Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-09
Citizens Ladd and
Heselton Protest
Approximation Bill

At recent meeting held at the
Community Hall, E. p. Ladd, and
George w. Heselton- spoke for the
petitioners who have protested
against the present Appropriation
Bill, which will be voted upon on
May Goth.
Mr.. Ladd was the first speaker.
Hessaid that the claim that the petit
ton had INSTRUCTED the cities bust
ness was absurd and evidently used
to get sympathy: that the assessors
had not completed their work of
valuing the city's property and
would not for weeks: that the COM |
mitment Of the taxes could not be
made till July and the taxes would |
not be due until Sept. In the mean |
time the city government could do
business just as they were, and just
as previous city governments had.
by temporary loans. If the voters
sustained the protest there is ample
time, to revise the Appropriation Bill
and pass it before the assessors had
done their work. He said the pro-
test was only aimed at one item, that
for the streets, which included street
lighting and re,surfacing Water
street; that no objection had been
made to any other appropriation for
any department.: that IL the city
government was anxious to hurry
matters, 1t could have done SO by
recinding the Appropriation Bill and
revising 1t so as to exclude street
lighting and defer the work on Wa
ter street until it had obtained plans
of the work to be done and the ex-
tent of the cost. AS to street light
ing. he said, that 1t involved a per-
manent expense which the city in its
nff ord
and benefited only a limited few of
our citizens. AS to the repairs of
Water street. he Believed that a care
full survey of conditions under the
surface should be made as well as on
the surface, before anything was
done: that the sewers were declared
by Engineer Danforth obsolete
twenty years ago: that the uneven
surface of the street was due to the
digging 1p OF the pavement to re-
pair water and gas mains which
were very old and constantly need
ing repair. These should be remov-
ed from Water street or placed in
conduits to avoid breaking the sur
face, after plans were were properly
made of what this work to should
be and what it would cost. The citi-
Zens could then determine whether
proceed without them would not be
business-like. No citizen would
build a $1,000 or $4,000 house and
put it on posts. He warned the
voters of the expense which must
be provided Tor in the. Gardiner and
Randolph bridge in the immediate
future: he called attention to the
claim that one-third of the taxes in
volumn which was pair into the city
came from tax payers who wanted
these improvements but the most of
these taxpayers owned stores on
Water street, which would increase
IN value by the improvements or
were store keepers who would add
any increase of their taxes to the
price OF their goods and thus the
whole burden would finally rest
upon the consumer and largely on
: the poll tax payer who paid rent,
bought food and clothing.
Mr.. Heselton said that his chief in
terest in calling this matter to the
| attention of the voters was to arouse
a general interest If possible among
the citizens in the cities affairs. Cen
orally the public only interest them
, selves at election time, then after
they become dissatisfied with in
creased taxes or raised valuations,
they then want, either to change the
personne lof the government at the
next election. or revise the charter,
what they should do would be to
, keep in touch with what the gov
eminent is doing all the time and
especially when 1t was making up it's
Appropriation Bill. At that time was
fixed the amount 1t would either in
crease or decrease the taxes and
valuations, those who had special
privileges to ask for, were always
on the job and asking appropriations.
He said: I'VE elected our govern
ment this year hopefully expecting
they would at least not appropriate
more than was done last year, but
would more wisely and economically
spend the city's money; that the APP
preparation Bill as published, gave no
information as to what was to be
| done with the $4,000 appropriated
for streets. 1t was only through
newspaper articles that it was known
that the new street lighting project
was included, which had been turned
down year before and which meant
n permanent expense Of $1,000 an
nually or, at Savings Bank interest
at per cent on $4,000. This per-
manent expense would benefit only
the Central Maine Power Co, and a
very few store keepers on Water
Street. In his opinion the amount
could have been more wisely ex-
pended on the public roads gener-
| ally, and especially on. the road
leading to South Gardiner. AS to
| the repairs on Water street he agreed
with Mr.. Ladd, that while improve
ments are needed they should be made
ony after u careful survey Of all
| conditions under the surface as well
as above and the costs known. He
was advised by an expert road build
er that the bes. method would be to
remove the stone blocks, construct
| the sewer, oblige the Water and Gas
Co., to lut their water mains in a
conduit, or behind the stores, and
! then I'LL the surface and allow 1t to
be acted upon by the frost and set
| tie during the Winter and then COM
plete the work the next year. After
this was done, we would have q per-
manent road and not temporary re-
pair. He felt that 1t was unfair to
compare Gardiner improvements
with Waterville improvements, in a
city Of $4,000 inhabitants, increasing
in population and wealth, but even
there, the Mayor Of Watervilie said
that they had competent engineers
look after the re-surfacing of their
main street before they undertook
the work; that while they left the
water mains In the street they OBJ
liged the Water Co., to build auxil-
larry mains behind the stores, 80 that
IL any trouble arose the mains in
Water Street could be plugged and
the surface left untouched; the