Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-13

fees, provided such officers are not ct the |
same time receivipg . stated salaIy from |
the city for their services. The city shAll
also provide all uecsssary blank books and |
stationery for the use of the board. AL
witness fees shall be paid at the established |
rates Of fees Of Witnesses before the
municipal courts. in criminal Cases When |
. witness 10 summonsd by order Of the
board his fees shall be paid BY the city |
Ia view Of the action of the House yester-
day have changed the ph;aseology in re-
gard 70 the compensation 20 - to make the
compensation OF the various member OF
the board correspond to the original bill,
Is for the president Of the board and o.
day for the other members Of the board.
Nov, gentlemen. to beeia ~ the end: The
witness fees in civil cases In municipal
coarts are not uniform but ia criminal
matters witnsss fees are uniform,
., that thought il WAS better to cay that
the witness fees shall be at the established
rates Of fees OF witnesses before the mu
n,eipal courts The bill provides that some
tiues The board may summon party TO
appear before il to give testimony and there
10 no provision as TO who shall pay the fees
of such = witness. For the purpose Of
obvistipg the difficulty arising there hare
put in the last sentence. Going back to
the principle reasons why have drafted
this amendment. the orisiaal bill says
that the president shall receive IS and the
other members IS. That 10 the came ss
the amendment down to the end Of the frss
sentence, then it says: They shall also be
paid reasonable compensation for
such tine Is they are necessarily
employed ia making up and preparing
such lists Of voters." That refers to their
duties OF preliminary preparation under
section s, and under the provisions Of that
section all that the board have to do is to
take the list used at the last election and
strike of the names of voters who have
died or have removed from the city or have
become disqualified. No new names can
be added at this session, aud it seemed to
me that il Was wiser tina, We should def.
nitsly fx their fees and place some limit
upon the time that they may be occupied in
the preliminary preparation OF the lists. l
have, therefore, made the amendment pro-
vide that they ehall receive from the city
no. reasonable compensation, because
what may be . resscnsbls compensation
might be matter about which the board
themselves would entertain different ideas
from what we eh,uld, but that they shall
IeEclNt, rs tuc. thONi0SsS hsS Auo AhtNV
dollars per day.
l say further than that, tina. in this prelm
iuary preparation they shall not be longer
than two days. 1t seems TO me that this is
ample time for the kind of work required
during that preparation. The preparation
of the first list will take them much more
than two days, so | have put into the
amendment provided. however, that for
services ia so preparing said lists for the
frat time after this act takes effect they
may receive such other reasonable
compensation as the city council
may determine have also pro-
vided additional compensation for tn
city clerk, who. in most small cities, has
no deputy. If it is not wi,e, strike 1t out
Then Instead Of saying that the board shall
be entitled to reasonable and necessary ex-
penses including blank books. stationery
aod the necessary assistance of clerks, I
have made the provision that the city shall
provide all necessary blank books and sta
tonery for the use Of the board. Another
serious objection to the original bill so far
as the compensation Of the officers 10 con
cerned, is found in this, the general statute
provides that officers who serve summonses
and notices shall be entitled to certain speci-
fed fees, and an officer might be used by one
of these boards day and nigh. serve sum
monses enough under that section to amount
to several dollars, $40 or SIS or even $50
| in day, II it should be construed that the
general statute applied. 1t seems to me
that the officer who is placed 10 attendance
upon this bosrd had better receive q per
diem so have fixed the amount, right or
wrong don't know.
Mr.. Noble-I am convirc ed that there il
VERY dangerous element being introduced
under cover of this amendment. A pro-
| vision has been inserted this morning max
| ing it mandatory to summon witnesses when
requested and think that all parties who
have not the love of order and honesty in
their hearts would appear before that board
| and call witnesses summoned in every case
| at the expense of the cities.
| Mr.. SAvage-If the gentleman objects,
don't insist on it,
Mr.. Noble-Very we'll. Now in regard
to the psy. The bill is providing for =
clean board. gentlemen, board Of good
men, and we want TO pay them good wages
for their services. They are constantly at
work while they are in session. We want
To place them above all temptation to shirk.
| We want to pay them amply. think that
the provision Of section ~ as drawn and
presented in the new draft provides for
ample psy. Now in regard to the city
clerk receiving pay. He receives pay from
the city for his services but while he 10 en-
| plcyed in the revision Of the check list
he now receives no pay whatever, and he
is simply going from the board of aldermen
to this board of registration and perform
ing the same duties.
The ChsiY-The chaie will notify the
members that in accordance with the order
of the gentleman from Bangor passed yes.
terdsy. the time has arrived to take the vote
upon this bill and all the amendments thst
are offered, unless the time be extended by
the House.
Mr.. Callahan moved that the time be
| extended 10 minutes.
Less than two thirds voting in favor, the
| motion to extend the time was lost.
The question was then upon the sdoption
o6the amendment offered by the gentleman
from Auburn and known a. House amend
ment sc"
The Chair then read House amend
ment &C."
Mr.. Savage intended that the last sen
tence should be stricken out.
The change was accordingly made.
Il Mrs Cailaheu--As understand, we are
going by the clocks. Thay don't agree.
Which one are we going by? Laughter.
Chair-We are going by the Speakers
watch, on which he can rely. Laughter.
Mr.. Nobel was shut off by the expira-
ton Of the hour, but wished to say that
hope that the friends Of the bill will not vote
for the amendment. daughter
The vote was then taken on House
amendment &c" which was rejected.
The bill as amended was then given its
third reading aud passed to be engrossed.
On motion of Mr.. New comb Of Esstpo rs,
Adjourntds