The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-03-02
THE GREAT QUESTION OF TAXATION.
A Move to Revive the Sebago Lake
and Mechanic Falls Railroad.
Various Measures Henefitting Fish
and Game Introduced.
what May Be Expected During the
Present Week.
Especial to the Press

be paid, and what shall we pay them on?
are the Questions which will use up the larg-
er portion of the time Of the Maine legisa-
ture during the remaining weeks of this
year S session. As Senator Spear said FRI
day, when the bill creating state board Of
assessors was called up, the consideration of
this matter of the appointment Of assessors
must be finished before much can be done
with the other measures which the tax com
mittee may report. So far the tax cCmmit-
tee has presented two bills. The first is this
measure providing for state assessors; the
second is the bill for the adoption Of the
listing system. Now the fist section of the
listing system bill provides that it shall be
the duty of the State Board Of Assessors to
furnish blanks for the use OF town assessors.
So If the legislature should refuse to create
the state board, the bill for the establishment
of the listing system would have to be re-
drawn. The same thing would apply proba.
bly, to other bills which the committee Will
prepare. But 1t Is much more likely that the
first of these two bills will pass than that
second will find favor. The tax committee
was unanimous In favor Of the state board,
but In the case of the listing system a strong
minority has signed report against IL. Inc
Senate will take up the bill for the state
board on Tuesday Of next week. In the
meantime, the committee will begin work
on another branch of the subject, the taxa
tion of railroads and savings banks. What
the committee proposes to do nobody seems
to know. Perhaps that is something that
members themselves could not tell, but one
of them said today that 1t might be fair
inference for an outsider to conclude that
the present tax would be somewhat in
creased.
Tho Coming Week.
In addition to matters Of taxation, the
Australian ballot system will come up dur
ing the latter part Of this week. A long list
of resolves is assigned for consideration on
Wednesday. The valuation commissions
report Is expected this week, although 1t
will be at once referred to the committee and
so will not appear for consideration until
later. The apporti0nment for councillor
stricts is settled. Whether the other ap-
pOrtiOnment committees Will report this
week is doubtful. Something may be ex-
pected from the judiciary committee In re-
sponse to Mr.. Payson's order as to the sale
of stock of certain quasi public corporations
The order directed the committee to inquire
into the expediency of legislation In the
matter and report by bill, or otherwise;
This, OF course, means to report general
law If the committee deemed one advisable.
While Mr. Payson's order was presented
with a view of securing light on the proposed
issue of stock by the Boston Il Maine rail
road and, If necessary, regulating Its sale,
the Judiciary committee cannot, as COM
mitlee, make report In the shape OF an
amendment to the Boston & Maine bill. that
measure having been referred to the railroad
committee. The judiciary committee there
fore can report general law. either unani-
mously or by majority or minority report,
or 1t can report legislation inexpedient.
Meanwhile the Boston & Maine bill Is repos-
ing ON the Senate table When the bill Is
again put upon its passage 1t will be c0mpe-
tent for any member to otfer. an amendment
to it which shall apply to this one case such
provisions as might be Incorporated In
general bill under the order now before the
judiciary committee Another railroad mat
ter which may come up this week Is the
Haines BILL to regulate rates and fares.
which was ffiven a hearing during the past
week. The committee has not yet voted up
on 1t.
Opening UP a New Region.
Speaking of railroads brings to mind a
measure to which no opposition was made.
That is the bill to extend the charter of the
Sebago Lake and Mechanic Falls Inca short
road chartered some years ago and never
built. Naturally, when the development of
the great water power around Rumford Falls
was begun, the movers in the enterprise
looked about for railroad connection with
the outer world. This they proposed to get
by building an extension of the Rumf0rd
Falls and Buckfed road from its present
terminus at Gilbertville to Rumford Fails.
For this purpose the Portland ana Rumford
Falls Raiirosd Company was organized, and
bill has passed the legislature authorizing
the practical consolidation of the old Rum
ford Falls and Buckfeld with the new con-
cern. The Rumford Falls line starts at Me-
chanic Falls, where 1t has connection with
the Grand Trunk. IL its owners are able TO
make favorable terms with the Grand Trunk
the Sebago Lake and Mechanic Falls road
may not be blilt, but 1t is understood that
the charter for this latter line has been re-
vived in order that the Rumford Falls peO-
pie may have an Independent route to point
nearer Portland than Mechanic Falls and
connection with some other road than the
Grand Trunk. The route of the Sebago
Lake and Mechanic Falls lies through the
towns of Minot, Poland, Casco, Raymond
and Windham where a connection might be
made with the Mount,in Division Of the
Maine Central, thus giving an independent
line to Portland beside passing through good
country between Sebago Lake and Mechanic
Falls.
Saturdays Short Session.
TIE sessions which the legislature held
Saturday forenoons while they have per-
haps, somewhat advanced business. have
not been particularly interesting. In the
House this morning little interest was in
fused into the proceedings by the question
os an adjournment over Monday-"town
nesting day." The usual argument of the
loss of valuable time by such a course was
presented, but was pretty nearly demolished
when Mr.. Peaks called attention to the little
business that the House seemed likely to do
this morning, and asked how much more the
members expected to accomplish Ii they met
at D. m. Monday, with large number Of
seats empty, instead of coming together
again Tuesday. The discussion began when
Mr.. Shaw OF Portland, presented an order
providing for an Adjournment until 10 O'Clock
| Tuesday An amendment was presented TO
| the order making 1t read D. M, and on this
| amendment there was a division showing
| that no quorum had voted. No quorum voting
| of course the order could not pass and the
House. under the joint rules would have to
adjourn until Monday. But the Speaker
| suggested that If a new order was presented
and passed without division, the point OF
| no quorum need not be raised. Mr.. Shaw
promptly Presented new order and the OPP
| p0nents of adjournment as promptly Tor
| division, but, In the meantime the quorum
had appeared and the order passed, 80 to 20.
The Senate concurred with the House to
| adjourn to Tuesday at 10 a. %. An order
was introduced providing that the committee
| on agriculture inquire into the expediency OF
| repeating all laws providing for bountles on
wild animals and birds.
A bill was introduced to incorporate the
| Lake Auburn Fish Protective Association,t to
| stock Wilson pond or other waters in Au-
| burn with fish, and to propagate the same,
the capital stock not to exceed S5,OOO A bill
was introduced amending the law relative to
migratory fish so as to prohibit the taking OF
| the same by seines, In bays, inlets, harbors
| and rivers easterly of the west shore OF Pc
nobscot Bay, where the entrance to the same
| is not more than three miles in width, also In
Kennebec, Georges, Damariscotta and Medo-