The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-07
BIZ TELEGRAPH.
AUGUSTA.
THE STATE VALUATION
COMMISSION.
The Printing Contract Award
ed to Sprague & Son.

Especial Despatch to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, Fec. 6.-The debate In the Senate
to-day on the resolve to provide for State
valuation brought out a general expression OF
opinion. The only issue was as to the number
which should constitute the commission.
whether it should be seven or sixteen. Those
who favored the smaller number thought the
commission should be made up of enc from
each Of the five Congressional districts, with
two at large. Those who opposed contendcd
that the commission should consis of one
from each of the sixteen counties, and their
views prevailed by a vote of II to 9, on a call
of the yeas and nays. The discussion was car
ried on with good feeling, and party lines were
for the nonce of allegiance. The resolve as it
D assed makes the number sixteen to be APP
proved by the Governor.
The commissioners appointed are to hold
their first session at the Capitol, Immediately
after their apo intment and are to proceed
wi thout delay to prepare the valuation, and
sit at the same place with no adjournment for
more than two days at one time until the pre-
paration of the valuation is completed, or until
final adjournment of this legislature. In case
inc report cGliIlOb US COlIlplOtCu ulldl
journment. then the report shall be made to
the next legislature on the first day of its SEES
sion.
The commissioners are EN- powered to EN-
ploy suitable clerical force. The compensa-
ton to the commissioners will be $500 per day
while actually engaged in preparing the valua-
ton and making their report, while the pay of
clerks will be $500 day. Both commission
ers and clerks will be allowed actual travelling
expenses in once travelling to aud returning
from Augusta.
The State Printing.
Sprague & Co. accomplished an easy Victory
today, when the House ooncurred by such q
strong vote as it did, with the action of the
Senate in making them the State printers.
Maj Rowell of Hallowell led off the debate
for the Republicans, and was their principal
spokesman. He contented himself by making
plain presentation of facts in relation to the
State printing which were incon'rovertible.
He showed that the animus of the fusionists
was to make the State printing bone of con-
tention for political capital. He made a hit
when he spoke of Pillsbury being in dancing
attendance on the Union Hall legislature,
while Sprague & Son were attending to their
business in the legal legislature at the State
House.
Wales, the fusion member from Biddeford,
subsequently attempted to strike back by say
ing that something had been said about some
body being in dancing attendance at the fusion
Legislature, why, he had heard of thousands
who were in dancing attendance on the deci-
sion OF the Supreme Court.
Cook of Lewiston, another Republican, dealt
telling blow when he stated that he had
found that the appropriations for printing I'M
der the Garcelon reguime for the past year had
been overdrawn 81 600; that there had been
drawn from the High School fund $1,000 for
printing, land how many more bills for printing
are yet to come in no one could tell. The cost
of printing the House Journal by Pillsbury &
Co. last year was $993.73, against $3.50 under
Republican rule, while the cost of printing the
Senate Journal was $50, or more than double
what it had cost before Pillsbury was State
printer The expense Of binding under the
Republicans had been $4,000 per year, while for
the past year bills have already come in
amounting to over 81, 200.
The fusion leaders great and small come to
the front. 1t was noticeable that all followed
the same line of argument, as if they had
been coached. They studiously avoided men,
tioning Pillsbury's name, and in airing their
rhetoric they wanted to impress on the minds
of those present that they scared above party,
and had only at heart the interest of the dear
people, Gushee of Appleton, when he gushed
his gush said that it had been often remarked
that to the victor belonged the spois. But
now he thought, this was year when we
should break away from such policy, and
treat this matter of State printing as legisla-
tors and not as politicians. Walessof Biddeford
dilated in glib and tlippant language. pretend
ing that he wanted to be enlightened in fig
ures, rule and tabular work, by some printer;
and then he had something to say about inu-
endoes and filings, until at last he forgot him
self and became lost in philippe against the
Republican party.
Plaisted of Lincoln, swelled in grandiose
sentences, and kept putting chips on his
shoulder for somebody to knock off, while
Swan of Minot babbled like brook running
over its pebbly bed until he reached melo-
dramatic climax, when he referred to the
ohSSA
hauston he subsidized. But no amount of
Fusion fustian and pa}aver could have
charged the minds of the Republicans who
thoroughly understood the points at issue, and
knew that this Sprague contract was in the in
terest of the State.
The bill that was reported to-day relating to
the organization of mining and manufacturing
corporations fixes the amount of capital stock
at $500, 600 and not less than 81 900.
Waterville Telegraph Company.
The bill to incorporate the Waterville Tele-
graph Company has for incorporators W. A. R.
Boothby, Fred N. Fales, A. M. Kennison, w.
S. Searles and John N. Weber. 1t confines
the putting up of wires to the limits of Water
vile, and allows the capital stock to be- fixed
by vote of the company.
The Legislature will not abolish the Office of
Fish Commissioner
There will be quite an exodus Of members to-
fo,t ~, o,,. To Sun