The Portland daily press., 1885-02-05
there is some talk Of legislative ball.
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
SENATE
(specially Rep Orted for the Press.l

AUGUsTA. Feb. A.
PETITIONS PREsENrRD
For repeal of tho Law for capital punish
ment.
RESOLVE INTRODUCED.
A resolve was introduced to correct certain
clerical errors in the State valuation.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
Favorable reports were made on act relating
to compensation OF the county commissioners
OF Washington county; an act to incorporate
the Portsmouth and Kittery Steam Ferry Co.
an act relating to the compensation of the
county commissioners OF Oxford county.
ORDERS ADOPTED.
Relating to carrying into effect the present
lsTs for the protection of cur shore fishing in.
terests; amending the game laws 50 as to pre-
vent the killing OF game birds to supply mark
cts outside of the etate; repeating chap. 290 of
She private and special laws OF 1880.
PASSED To BE ENGRossED.
An act to restore the salary Of the register of pro
bate for Washington county; an act to amend sec
= chap ll5 of X. s., and to restore The salary of
the county attorney Penobscot county: An aci 70
establish The salary of the register of probate for
the county of Androscoggin; act to Incorporate
the Frost Brook Dam Co; an act additional in ref
erence TO The Rumford Falls and Buckield .ilrOad
Co.; AN act in favor of the town of Emblem relat-
ing to the retirement of town bonds issued in aid of
the Somerset Railroad.
PASSED TO BE ENACTED.
An dCJ 10 iustko VAQ the 0fgaulZlflOQ and uOiUQs
OF the Westbroek Library Association.
The bill to establish an agricultural fertilizer
station came up as the special assignment Of
the day.
Pending its passage to be engrossed Mr..
Marble OF Lincoln spoke in opposition.
Mr. Marble remarked that he did not be-
lieve in the utility of the station. Il takes at
lsast ten years to demonstrate anything. Prof.
Alvord, q friend of the measure, who was
brought to address the legislature in its behalf.
says that our American stations are vet too
young TO have produced any important results
The station in Connections was established in
1877, aud has been in operation siucs that time.
II has produced no results 10 field experiments
worthy of publication. President Clark OF the
Massachusetts Agricultural says that it takes
ten years at least to establish one agricultural
fact OF general value. What would it cost
then the taxpayers OF Maine to establish an
agricultural fact? Not less than SlG0,OO0,
which really might be of very small import
anee,-ara the people of Maine ready to have
launched upon them an institution thus expen-
eve, with so small q prospect of valuable re-
suits A State weighed down with an indebted
ness IN State. county, cities and towns, aggre-
eating more than $40 900 600, and being nearly
been furnished by the Secretary of Stats OF
Connecticut with the reports of their sgricul-
tuFal station, and have carefully examined
them, and state hero in my place that they
would not be worth to the average farmer the
paper on which they are printed the con-
tents therein having been printed and reprint
ed in many OF the States OF this Union, aud are
hardly Ineligible TO any but the highly edu-
Gated. Tho laws of Connecticut require all
the important bulletins of the station co ba
DubilShp0 in pifeulara NJ mkiah tn ha
sent to every postmaster in the State aud to all
tho papers i'll the State. That information
assert to bs as available aad accessible to ths
people OF Maine Rs to the p3ope OF Connect
cut. Tho State Of Connecticut in area is
little more than the county OF Aroostook, with
the population nearly that OF our own, with a
valuation more than double our Own Her
revenues from railroads, telegraph aud telc-
phone Ines savings banks and express compa-
MES Is mora than 81 ,000,O0), and pays more
than SIS OF her tax, which il l IA mills while
ours is mills on the dollar. 1t viii thus be
seen that she Is rich and oDulent little Stste,
amply able TO indulge in the luxury of these
experiment stations and has been doing IL for
eight years and IS more than willing that the
people of Maine should recsive and ba made
acquainted with al ths results OF these expsr-
imsnssl stations. These all may 10 had with
cu5 money and without price. Lss na ask
then, why he people OF Maine shall be taxed
py thousands aud thousands Of dollars, for that
which Connecticut is anxious aud ready to give
her. This is questicu which / address TO the
Senate of slaiae, ia ali soberness and serious
ness.
1t Is needless for me to say to Senators that
the people OF Mains have been exhanstyey
ana cruelty taxed for more tkan 20 years
Shall We 90 on with species Of improVident
Legislation bq making needless appropriations,
mot called Tor by tbs exigencies o the times,
till taxation shall have become unandurable?
Mr. President, we should nos forget thar
system OF cruel and oppressive taxation cost
Ch9rles the First his head, and George III the
brightest jswel in his croan. Beware, Mr..
President lest We lsgislate here Id such man
Gcg as to rako fran the grand old Republican
party Of Maine its Supremacy Il is bat
few menths since our party was driven from
power upon the cry Of extraVaganOe aud i'm
providence raised by cur opponents.
Mr. Pa khurst made few remarks support
Ing the bill and qQoted extensively from the
experimental station reports OF Massachusetts.
Ar. Letroke OF Piscatsqais advocated the
passaga OF the bill at eugth. H9 contended
that the station was necessary. The bill that
was put on the statue book two years ago was
a sabtsrfuge. 1t was Law that alter being
tried ia Massachusetts, few years ago was
abandoned, and a system adopted u that State
which IN every substantial particular this bill
row before the legislature provides for
Agriculture is The bedrcck or basis upon which
the whole snperstructure OF manufactures,
navigation and commsIce is based. Wealth
is anything that has an exchange value. All
wealth is derived from land by the combined
agencies OF capital and labor. Without agri-
Cnitare these intsrest5 can have no existence
IL is serious question for the human family
that larga percentages of soil in various
countries have been ruined for agricultural pur
poses. by denuding the sell OF forests and oy
improVident agriculture tue aggregate of the
c9rssls and other crops have been greatly re-
Guc9d. ONO and The great States OF the West
prouoce cne half of The crop of fifty years ago.
The vast drain upon crops sent aor0a1 and con
sumsd at home has impoverished the soil of the
prairies. Tae dgift soil of Maize requires re-
peated supplies OF manures and fertilizers
Mauy towns upon the border originally erJls
are susrenderlng th5ir charters and the inhabi-
tsnts are abandoning them to be recovered by
lofests, by reason OF bad agriculture. The COM
nsroial fertilizer, with it's chemical elements,
Stimalates tho soil to produces ready crops
Whlcn largely draw their bulk from the at
mosphsre. These crops being consumed and
converted into stable manure, economically
kept III oarn cellars, may restore these soils TO
toelr pristine streDgta. .Ohio.and the great West
are atter half century's impoverishment of
the soli,pnrcha5ing and using so much of these
iertiilzsrs that the production thereof would
not DO seriously diminished if Maine did not
purchase ton or pound Of these fertilizers.
Eighty thousand formers upon "a 600 farms are
nearly unanimous in their calls for this legisa
tlon. The cost of fertilizers to these farms is
about 100000 annually. Two Der cent OF this
cost would be thousand dollars more than
this bill calls for to sustain this station. For
want OF thea station provided for IN this bill;
farmers are using annually from 10 to 40 per
cent IN tho pulchase of dishonest or imperfect
article. The expense Of this station would be
July compensated, aud more toe, if ono peck
OF potatoes at so csnts per bushel from each Of
the farms in Maine should be devoted thereto,
when divided among the taxpayers OF the
state. The COSTS trifling and Insignificant,
ana now when every other interest in the State
IS nurtnTed our agricultural interests should
rot be overlooked.
Mr. Le5roke gave way on motion to ad-
i0nrn. and ahe bill Maa tlhlad for fur rther con-