Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-07

! after going to all the trouble OF get-
| ting q charter. why did they not ex-
ercise the authority granted by this
charter to make an assessment:
! Now I think there are perhaps TWO
| reasons why this assessment was not
made. In the first place. the people
| of Belgrade Lakes and village never
asked for any charter: in fact they
! did not know that charter was TO
be obtained. and they simply would
not stand for an assessment. There
may be another reason. The gentle
man who is most interested in this
| is the largest property owner in the
village. and the tax would fall heav-
! lily on him. Now the town objected
| to this amendment. The town had
no objection. and has no objection
| now. to the provision for sclf-assess-
ment. The town objects. l say, to
this amendment because, in the first
place. it simply is a one-man propo-
stion. and is in the interest of GER
tain proprietor. The town objects to
it because it would be unjust to every
section OF the town, unjust to North
Belgrade on the easterly side OF the
great lake, unjust to South Belgrade.
six mfles and half away. which is
as much Of a summer resort as is
Belgrade Lakes,-not so many going
there it is true, but each OF those
places have hotels and summer
camps. Let me say here that this
| amendment is not called for because
the village has always received what
ever it asked for in the way OF APP
preparations. Here are some Of the
appropriations made last year. State
aid road Sl.599. This was raised at
the annual meeting by petition of the
gentleman most interested in this
amendment. Maintenance. $3.50. for
this road. Now ii Is said that this
money was not expended within the
corporate limits. That is absolutely
i true it was not; but il was spent on
the road leading from South Belgrade
to Belgrade Lakes. and il never
| would have been spent If it had not
; been for that summer hotel proprie-
! tor up there. You cannot blot that
out. Then on the little road within
| the corporate limits called the Hulin
road, there was spent $3.50 out of the
general appropriation. Electric lights
in the village of Belgrade Lakes 500.
| Teacher at the common school.
$1S6; fuel, $50. making in all that
was spent on that school, 1876. Bel
, grade Lakes ditch. it is called here.
| 500. That was at a special meeting
| called for the purpose of this special
| appropriation. Sidewalks. $50, and it
| makes in all. reckoning one qua rter
| of town charges and one quarter
! high school. about $3.50. The total
tax paid by the corporation was So
$500. The corporation state and
county tax. s1.233. making in all, So
1S9. That was the amount of their
tax after taking out the corporation
state and county tax. They expcnd-
cd up there. S the town ella inns. about
| So.lS0.o6, either for the benefit OF that
i property there or on roads leading to
that village. The total valuation, as
l have stated. is $150.00O.
| Now they say that they want
| this 20 per cent for fire protcc-
ton. If they wanted fire pro-
| lection up there, why did they
not ask the town TO make an appro-
priation for that purpose: That is
the point. There never have asked
| the town for any appropriation tor
! nre protection. so far as / know. If
| they wanted an appropriation and
wanted money to aid in a domestic
! water supply. why did they not ask
! the town for it? But they never
have done it. They come here to
the Legislature without asking the
! town. to accommodate the residents
of Belgrade Lakes and North Bel
grade. Two years ago the town was
| divided into voting precincts under
the new law, so that each of the sec
! tions of the town now has a polling
place. This has no direct bearing on
| this case. but it shows the attitude
Of the town toward these outlying
districts-thcse little villages. that is
that they are doing oil they can to
| accommodate them. You will prob
ably have your attention called to
certain towns of the State that pay
! back to the village corporation a
! certain percentage OF the taxes paid.
| hut in each case I think youl will
find that the town has refused and
| perhaps repeatedly refused, to make
a reasonable and suitable appropria-
/ ton. This is the case of some of the
islands off the coast. but YOU will
find other cases where it is true
that the town pays back certain
| percentage of the tax money that
a large part of the taxable property
! of the town is within the corporate
limits. Now these are not parallel
cases with the ones where liberal
! appropriations have always been and
! made the village only contains small
j part Of the taxable property of the
| town.
Then. again, we object to this be-
cause it is a bad precedent. How
many villages in the State that are
! summer resorts will be asking for
| similar legislation in the future: We
do not know. The precedent is a
| bad one.
1t seems to me that the time has
come when we should take a decided
| stand in this matter and put the
stamp of disapproyal on this method
of obtaining money. and get back
! f, old
| where all can hoe in and are free to
state their claims. and where we can
depend on the fairness and honor of
our fellow citizens to give us a just
| and fair deal.
| There was a movement last sum-
| mer q t North Belgrade. three miles
! to the cast of Belgrade Lakes VIII
| LACE, to have that section of the town
| set off as separate municipality.
/ Meetings were held and committees
! appointed to put this matter through.
What was the principal argument
| that they used? Simply that Bel
| grade Lakes village. three miles on
| the other side OF the lake. was get
ting more than their share of the
! appropriation. Now ] have been a
resident of the town of Belgrade for
about twenty years. and never dur
ing that time have l opposed or voted
| against an appropriation for that
| little village. 1t is a beautiful little
! village and contains one of the finest
| hotels in the State. and we believe
! in doing all we can to encourage it:
| and ! am free to say right here and
now that If at any time the time
| should reverse. its policy of liberality
| toward this little village. 1 would he
willing to so before any committee
Of the Legislature having the bill in
! charge. and advocate a favorable re-
| port on a bill with provision SINH