The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-20
SHORT BUT BUSY SESSION YESTERDAY.
Legislation in Favor of Portland
Railway Company.
Forecasting the Work of the vaIua.
tion Commission.
The Struggle of the Shore Line
Commenced.
[Snecial to the Press.1

Especial to the Pressl
AUGUSTA, January 19.-The legislature
held only short session this afternoon but
did considerable business. In the House.
Mr.. Chadbourne of Biddeford, presided, the
Speaker not arriving until after the session
began.
Portland Railroad Company.
= The Portland State Railroad Company
wants to acquire the Ocean street line in
Deering and bill was introduced by Sena-
tor Moore today authorizing the acquisition
of that line by lease, purchase of capital
stock, or otherwise. The Portland Railroad
Company is further authorized to issue its
bonds to an amount not exceeding the
amount of its capital stock actually paid in,
of such denomination, for such time, and at
such rate OF interest as 1t may lind expedient
and to secure the same by mortgage bond of
its franchise and property, with or without
A provision for sinking fund to provide
funds to meet the needs OF its business, in
cluding the extension of its system of street
railroads within the territory heretofore au-
thorized by acquisition of connecting roads
or otherwise and the establishment of au
electrical power plant and necessary equip
ments for the operation of its railroad or
such portion thereof as may be found expe-
dent by electricity, subject however, as to
the use of electricity, to the consent of the
municipal authorities of the town In which
said railroads may be operated.
Portland & Rumford Falls.
A bill was introduced in the House today
au horizing the Portland g. Rumford Fails
railroad, with the consent of the Rumford
Falls & Buckfeld, to build over parts of the
latter's location where its line has not been
constructed. The time in which the Rum
ford Falls & Buckfield may build its line is
extended to five years from the passage of
the act. The Portland & Rumford Falls is
also authorized to lease the other road and
purchase its securities, and both roads are
authorized to fell or lease their own and ac-
Qulred lines.
In the Senate, bill was introduced ex-
tending t, five years from the passage of the
act the rights of the Sebago Luke q Mechanic
Falls railway.
Cape Elizabeth Town Meetings.
Mr. lrilton of Cape Elizabeth, introduced
today bill to legalize the doings of the town
of Cape Elizabeth held August 81,
1887; March 5, September 10 and November
6. 1888; March 4, 1889; March and Septem-
Der 8, 1890, with the exception of the action
taken upon article 81 in the warrant of the
the introduction of water in the town.
Shore Line Railroad.
1t will be remembered that there has been
some question among Washington county
people as to whether the charter originally
granted to Colonel Green on the Shore Line
railroad and his associates. which explreso on
the 10Th of this month, should be renewed or
the legislature should be asked to
grant new charter. There has been no op-
position to Colonel Green personally, but it
was felt that as he had controlling interest
In the corporation and was not Washing
ton county man, the people of that section
should be given more show.
For his services in building the line as far
as Sullivan, Colonel Greene received his pay
when that road became the Bar HarbOr
branch of the Maine Central. Now Colonel
Green has offered to turn into the treasury
1900 shares of stock held by him, which Will
make HIM one of 60 or 20 men me silly resi-
dents Of Washington county, and will give
Is understood to be satisfactory to the
comfy delegation, who will fa-
Vor bill to extend the original charter for
a term of four years. This bill will be in
probably Today:
Some time ago, Russell Sage and syndi-
cate OF New York men acquired the control
Of the Shore Line road of New Brunswick
which extends from st. Stephens, opposite
Calls, to st. John. They are now seeking an
outlet for this line, and Washington county
people believe that they or their friends may
furnish the survey to build the remainder of
the Maine Shore Line. General Leavitt of
Eastport, who Is here, says it is not unlikely
that ten Washington county men could be
found who would guarantee the builders
OF the line three per cent. from the hrst
Among the petitions presented in the
House today In favor of the Dental Registra-
tiOn Bill, was one from Portland signed by
DR.. l. L. Dana and As others.
Copies of the enabling act to provide for
settling the questions arising from joint oc-
cupency of the Portland City Building by
the county and city officers have been re-
ceived by the Portland delegation. L. will
be discussed at meeting of Cumberland
county men to BIZ held soon.
To Cut Up Another Town.
Senator Nash presented in the Senate to-
day the petition of George W. Watts and 40
others, that part of Jonesboro and certain
Islands in Jonesport be set off and made a
separate town. The petition was referred to
the committee on towns. As yet, Senator
Nash says, he has heard of little or no 0ppO-
sition to the request, although Jonesport
may object to losing the islands. A division
of Maine town without fight would be
something novel in the way of legislation.
Tho Case of the iron Hall.
w. Il. Snow and % others of Brewer have
signed oetition which was presented in the
House this afternoon by Mr.. Snow of Brew
er, asking that the restrictions placed upon
the Order of the Iron Hall by the legislature
of 1889 be removed.
a Gratifying Increase.
Last week the House voted to request of
the valuation commissioners a statement as
to when its report might be expected.
When the commission does report it
will be able to show gratifying increase
in the valuation of the state. II the report
is adopted by the legislature, the valuation
which it establishes becomes the basis for
state and county taxation in the next ten
years. This report will fix valuation for
eacn plantation, town and city in Maine,
each piece of wild land and each parcel of
aad, such as gore between two towns
which may not now have an established rrla-
tlon to the surrounding towns. As there are
over 800 towns and plantations in the state,
it is at once plain that to do this requires
great amount of labor, as well as an extern
sIve knowledge of the resources of Maine.
The valuation commission was appointed
two years ago, and is composed of Messrs.
Hiram KnowltoD, E. w. Woodbury. and o.
G Hall.
Soon after its appointment the commission
held preliminary session and mapped out
its lab0rs The law authorizing the COM
mission required that it should establish
valuation from the returns made by the
towns assessors for the four years. ending
with the town year 1S89-9O In the
fall Of 1889, the commission received the re-
turns for the first three years and at once
settled actively, to work, remaining
large force of clerks busy, there being at one
time as many as sixteen In making its val
uatiOn, the board took the returns of the
value of different kinds of property In each
town. compared town with town, and was
TINS able tp tell whether tho fonrae -. -