The Portland daily press., 1891-03-16
WILL SQUEEZE OUT TWO WEEKS MORE
And There Will Be Some Interesting
Sessions.
what Has Been Done on Taxes and
what Has Not.
Something About Cumberland coun'
tvs ,Apportio, ment.



adjourned two weeks ago yesterday. This
one Is likely to be In session two weeks more
1t would then have been In session one week
longer than the preceding, the legislature Of
1889 having met about week later than the
legislature of 1891. The next two weeks
will be busy ones for the lawmakers. The
friends Of the Australian ballot system are
determined IL possible to have that issue
fought out on Its merits. and for that pur-
pose Senator Spear has introduced very
nearly the original bill in the Senate. The
Senate will take up the matter by assignment
| next Thursday, and IL Mr.. Spears bill wins
| the victory In the upper branch the House
will have to fight the battle over again In the
following week, 1t Is hoped with better re
suits. From this time on the questions Of
stantly before the House In one form or an
other. The Lewiston police bill comes up in
the Senate Monday afternoon. Monday eve
ming there Is an important hearing, about
the last of the session, before the reform
school committee, In the matter of religious
instruction in that institution. 1t is under
stood that Bishop Healy will be represented.
the trustees Of the school will be present,
and Rev. DR.. Whitaker Of Portland Is also
expected. Senator Poor has presented
great many petitions from Protestant clergy
by MIR. Chadbourne Of Biddeford.
Another matter assigned for a hearing
Monday night is the liquor bill, which has
been recommitted to the temperance COM
the pieces and prevent, perhaps, the rejec-
ton Of the whole Of the measure.
the Z AK Bills.
The general tax bill, which was presented
by Judge Savage In the House Friday, prom
ises to give the state printer some trouble,
and 1t may be several days before they COM
plete their work ON it. in addition to the
daily grist of smaller measures ordered
printed. there have been this week the long
report of the valuation commission and this
longer document OF the tax committee. The
bill in its original shape is a formidable
looking pile of manuscript. 1t consists Of
So foolscap pages. Ii these pages were all
covered with writing the document would
contain many thousand words, but as some
OF them " ere prepared on a type writer. and
many others are covered with long extracts
from the printed reports of the tax commits
sion, the bill Is really much longer than 1t
appears to be at first glance. Chapter SIX,
relating to taxatian, of which this bill Is a
pages of the bound volume of the Revised
Statutes. While much Of the present law is
retained. there are changes enough to make
the prospect of their consideration
bo appalling .ox;Ms Gns for legislators legislators
their duties here and go home. One Of the
bills reported by the tax committee and the
one, too, which 1t was thought could pass
the Legislature without difficulty it has
been proposed to refer to the session of 1893
That Is the bill to provide for creating a
state board of assessors. 1t is said tnat the
proposition to let the next Legislature
| tackle this subject Is fav0rably received by
many of the members. The bill is. however.
likely to gain some support from members
who think that the localities they represent
have been given too high rating by the
valuation commission. There are quite a
number of these gentlemen, who have been
busy with pencil and paper in the last few
days figuring out percentages to show that
their sections have been showed up beyond
the valuations of the prorer figures. Aro0s-
took and Penobscot county men have done
considerable @ of tbis b figuring; gSu, ,.,,s u,
the tax committee, that providing for the
listing system is not likely to get majority
In either branch even ii its friends by amend
ments In addition to those ALREADY proposed
attempt to remose especially Objectionable
features. There Is strong opposition In both
branches to the main principle of the bill
and this opposition can hardly be overcome
by cutting out few of the provisions of the
measure to which especial objection has
been made.
Valuation Figures,
Speaking of the work Of the Valuation
Commission, naturally leads to a comparison
of the increase In the valuation of various
towns and cities. To make such a compari-
son Ineligible, the percentage of increase
over the old valuation must be taken. Ap-
plying this process to Cumberland county,
Westbrook is found to lead, having made, by
the Commissioners figures, an increase of
1l3 per cent over the valuation 10 years ago.
rtrI~ IN
cent. Portland has gained "a per cent; Cape
Elizabeth, "a per cent; Deering, 27 per cent
Freeport, 20 per cent; Bridgton, 13 per cent
Yarmouth, % per cent; Gorham, per cent.
The increase Of the valution for the county
Is 26 Der cent.
Among the cities OF the state, outside of
Cumberland county, Bangor gains As per
cent, Lewiston 27 per cent, Auburn 81 per
cent. Biddeford % per cent and Saco q per
cent, while the two Kennebec county cities
Of Augusta aud Waterville are jumped up,
the former 81 per cent and the latter 100 per
cent.
Few Changes In Apportionment.
1t is probable that few changes will be
made in the legislative apportionment Of
Cumberland county. Portland will get the
additional representative, increasing the
number to six. Freeport, which has made 9
big step forward In population during the
past ten:years and bids fair to keep on In.
creasing In the number Of its inhabitants
Will be allowed to chose representative
without the assistance of Pownal. The lat
ter town, which has been classed with Free
port, under the new apportionment will
| probably be classed with Windham. Wind
ham Is now district by itself. 1t is also
probable that Harpswell aud Scarb0ro will
keep on electing a representative alternately
just as they have been doing
Saturdays Session.
In the House this morning, ON motion Of
Mr.. Shaw, all the papers in relation to the
Australian ballot bill were sent to the Sen
ate.
An order was presented by Mr.. Hill and
adopted that ON and after Thursday, March
18th, the House will hold two sessions daily
meeting at 9.3O a. m. and 2.30 p. m.
A bill providing that "health" insuranc,
companies may organize under the genera
law relating to life and causualty companies
was introduced.
Mr.. Osgood presented bill providing tha
an amendment to the constitution be sub.
mltted to the people at the September elec
tion OF 1892. to change the constitution and
other laws so as to hold annual sessions oi
the legislature instead Of biennial, the elec
tions to remain the same as at present.
| Mr.. Shaw of Portland, from the financ,
committee, presented the estimated receipt!
and expenditures for the coming two year
as required by an order. TIE estimated re
ceipts for 1891, under three mills rate OF
taxation, are 81 ,266. .298; estimated appr0
priations for 1891. $1.747, 1856, consisting. o
the first appropriation bill, 1896. 1881; sec
ond appropriation bill under the existing
laws to carry on the government, 1873, 1873 81
all appropriations made by the present legis
lature to March II, $77,838.59; pending re
solves and bills involving an appropriation
to date. S351, ,454.78; estimated receipts fo
1892, S1.553.832; estimated appropriation
for 1892, SLIT. .703.30 consisting of appro
priations pending, $3.50. 600; necessary appro
priations, $1367.70.
The Portland & Westbrook stree
| Railway.
The following Is the charter asked for b.
the Portland & Westbrook Street Rail way an,
reported adversely by the railroad committee
Be 1t enacted by the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives in Legislature assembled, as follows
| Sect. ]. Lemuel g. Lane, Frank Haskell
| Charles Is. WOodman, Nathan Cleaves, Stephe
| Il. Small, Prentiss Loring, George <. Macombel
J. Manchester Haynes, Oryille d. Baker, Horac
| II. Shaw, James p. Baxter and John Fl. Fogf
their associates, success0ra and assigns, are here
| by constituted corporation by the name of tn
Portland & Westbr0ok Street Railway Company