Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-06

With future plans very much In the
air, according to Thomas T. Brooks
and Luther G. Straw, owners of the
Marston and Brooks shoe factory at
Halloweli, and with the plant at
present practically closed. the shoe
operatives who have been EMPLOYED
there, and who have gained the inn
preston that the factory will not
again resume operations, are securing
employment in other places and in
other lines. it has become known
through interviews with prominent
business men Of Hallowell.
Operations of the company, the
owners have stated, are at the pres
emit time much curtailed. while an in
ventory of the stock is being taken
and only sufficient machines are be-
ing used to fill existing shoe con-
tracts. They stated on Tuesday that
they We're undecided as to future pol
icies. and that they could not say
whether they would cease operations
altogether or would resume work on
a quantity basis as in the past. The
impression was gained however, in a
talk with them that they were seri-
ously considering q liquidation of
the firm.
The factory had been operating un-
til December 81, about as have many
other concerns in the state, but at
that time, so 1t is said, without any
previous warning he employees, with
a few exceptions, were notified that
/ for the present manufacturing would
be suspended. The employees, or at
least many of them, felt that this in
reality was the end of operations
there and this feeling is quite mark
ed in the city today.
1925 Taxes Unpaid
This belief Is heightened by the
situation with regard to the pay
ment of taxes by this firm for the
year 1925. When the company came
to Haliowell an agreement was drawn
up by authority of the citizens where
by, for period of ten years, no city
tax should be assessed on the con-
Germ. They were required, however
to pay the county and state taxes
This agreement terminated with the
| taxes Of 1924. and the property in 1925
| was accordingly assessed.
| A city official in a position Il
know. stated Tuesday that the com.
pany last April asked for a continu.
alton OF three years on this agree.
ment. This matter was talked over
at that time by the members of the
board Of assessors, Mayor Tilden an6
representatives of the concern. at ar
informal meeting and their request
was turned down.
| The usual tax bill was accordingly
| sent them and when In December il
still remained unpaid. a ten days
notice was sent out by the city treas.
urer. This also was apparently ig.
1 "a 20 moi
| and have not yet been paid. It was
deemed advisable by the city officials
to take measures to collect this ta1
| and on January 2, an attachment wa:
placed upon the stock. This was i'm.
mediately lifted when the company
filed a bond in the sum of $1,000.
Law Valuation
| Il was declared by this city officia
that the company had received treat
ment that was more than fair in the
tax appraisal. A man, understood tt
be connected with the state assessor:
] Office, after looking over the plant
I stated, according to the informant
that the plant was valued at between
100000 and 100000. and that Il
should certainly be taxed at between
$125,000 and $4,000. The entire ta1
assessed against the company fol
I 1CSO was q NdludllOi Vi app oAi'
mately 100000, the tax bill being fol
$500.
1t was further said that in an in
formal conversation with one of the
i owners, who was advancing reasons
| why the tax should be further .abated
he had inadvertently stated that the
company had 100000 tied up in the
plant.
The fine four story brick factory
building which is occupied by the
Marston & Brooks concern Is owned
by q holding company composed o.
Augusta and Hallowell business men
and an official of that company stated
Tuesday that the lease had still tive
or three years to run, although it wal
so drawn up that II the compan,
should cease operations the contrac
would no longer be binding. A larg'
part Of the shoe machinery used II
the factory Is the property of thu
United Shoe Machinery Co., 1t wa
said.
Splendid Equipment
The factory is one of the finest il
this section Of the State. being thor
oughly modern both in structure ant
equipment and ideally situated Will
regard to the railroad and the hare
surface highways. 1t has been con
Quoted for the past 10 or II years b.
the Marston e. Brooks concern and II
that time they have employed from
200 to over 400 people. according to tn
condition Of the market. In that TIM
they have. according to the owners
brought over $e.5oo.oOo to the city O.
Hallowell.
The employees of the company. al
though in large part residents of thu
city of Hallowell, have also beer
drawn from Augusta and Gardiner ant
many who can ill-afford to loaf have
VI al. fhrnt,rh tho da