OF millions badly needed by the
state Tor more pressing demands
Let us look at this matter in
Of what the State can and cannot OF
Iord And when we consider the i'm
peratlve calls upon the treasury from
our our many wards we must arrive af
the conclusion that the Mt. Katabdin
project contcmplates. an unwarranted
and wasteful expenditure of mone.
Ihat Is not justified by any possibIe
course of, reasoning. fSioie
An UneaIIed-For Extravaeance
Bangor News)
The purchase by the State Of
Mount Katahdin and surrounding
territory, an area of 6D,S12 acres. and
maintenance of the tract nc n r,,,,.