Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-03-10
INAUGURATION
BOARD ENTERS NEW YEAR
WITH TWO NEW MEMBERS.
Few Changes in Minor Ofiices-Ad-
dress by Mayor Hodgllins--Ells-
worth's Needed improvements.

morning and evening sessions.
The meeting was called to order
by City Clerk Cunningham, and on
motion. it was voted to accept the
returns of the several ward clerks as
evidence of election. City Clerk Cum
ningham called the roll, and the full
board responded as follows:
Ward &c. Earle Smith.
Ward 2-Henry H. Higgins.
Ward 3-Leon H. Brown.
Ward Lyndon H. Phillips.
Ward Frank J. Dunleavy.
The aldermen were sworn in by
the city clerk, and organized with
Alderman Smith as president of the
board.
Aldermen Dunleavy and Phillips
were appointed a committee of two
to escort the mayor-elect, DR.. Lewis
Hodgkins, to the chair. The mayor
was sworn in by the city clerk.
After prayer had been offered by
Rev. John E. Besant, the mayor de-
livered his address, as follows:
| Citizens of Ellsworth:
Two years ago it was but common
courtesy for me to thank you for an
election to the office of mayor, an Of
flee to which l did not personally
aspire. To-day, it is my duty (and my
pleasure) to again thank you for
much more important thing-the up
holding and endorsing of the princi-
pies regarding municipal government
| I then asserted and doing this, too in
spite of vicious political propaganda
! and misleading, unfair and near as
| honest statements concerning our
| city's financial status.
Myself and associates for these two
| wears have no excuses to offer you TOR
our actions. Mistakes we have made,
| but such we have tried to remedy when
called to our attention, and have
sought to use all citizens equltably
without prejudice. We consider the re-
suits of this election to have vindicated
these assumptions.
We have kept the taX-rate, as
we have seen no other way to act and
pay our necessary expenses Should
YOU consider the guardian of a person
owning an out-of-repair mortgaged
house, needing badly not only repairs,
but absolute habitable necessities and
modern improvements, who made such
provements, and at the same time made
substantial reductions on the mortgage
itself because he used for doing this
in his capacity of guardian other re-
sources of his charge. a poor business
man? Likening the city to such a
house. and it's debt at our incoming to
the mortgage, how fairly blame us for
our course, particularly in view of the
fact that some of these necessities and
repairs had been promised and not
furnished, but passed along to us by
these very critics themselves when in
power. and when such We're both
cheaper and would have, made at the
proper time as regards the repairs,
been materially less in extent.
To myself, personally, the term tax
seems to be the "bogy" or "bugaboo-
man of our childhood transferred to
adult life, and feared mostly without
reason therefor How many of you
present here can, unless the difference
was extreme, tell just how much your
1919 or 1920 tax was? How much it
varied? The same man who will this
coming summer pay tax OF 81
cents on each dollar be invests in a
straw hat, might, with justice yell
somewhat. He certainly would II ms
Ellsworth tax was increased 20 per
cent. But l hardly think my friends,
Smith & Head, will credit less quota
of "straws'' than usual. Also, the same
individual who will demand a self
starter on his fliver because of it's saw
ing him few minutes daily labor, Will
howl like a trapped hyena at tax rate
enabling improved roads that Would
cut his FLYER expenses at least twice
his increased tax.
But if you people of Ellsworth wish
to cut your tax-rate, you can easily
do so-provided you are prepared 10
accept certain conditions. On some
New York city real estate taxed at
valuation of S7OO-this is a full not
66 per cent. valuation-I have paid In
recent times, one year Sl44.5o assess
ment for sewers and appurtenances;
another year, for grading, s134.5O; in
five other years, for street improve
ments, $40, s13.75, IS, $780, $40, and
so on. In short, on a 500 property,
l have paid more than $780, or over
one-half it's value, in addition to the
regular yearly tax, for such improve
ments.
In a southern town, the size of ELS
worth, while the tax-rate is 2.9, or
Whereabouts, sidewalk building, curb
ing, and public park inside of walks
cost abutting property owner SO per
linear yard. Therefore, if you desire,
do this work yourselves and relieve
the city from doing it, and get your
taxes reduced; go further-remove the
electric lights from the streets and
from the schools, and also remove the
water supply to the same, and, like Do
genes go about nightly with your
lanterns hunting for an honest man,
whom, if you find him at all, I think
YOU will probably find at last among
your abused and derided tax assessors.
But first let me cite you these Ban
gor water rates:
n he nSed by single