Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-08
SPECIAL ELECTION
May 20 TO SETTLE
REPAvINC STREETS

At the regular monthly meeting of
the city council held last evening 1t
was voted that special election be
held on Tuesday,. May 20. on the ques-
tons Of whether or not Water street
should be repaved. and whether or not
new street lighting system should
be installed. This was decided after
| petition containing 431 names had
been presented, and was the looked-for
result Of the controversy over the ap-
preparation bill. Mayor McNaughton
| in speaking Of the petition declared
that unfortunately he was unlike some
of the other men whose names were
signed to the petition. He had his liv-
ing to make and was busy man and
could not spend as much time in look
ing up data as they had. He main
tanned that the signers Of the petition
had been very unfair to the members
of the city government. for If the
signer had had the welfare Of the city
at heart they would have come to the
officials and gone over the figures with
them. He said that all the members
Of the council would be effected by the
advance in taxes, and declared that
many who had signed the petition
didn't understand what they were sign
IA
diner are paid by Water street mer-
chant, and less than per cent. of the
total appropriation is for improvements
on Water street. He said that 1t was
unfair to hold up the work, and that
the nearest date on which an election
could be held was May 20. He review
ed the items in the bill comparing it
with previous bills, and showed that
the increase was not only for repairs
on Water street, showing the other
uses to which it would be putt
Alderman Goodspeed pointed out
that 1t was too late to act on the mat
ter of the fire alarm system, and that
1t should be struck out of the refer
endum, as the date on which any
action could be taken on it had gone
by. He also declared that there was
nothing in the bill concerning street
lights, but that perhaps it would be
best to get the opinion of the people on
it; and on his motion it was voted that
a referendum election be held on the
first two questions Of the petition. and
the date was set as Tuesday, May 20.
Mayor McNaughton called for the
views of some of those present, nrst
calling upon Mark Shapiro, introduce
ing him as one Of the largest taxpay-
ers. Mr.. Shapiro suggested that mass
meeting be called at some building OF
suitable size, at which voters couid
have an opportunity to give their
opinions on the matter. He declared
that Water street was in terrible con-
dition and that If anything was to be
done they should do good job. lie
pointed out that it would not be nee
essary to have this additional tax next
year, and in short that we had to have
the lob done and 1t must be done.
It was shown here by the mayor
and E. A. Leighton that the differ
cnce in the amount of the bill would
be but $1,000 If the Water street pro-
iect was eliminated, as they would
have to meet the state tax to secure
state aid. There was no one pres
ont to speak on the other side of the
question, and the majority OF the
audience left Immediately after the
motion was carried to have the cleo
ton.
DR.. William o. Cobb, health officer
of the city of Gardiner appeared be-
fore the council, speaking in regard
to the sewer question. DR.. Cobb
| spoke strongly concerning the lack
of proper sewerage on certain streets
in the city, among them Clinton
street, and he declared that death
| had occurred on that street, without
| doubt caused by this lack. 1t was
voted to give the matter of a sewer
on the street in question the earliest
attention possible, and the street
commission was ordered to investi-
gate. DR.. Cobb also asked the coun
| Gil to back him up in his methods of
preventing contagious disease, and
he got hold of several cases where
| the public had been needlessly eX
posed, saying that within the last
year six children had died of whoop-
fng cough was more dangerous than
| scarlet fever. The council said that
they were only too glad to back him
up and on his suggestion would pay
to have a list of contagious diseases
and the penalty for not reporting
same published in the papers. AL
derman Chase declared that living
in that locality he could vouch for
all that the health officer had said.
| Routine business was transacted as
follows, Trafton Bros. were granted
permission to install a gasoline fill
ing station in front Of their garages
on Church hill. Frank Hamlin was
granted permission to install a gas
tank and pump at his farm on the
Brunswick road: the matter Of ap-
pointing a sexton for Libby hill GEM
etery was left to the mayor and
Alderman Amesbury. The resigna-
ton of Frank Wise as sealer of
weights and measures was accepted
and Oliver D. Sprague was appoint
|