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

not want to have that old town ia.
jured by bad legislation; we do not
want our villages discordant and con-
tentiops. each seeking for some An
ancial advantage over the other. We
do not want to see the towns sad
died with a proposition like this by
persons who are seeking some per-
sonal gain.
II my position in the matter is
reasonable, ! ask for your support in
the indefinite postponemcnt Of the
bill.
Mr.. HALE OF Portland: Mr.
Speaker and gentlemen, | am well
aware that no controversies which
come into this House arouse deeper,
and in some cases bittcrer. feelings
than local controversies arising in
towns over questions of separation or
questions of taxation. We had a
signal example of that two years ago
in connection with the towns of
Wells and OgunQuit. We were re-
minded Of it little earlier this
morning in connection with the sep
aration desired by the town of Beals
from the town Of Jonesport, and
think that we set an excellent pre-
cedent this morning in following the
report OF the committee which gave
careful and attentive consideration to
the facts OF the case. A committee.
Mr. Speaker and gentlemen. in mat
tiers OF this kind. serves very much
the same function as a jury in civil
trials. They are impartial. they
ought to be impartial. and ] think
our committee in this instance was
entirely impartial. They weigh the
evidence. they not only hear the testi-
mony. but they see the witnesses.
and they have an opportunity to
form their opinions as to the credi-
bility OF those witnesses or the mo-
tives which animate those witnesses.
Our committee. Mr.. Speaker and
gentlemen. gave four hours OF patient
and attentive consideration to all the
witnesses who would be heard in this
matter. I want to say at the outset.
before commenting on the testimony
adduced. that / think it is a most
extraordinary argument from my
friend from Belgrade. Mr.. Stevens, to
say that this resolution creating the
Village Corporation was obtained in
1921 without the knowledge or assent
OF the town. The town of Belgrade
has always. think. been represented
in this Legislature. and the citizens
of Belgrade can always find out what
has been happening in this Lesisla-
turc. and nothing in this Lcgisla
ture Is put over or done in the dark
or done without the knowledge of
Belgrade and every other citizen of
this State.
Now the gentleman from Belgrade,
CHR. Stevens). says. quite correctly,
that the original bill, passed in 1921.
permitted the citizens of the Bel
grade Village Corporation to assess
themselves in addition to the assess
ments levied by the town. and he
asks why they did not avail them.
selves of the privilege given them in
that legislation. 1t appeared to The
committee that the reason why they
did not avail themselves of that
privilege was because they were al
ready bearing an excessive burden of
town taxation and there was no rea-
son why they should assess them
selves further for benefits which the
town had not given them.
Now. let me recapitulate for a
moment the facts of this case. My
friend from belgrade (Mr Stevens
has already stated where the Village
Corporation is located. AS he So i'd
l think. it is summer community
and the area of the Village Corpora
ton contains four hotels. and within
a compact area. about ninety build
ings consisting Of stores. dwellings.
a church. schoulhouse, theatre, and
other buildings. The collection from
the estates and polls in the whole
town for 1872. We're twenty eight
Thousand and odd dollars. and
twcnty-;hree thousand dollars after
the deduction of the State and County
hi af 1, -,
thousand and odd dollars the town
contributed s5.337.44. or practically
rs per cent of the entire tax of the
towns per cent of the taxable
property of the town lying in one
corner of the town. without fire pro-
lection. Now it seems to me to be
evasion for the gentleman to come
here and say that they Will got fire
protection when they ask for it.
They should have had fire protection
long ago and it is no defense on his
part to say that they have not come
and asked for it, because it seems
to me that the enlightened policy of
that town would be to look to see
whether % per cent OF its taxable
property had fire protection.
Ny friend from Belgrade (Mr.
Stevens) introduced one element in
to this debate which / regret. He
made accusations of personal bad
faith against a man who pays heavy
taxes in the town. by saying that
that gentleman had promised that no
measure would cost the town a cent.
] regret that attack because the gem
tleman who is attacked cannot de-
fend himself on this floor. He has
no vote on this floor and think that
even if the accusations were true.
which I believe they are not. that
they should not have any weight
with this House.
Now the evidence disclosed that
after contributing fifty-three hun
drcd and odd dollars last year in
taxes the town spent in taxes in the
area of the Village Corporation only
about s3,600.00 or $500 less than the
amount received from the town. and
the only way they can get anything
like a balance on these figures is by
throwing on to the account OF the
Village Corporation figure of 81
$1,000 for a State aid road which is
almost entirely without the area Of
the Village Corporation. and which
is no more chargeable to the Village
Corporation than the State road
from Kittery to Portsmouth. which.
of course. is great help to the VIII
lage Corporation as it is to the rest
Of the State of Maine. To attribute
that expenditure to the Village Cor
poration is absolutely unjust and abb
solutely misleading. So the Belgrade
Lakes Village Corporation is getting
about s1.500.00 less in taxes than it
pays in and it is only asking for 90
per cent of the taxes which is paid.
or about 100000 a wear. If the
Belgrade Lakes Village Corporation
gets that sum of money and lays 1t
out on fire department.. l personally
do not believe that the town Of Bel
grade is going to pay a cont more
than if it tried to maintain the fire
denartment itself.