Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-04-21
Authorize Continuance of Tax
Abatement On Augusta De-
velopment Company Proper.
ty, at April Meeting, Held
Monday Evening - Several
Special Committees Ask
More Time for Duties-Big
Grist of Routine.

UIlSl VI 1SVuC1uCs
The city Of. Augusta is in danger
of losing the Crossett Shoe company,
according to an order which was
presented and passed on Monday
evening at the regular monthly
meeting, and which was designed to
make conditions here as attractive
as possible to the end that the COM
pany may be retained in this city.
The order reads as follows, and Is
self explanatory:
Whereas, approximately ten
years ago, certain of our pubhc
spirited citizens succeeded in tnduc-
ing Lewis A. Crossett Inc, to estab-
lish a shoe factory in Augusta by
offering to provide him with fac
tory on certain terms and conditions,
and
Whereas, said factory was built by
said citizens acting under the cor
porate name of Augusta Develop
ment Company and said shoe busi-
ness was located therein, and
Whereas, said business has paid to
our citizens III pay rolls since COM
ing here, approximately $2.5OO.OOO
and now has an annual payroll of
more than $25O.OOO. and
Whereas. conditions are such that
Augusta is In danger Of losing said
shoe business, and
Whereas, in order to insure, IT
possible. the continuance of said
business in Augusta the owners of
said factory have offered to let 1t
to the said Lewis A. Crossett Inc,
without charge, other than that said
shoe company shall pay the interest
on the outstanding bonds against
said factory, and have further
agreed to cause the interest rate on
said bonds to be reduced from b per
cent to 4 per cent, and
Whereas, said efforts on the part
of the owners of said factory in or
der to be successful must have the
cooperation of the city of Augusta,
Now therefore, ordered, that the
arrangement as to taxes, which has
heretofore existed between the city
and the said Lewis A. Crossett Inc,
as to its business, and between the
city and the said Augusta Develop
ment Company as to It's factory. be
continued for such period not ex-
ceeding five years from September
1925 as shall be covered by the
agreement between the said Augusta
Development Company and the said
Lewis A. Crossett Inc, with refer
ence to rent, interest, etc; said
agreement to cover in substance the
arrangement set forth in the pre-
amble hereof.
An order which was referred to the
committee on finance provides that
lot No. 343 in Mount Hope cemetery
shall be Sc set aside for burial place
for American Legion members who
die here without relatives and suff1-
cient funds to assure propre burial.
Report Of City Assessors
The report Of the city assessors
was presented. 1t shows that the
value Of resident real estate was on
January I. 1925, $7.567,91S and Of non
resident real estate s270.250. The
resident personal property is valued
at s3,49S,557 and the non resident
personal property at s55.353. There
are 4,047 polls in the city. The state
tax last year was $74.409.63, the
county tax $14,543.54 and the am
cunts voted by the city council in
cluding the amount for schools was
s532,471.09. The value Of city pro-
perty is s543.o00.
Roll of accounts No. in the sum
of $54,636.29 was read and passed.
The reports Of the following COM
mittees were received and accepted:
The committee on street lights re-
ported fought not to pass" on an or
der providing for the installation Of
light at the corner Of State and
Coughlin streets and fought to pass"
on orders providing for the installa-
ton of street lights on Northern Av-
enue at the Junction of the Town
send road and on Hospital street
near the residence Of w. E. Mclean.
The school committee instructed at
a previous meeting to make an In
vestigation of the school buildings of
the city and to note their condition
especially with regard to overcrowd-
ing. reported that it had attended to
it's duties and that the results of the
investigation were on file where they
could be had for reference by the
city council.
The committee on highways and
sewers which was authorized to In
yeStigate the matter of elimina ting