The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-02-10
THE OLD HOSS IS NOW GETTING READY.
Something About the Future-New
Legislative Apportionment.
The Lobster Law Has Some Enemies
as Well as Friends.
Portland VIII Look Like a Railway
Contractors Camp.
special to the Press.l

Especial to the Press.1
AUGUSTA, February 9-The last appor-
tlonment of the state of Maine into districts
for the choice of Representatives to Con-
gress and for Senators and Representatives
In the Legislature was made by the 6lst
Legislature in 1883 The present Legisla-
ture will make new apportionment based
upon the figures of the 11th United States
census. In the matter Of the apportionment
for members of the Legislature, Cumberland
county will retain four Senators as at pres
ent But the county is likely to gain one
representative. making the number 81. By
the resolve of the Legislature of 1888 the
county had 20 representatives, apportiOned
as follows: Portland, five; Cape Elizabeth,
one; Westbrook, one; Deering, one; Bruins
wick, one; GOrham, one; BridgtoD, one;
Windham. one: Pownal and FreepOrt, one;
Harrison, Otisfield and Casco, one; Baldwin
and StaDdish, one Gray and New Glouces-
ter, one; Falmouth aud Cumberland, one
Raymond, Naples and Sebago, one, and
Yarmouth and North Yarmouth, one This
arrangement left Harpswell and Scarboro,
neither Of which had population enough to
entitle II to representative, as the remain.
lug district. But as those towns are too far
apart to vote together very well for mem
Der Of the House, the apporti0nment resolve
provided that for the years 1885 and 1889
Scarboro should choose the representative
and for the years 1887 and 1891 Harpswell
should have that privilege. 1t is under this
arrangement that in this legislature Harps-
well has representative In the person of
MIR. Skolfeld and there is no member from
Scarboro. In the other classed towns, of
coursr, all the people in the several towns
comprising the district vote for the candi-
dates nominated by their parties at each
election. There is no requirement as TO
alive shall be selected, but in many cases 1t
has come to be an unwritten law that the Of
fice shall go in rotation to the several towns.
The census figures on town and cities in
which the new apportionment will be made
have not yet been received here, but they |
are every day experted. When they are re-
ceived by Secretary of State Fessenden, to
whose they will come, he will place them at
apportionment which will then be ready to
begin its labors But although the figures
have not arrived, 1t Is evident from figures !
published from time to time regarding the
several towns in the county, that there must
which have been districts by themselves, ac- |
c0rding to figures published, Portland, Cape |
Elizabeth, Westbrook, Deerlng and Brdns- |
wick. have gained In population, while |
Bridgton, Gorham and Windham have fallen |
away. Freepoit, which is now classed with |
POwnal, has increased in population until 1t |
Is larger town than Windham. which is |
district by itself. So it will be seen that |
when the committee begins Its work one or |
more of the towns which are now represent
ative districts, may have TO enter into part |
nership with neighb0r and one or more |
towns which are now classed are likely to |
become districts by themselves. |
The question of the present population |
alone Is not the only one considered. The |
committee must also consider the matter of |
probable increase and in this respect Free |
port stands good chance.
The Lobster Law.
The prohibitory law in Maine is not the |
only one on the statute books which Is en-
forced in some places much better than in |
others. There has been enacted law which |
forbds the taking of HOLSTERS less than 10l
inches In length, and this law is something
like the liquor law In the matter of enforce |
ment. There are places along the coast |
where its provisions are observed but there |
are other places where 1t is a dead letter. |
This legislature has been asked by many pc |
titiOners to amend the law and by the sign |
, rs of another petition to repeal 1t altogether |
The law now makes 1t unlawful to take lob |
sters at any season of the yer which measure
less than 103 inches 10 length The change
desired is tnat the length may be made 10
inches. Violating the lobster law has come
to be business like that of violating the
liquor law. This business is carried on by
means of small sloops or smacks which run
along the coast, and anchoring in out of the
way places, purchase Holsters of the fisher
men without regard to size. But the buyers.
knowing that short lObsters eau not be open
ly sold by the men who catch them will pay
only cent or two for those below 10a inches
In length while those above that length sell
for ten aud twelve cents. As the lobster
fisherman, whether he carefully observes the
law or not. is a hard working individual, 1t
is felt by those who ask for change in the
law that he might as well be enabled to sell
a 10 inch lobster for something near what il
Is worth, as that the profit should go to a
dealer in markets outside the state to which
the HOLSTERS are taken after being bought by
the men who own the sl0Ops and smacks.
AS the law is now so generally disregarded
In many places it is believed that the change
would not affect the number of Holsters on
the Maine coast. In fact, so great has been
the difficulty of enforcing the law that the
other petitioners mentioned above, for the
repeal OF the law, has been prepared. The
municipal officers of the town OF Harpswell
take this view OF the case and they have
signed one of the petitions in favor OF re-
peal.
The State Library.
Professors Little and Hall, who recently
estimated the cost of moving the state libra
ry to the room provided for it in the addition
| to the State House, thinks the work can be
done for about $4,000. The plan is to hire two
assistants to aid Librarian Carver in the
| work of arranging aud indexing he books
| by the card system which has been used
with such satisfactory results in other libra
ries. These assistants would receive salaries
| OF $500 each year and would be kept busy
| for about two years. The cost of the cases
| for the books and of moving these treasures
would use up the remainder OF the $1,000.
| This plan was to have been presented to the
| committee on library tonight, but the m eet-
| ing was postponed
The Registration Ril.
The registration bill came up in the House
this afternoon and was tabled on motion of
| Judge Savage of Auburn, who stated that he
should call it up at II a. m. tomorrow. 1t is
understood that the fight in the House will
| be made on an amendment backed by the
| Democratic statesmen who want to tack a
| 30 days clause to the bill to prevent its TAX
| ing effect at the coming March elections.
| The Women's Movement.
| The hearing on the question of woman
suffrage occurs Thursday, and petitions in
its favor are rapidly coming in. Mr. Halves
of Deering presented the petition of Mrs. f.
E. c. Robbins and 30 others Of Deering for
the granting of municipal suffrafie to women,
Mr.Drnmmond Of Portland presented SINH
| lar petition from FredericHeDrv Gerrish and
So others of Portland. Mr. Hargrayes of
Buxton presented the petition of Rebecca r.
Usher and 113 others for the same.
Some Portland Railroad Schemes
Mr.. Shaw of Portland presented bill ad-
ditional to chapter 1903 of the Revised Stat
utes of 1889, relating to the Cape Elizabeth
Shore Railroad Company. 1t provides that
the time in which to survey and complete its
line shall be extenned two years. IL anth.
orizes the corporation to extend its road in
Cape Elizabeth from nightsville to point
at or near Cash's Corner, also to extend its
road into the city Of Portland over Portland
or Varghan's bridge. or both, subject tn th a
consent of the municipal officers, and tn / "
its tracks In such streets of Portland as may
be agreed upon, in order to make connecti"y
with the tracks of the Portland Railroad
Company at either Union Station or Pearl
street.
Mr.. Shaw of Portland, presented todav
bill to incorporate the Long Island Railroad
Company. The bill names Edward p
Chase, George F. Gould. Napoleon b. Chase
r K. Galley, b. W.Stover and d. q. BriSgs
as incorporators. They are authorized fo
| huiId a railroad and operate n a,th..s W