Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-05


what the senators for Maine are do
ing about one senator on the lands
| and public buildings committee who
! was not enthusiastic about securing
proper federal buildings for Maine
but was behind an appropriation to
| build a s14,000,000 bridge across the
Potomac river in Washington where
there are already two fine bridges
across this river in the city costing
millions Of dollars.
do you know of any constructive
legislation that your Maine delega-
ton to congress has attempted to
put through" said Mr.. Gardner in
closing.
The final speaker Of the day was
William r. Pattangall, who was
greeted with a standing ovation. Mr..
Pattangall spoke in part as follows:
PattansalI Makes Appeal
Democratic party had right to ap-
peal to the voters Of Maine to en-
trust it with the responsibility OF
government, it Is in this year Of our
Lord. 1924" said Hon. w. r. Pattan-
gall Democratic candidate for Cover
nor, addressing the meeting.
I'VE administered the affairs OF
this State in 1911 and 1912, and in
1915 and 1916. We can contrast the
administrations of Gov. Plaisted and
Governor Curtis whit those which
preceded them and with those which
followed them, and profit by the COM
parison. With taxes SO high that in
dustry Is burdened unduly, with a
state debt six times as large as that
accumulated during the Civil War.
and all incurred during the past ten
years, with our industrial develop
ment halted by repressive legislation
and unreasonable executive interior
ence, with our transportation sys-
TENS bankrupted by excessive public
charges, with our transportation sys-
TENS bankrupted by excessive inter-
ference, with our banks loaded with
securities deprecated by the criminal
ignorance Of the governing power,
with the greater portion of the fin
est state in the Union retrograding in
population and wealth,-Maine needs
q change in government.
Is the picture exaggerated? To
prove it's truth point to the fact that
during the year ending July !. 1922.
there was paid out of our State
Treasury the sum of $16,000.000 an
amount as large as was paid out
during the entire four years that
Plaisted and Curtis occupied the
Governors chair. The average tax
rate in Maine has doubled in the last
dozen years. notwithstanding the
constant pushing up of valuations.
Our state bonded debt, all paid In
1912, now amounts to nearly $4,000
900 and our counties and municipal
tiles also carry millions of newly &C
quired Indebtedness.
"a Cf l.
pal steam railroad, which once was
a good investment at $50, sells below
30 and a foolish government exacts
from that one system an annual fran
chise tax of $1,O00,000. Our electric
railroads, reorganized beyond rec
ognition, with not only the water
squeezed out of their stock but with
much of the actual cash investment
written off, are obliged to raise rates
just as often as the Public Utilities
Commission will permit them to do
so in order to live, and yet the State
insists upon their paying out in
franchise taxes money enough each
year to go far toward restoring them
to prosperity.
Hardly a mile Of steam railroad
laid in Maine in a quarter Of a cen
fury, and no electric railroad build
ing during the last decade.
Millions of dollars of the securities
issued by transportation companies
purchased by our savings banks at
par, worth a third and less Of their
purchase price and yielding no eve
nue. whatever.
The development of our one great
basic natural resource, our water
powers, held up while the Governor
and the Legislature quarrel over the
80 Ian ly,e, 40
site which possesses a potential val
ue only and which in itself and by
itself is as worthless as an alder
swamp.
With the best and brightest Of our
boys and girls moving out Of Maine
by hundreds. yes. by thousands. every
year, because no opportunity to
earn a living presents itself to them
at home. is there not cause for seri-
Gus alarm?
Are the farmers Of Maine prosper.
ing? Go into the country and look
for yourselves. Is Maine as a whole
going forward or dropping back?
Study the cold figures gathered by
the census bureau and let them ans
wer the question.
Here are some Of them:
Hancock county -, Population In
1880, $4,000. Forty years afterWard,
10000.
Franklin county-Just where It
was 40 years ago. Saved from going
backward by the growth Of Jay and
Wilton.
Kennebec county-Outside Of Au-
gusta, Waterville and Winslow. $500
less inhabitants in 1920 than in 1880.