The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-20
SOME FURTHER IDEAS FROM BOSTON
Incorporated In Augusta's Plan to
Enlarge the Capitol.
Governor Robie's Bill to Prevent
Bribery and Vote Buying.
Free Text Books Among the Matters
Before the Legislature.
Especial to the Press.l

Belfast, Curtis Of Perkins, Chadbourne Q
Biddeford and Taylor of Unity, met thi
afternoon. They have before them an orde
directing them to consider the feasibility O
enlarging the House Of Representatives an,
refurnishing 1t.
Orgille ID. Baker, Esq, who managed tn
case for the Augusta people last night wa
also on hand with Architect Spofford of Bo.
ton, today to show how the State Hous
could be enlarged. There was some discu:
sion as to the propriety of bringing such a
examination under the order. Mr.. Spotford
the Representative from Bucksport, VIII
introduced the order some time ago simpl,
to have something done to benefit Represer
tatives Hall, doubted whether under tina
order bill to build an addition to the Stat
House could be considered. 1t was decided
however. that Mr. Spofford, the architec
should go on and tell his story. With tn
Hon. Orville d. Baker to draw him out h
told over again the story of last night no,
the Boston House of Representatives /
practically no larger than ur Hall of Repre-
sentstives, but held 241 Representatives
while our hall holds Isl. In Massachusett
the Representatives have no desks.
Mr.. Dame, of Eliot asked whether tn
whole of the Massachusetts hall, (53 by 8
feet) was taken up by seats. The answe
was that it was excepting space abou
eleven feet in front of the speakers desk
Speaking Of the galleries in the Maine hall
the architect thought. they might be carried
out so that one row of seats should be out
from the wall
From some hastily drawn sketches Mr..
Spofford showed plan of an addition to be
carried out from the rear of the main build
ing. This extension would be 72 feet by 81
feet. In the rear of Representatives Hall he
would cut hole about 30 feet wide thus Civ.
ing recess into which the speakers chair
could be put, thus giving more space on the
floor. The passage way in the rear of the
present hall he could close up, making a
winding passage instead out through the
new extension behind the speakers plat.
form. Out in the new extension he would
have on the first floor the Treasurer and
Secretary Of States offices, on the second the
library and on the third some committee
rooms.
The new building would be of hammered
granite. The other kind wouldn't do.
Mr.. Dame asked about the comparative de-
architect said one was desirable in one style
Of architecture and the other in anCther. The
rough style was the cheaper in cost.
Mr.. Dame asked about the cost The
architect said he had reckoned on the basis
reckoned on by Mr.. Fassett in his plans for
an addition several years ago. He thought
that basis correct one probably. The esti-
mate of the entire cost of his (Mr. Spofford s
addltion), would be about $134,0O0. The ex-
tension planned by Mr.. Fassett few years
ago was to cost $85.000.
Mr.. Dame brought out the point that this
TaiA latn Ahax sxN he a
building, in the old committee rooms or old
Offices.
Mr.. Dame asked him il as an architect he
would advise putting on an addition without
renovating the old part. The architect hard
ly Thought he would. The architect could
not tell how many committee rooms could be
given BY the new place. He hadn't carried
1t out enough. Mr.. Baker seemed to think a
number of committee rooms could be made
In the old ports of the building where the IL
brary and offices of Treasurer and Secretary
OF State now are. 1t was thought also that
in the third story of the new addition, four
or hye new committee rooms could be gained
The architect had had very little time to
study the question, and he frankly told the
eoUmittee that all he was able to do was to
give very rough draft With the Hon. Or
ville d. Baker to help him, however, be was
able to give the committee quite lecture on
how to make the old State House more de-
sfrable than a new one.
This committee had not, it is probable, in
tended to report any bill to repair the old
State House, but since Mr.. Baker has taken
the pains to bring the Boston architect be-
fore them the idea Of an addition, there may
have been suggested to them by these repre-
sentstions the advisability of reporting a
bill. Whether such bill would come from
majority or minority of the committee is
doubtful.
A Bill Against Bribery.
Ex-Gev. Robie presented today bill to
amend sec. 70, chap. 4, R. S., relating to bri-
berry and corruption at elections. The bill
provides that at any election of State, county
or municipal officers, or of electors of Presi-
dent and Vice President of the United
States, on request Of two or more legal vot-
ers Of that voting precinct, the officers pre-
siding shall require any person designated
BY said two or more legal voters to make
oath or affirmation before casting his ballot,
that he has neither received, offered to re-
ceiye, or expects to receive, or has offered to
give bribe or payment of any kind for any
vote to be cast at that election. Any presid-
ing officer or officers who refuse TO admins
ter such oaths, shall forfeit not less than
800 for each offence, and any person who
refuses to take such oath or affirmation when
SO required, shall not be allowed to vote at
that election.
Speaking in regard to this bill, Mr.. Robie
says: II think this bill will be very effect
i've In preventing bribery. You will notice
that 1t empowers any two voters to call upon
any man to sag, under oath, whether he has
bought any other mans vote or sold his
own. In case he refuses to take the oath he
cannot vote. don't believe that many men
will dare to buy votes with such law as
that"
Shall All Towns Make Text Books
Free?
In the House this forenoon what is called
the 'free text book bilp' came up. The
State law now is that towns may, if they SO
wish, furnish the school books to the
scholars, and in many towns this is done
with very excellent results. This bill pro.
vides that towns must furnish the text
books.
Mr.. Fogg of Portland said he had no,
studied the effects of the bill, and he would
like to hear what the friends of the bill had
TO say in It's favor.
Mr. Warren of Castine, whe comes from
the Normal school town and is himself a
gentleman of experience in educational
affairs, first spoke on the bill. He showed
cheaper, would tend to make the character
of the books used higher. would make easier
the lot of poor children, and in short would
be benefit to everyone but the publishing
houses which might not get such high profits
Mr.. Burnham of Hollis, briefly advocated
the bill; and Mr.. Cole of Brooksville, al
great length. and from the abundance OF bis
experience, argued ably for the measure
Mr. Allen of Mercer, was Also inclined to Ia
vor the measure.
Mr.. Fogg of Portland, was against the bill
He said there was general tendency in leg
islation TO encroach upon the privileges O.
the people, to lop off freedom here ano
believe that the people of Portland or OF 9th
er cities and towns of the State should inter
fere to force system upon the smallest bacl
woods town in the State. The people of thu
town should decide about their own schoo
LOOKS IN tnels own way. The law now CAV
choose to exercise. Mr.. Fogg made stronI
plea on the side of local safe government.
Representative Forrest Goodwin of Skow
hegan, replied. The public schools were th
public safety Of our institutions Il was no
Necessary 70 cite the fact that the leading ed
ucators favored the bill, and that the mos
advanced States had it. Mr.. Goodwin re
viewed the history of the operation of tn
systemsln Skowhegan. For the year 1887 tn
cost Oh books per scholar was about fort
cents, and for 1888 only about thirty cents
Under the old system the cost to n schola
would be more than dollar each. MI
Goodwin showed the economy of the svsten
by some simple, but sound logic. He sal,
That in few years, under this system, th
state would save enough to move the Cspi
tai TO Portland-and 1t looked as IL It wa
going tbere-witbout an extra cent Of taxa
tiop. As to the argument that
would diminish the Independence of tn
children. Mr.. Goodwin said the
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