The Portland daily press., 1891-02-26

free high school the words state College OF
Agricultural and Mechanic Arts, and to
change the word "the" before legislature and
Mr.. Powers of Aroostook, was opposed to
Mr.. Walton said the matter should be un-
derstood more fully and he moved that 1t be
laid on the table till a week from today, so
that possibly the report OF the valuation
Commission might be In and some informa-
tion gathered from their report.
The resolve to lay on the table prevailed
by a vote of II to II. No time was assigned.
Senate Business.
On motion of Mr.. Smith Of Lincoln, the
bill relating to the Knox &c Lincoln railroad
was taken from the table.
Mr.. Walton of Somerset, offered as an
amendment to the last section the words,
Nothing in this act shall effect any pending
action"
Mr.. Smith opposed the amendment
=, Mr: Walton said he knew nothing about
tne circumstances as he simply presented the
The amendment was lost and the bill
passed to be engrossed.
Mr.. Powers of Aroostook presented bill
10 amend section z. chapter 4. r. s., relating
TO lists OF voters which provides for striking
out the words zone thousand" In reference
to registered voters and inserting "fve hun
dred."
Some Of the House Business.
The House held short session this morn
ing, adjourning at about II o'clock.
The judiciary committee report ought not
to pass on the bills to incorporate the Bran
hall League of Portland and the Sanger Hos
pital of Bangor. on the ground that they
should organize under the general law. The
same committee reported ought not to pass
on the bill relating TO evasion of fares on
hacks and other public vehicles.
The Railroad Hearing.
The railroad comittee gave hearing on
the Haines bill, tU regulate railroad charges,
this evening. Senator Haines, the author of
the bill, made the opening argument In its
favor. He said that by the laws of this
state, tie railroad commission WAS given the
power to revise freight and passenger tolls
found to be excessive, of railroads organized
under the general law. Mr.. Haines said that
the first thing asked by his bill, was that this
rule should be applied to all railroads doing
business in the state. The principle of the
right OF government regulation OF railroad
business was now a recognized principle.
Congress. by the interstate commerce act,
had applied this principle to the interstate
states had passed laws to regulate railroad
traffic. So, in some cases, especially in the
matter of rates on suburban trains running
to and from Boston, had Massachusetts,. Mr..
HaineS said that his bill was in line with the
Interstate commerce law, while 1t did not 60
so far, saying nothing about long and short
travel, and other radical provisions of the
national law. Mr.. Haines then spoke of the
provisions of his bill designed to prevent un-
Just discrimination by means of rebates and
q tFrlII IaF nnT tRfu In antd fhaN hn hAd
known cases where business men in Oak
land, owing to the unjust discrimination OF
the Maine Central Railroad, had been COM
PEELED to ship goods to Portland or Boston
and and then have them reshipped to Pressure,
proposed to place the regulation of
passenger and freight rates In the hands of
the railroad commissioners. Mr.. Haines be-
lieved this would be fair to the railroads and
public alike. 1t was not such legislation as
that OF Kansas which would injure the roads.
In regard to the provision fixing rates of fare
at three cents a mile for regular tickets and
two cents mile for mileage tickets, the bill
was so drawn that this provision affected
in Maine, the Grand Trunk SO miles, the
Portland Il Rochester 40 miles and the Bos-
ton & M 4ine 102 miles. But so far as the
last road was concerned IFS rates were al
ready within the limits Of the bill.
In the case of the Boston and Maine, in
name Is now only nickname. the Maine
Central being a part of the Boston and
Maine system. Maine Central was a name
it had when it was a boy. Mr.. Haines
quoted figures to show that the cost of carry
ing passenger mile on the Maine Central
1.6l5 cents. TO show the rates charged by
the road MIR. Haines quoted ticket prices as
follows: Waterville to Vassalboro, seven
miles, 35 cents; Oakland to Waterville, five
miles. % cents He said that in cases where
the road had been forced into compe-
tltlon tidoI,,, with e electric roads they had
yet they found 1t profitable to continue local
trains and even increase their number. Mr..
Haines said that he looked with suspicion
upou this maintenance Of high rates as
part of great Boston & Maine scheme to
create q vast railroad monopoly. Mr.. Haines
In speaking OF the great demand he said ex-
listed for his bill, said that If the committee
could not see the handwriting on the wall
they might hear the kicking among the pe0-
pie. MIR. Haines spoke for an hour and a
half gu ting figures to show that the Maine
Central rates are excessive. He appealed to
the committee to report at least scme of the
provisions of his bill.
Mr.. Joseph I'll. Dow of Portland. an ex-
president of the Maine Commercial Travel
lers' Association, told of getting signatures
rate on the Maine Central.
Hon, j.. Z. Bass of Bangor, argued to show
that the Canadian Pacific and Maine Central
were uDjustly discriminating against the
Bangor and Piscataquis and that through
this discrimination Bangor citizens were TO
on the roads bonds.
Hon. A. A. Strout, representing the Grand
Trunk railroad, examined Mr. Bell, clerk to
the general passenger agent of the Grand
trunk, as TO fares Tn that road. Mr.. Bell
testlned that In accordance with the kind OF
frA l,A. Al nnf a
mile to five cents mile
The Councillor Districts.
The committee on councillor districts to-
night made the following apportionment for
the next ten years, subject, of course, TO
amendment by the legislature:
York and Oxford become the first district,
York having the councillor in 1896 6, 1878,
1902, and Oxford for the alternate terms.
Cumberland is the second district AndrOs-
coggln. Somerset and Franklin, the third
district, Will have councillors as follows
Andr0scogein, 1878, 1902; Somerset, 1894,
1S99-1900; Franklin, 1856. In the fourth
district, Re Kennebec will have the member In
Lincoln, 1884. The fifth district is appor-
toned as follows: Knox, 1895 6. 1S99-190o; /;
Hancock, 1897 s. 1902; Waldo, 1884. This
Is the arrangement for the sixth district:
Ionopscot, All Terms except 1o9o-o, WHEN Tls7
cataquis will have the member. In the sew
enth district Washington will have the coun-
cillor in 1884. 1878, and Aroostook the re-
naming terms.
Among the Committees.
Rev. B. P. Snow of Yarmouth, addressed
the committee on education today In favor Of
the resolve making an appropriation for
Yarmouth Academy.
General Charles Hamlin and Major G. T.
Stevens appeared before the committee on
military affairs this afternoon and explained
why the Gettysburg commission asks for
$1,000.
The judiciary committee this afternoon
heard the case of w. *. Dana anu others,
provide for an appeal TO the Supreme Court
from decisions of the railroad commission in
the matter Of laying out ways over tracks