The Portland daily press., 1891-01-28
WHAT MAIN COMMITTEES ARE DOING.
A Measure Of Relief for the County
Commissioners.
All People In OldtoWn Want a
City Charter.
A Big Days ausiness-some Of
the Bills.
Especial to the Press.l

fairs In short order, and ended Its session as
early as the House. This afternoon some of
the committees were in session. but. as al
ready explained In these dispatches, the i'm
portant measures of the winter are not like
ly to get before the House for some time yet.
In some respects the matter which will cre-
ate the most general interest Is the proposed
revision of the tax laws. 1t Is a trite' saying
that mans interest is easily awakened
through his pocketbook, but 1t Is true, nev-
ertheess, and for this reason the doings Of
week will be largely watched. Senator
Spear Of Kennebec Is the chairman Of this
ON the part Of the Senate, and Is
evidently disposed to hustle matters right
along, so far as he can de so in the consider.
alton of question as involved as Is this
The special committee will have as the basis
for its labors the report of the special tax
appointed und resolve Of the
last legislature. The exhaustive report Of
this commission was published some ago. As
a part of their report, the commission pre-.
pared a general tax law. Report and law
were both referred to the special committee
prepares its report, the WORK OF the commits
sion will receive proper consideration and is
likely to prove of material assistance to the
committee. The committee will report bill
similar In form to the law suggested by the
but the committee will do its
own investigation and may reach conclu-
sions different In effect from those embodied
In the report of the other body. When 1t Is
that a general tax law would re-
peal all present laws and provide an entirely
new system Of taxation for the state. the
of the task set for this special
will be appreciated. The COM
mittee will give hearings to many different
interests, and however deligent 1t might be,
1t cannot hope to report before the latter
part of the session. Various petitions have
been received praying for taxation on many
forms of property and In some way or other
all these petitioners expect to be represented
before the committee. The taxation of cor
porattans, the proportion OF the public bur-
Gems justly to he borne by farmers and real
estate owners, the mineral and vessel wealth
Of the state. the perplexing questions relat-
ing to the taxing OF personal property wnich
so often eludes assessors, will all come In for
their share of attention. Then there is an-
other Departmental the works which, while
it may not be SO important, Is likely to use
up some time. That Is, the claims OF people
who seek encouragement for industries or
BY asking special fayors OF the
state. or this charter are the petitions now
coming in from the farmers asking that
sheep and young cattle be either exempted
from taxation or assessed at q low rate. Mr..
Spear has lost no time in calling his commit
zation this afternoon. Mr.. Spear is one OF
the members who expects to be engaged in
legislative duties as late as next April, but
he does not propose to waste any time.
The committee organized by the choice OF
Treby JohnOn of Augusta as clerk. Mr.
Spear and Mr.. Hawes are chairmen on the
part of the Senate and House.
The other important special committee,
that on state valuation, must wait for the
report of the valuation commission before
getting to work.
The judiciary committee this afternoon
gave nearing on the order directing them
to inquire into the expediencey of repeating
the law relating to hawkers and peddiers.
Representative Shaw of Bath favored the
present law with a provision exemutipg from
the payment Of license married and blind
person. The matter was tabled by the COM
mittee.
The committee on towns today voted to
report ought to pass on the bill to annex
Ragged Island to Harpswell.
To Improve Westbrook's school
System.
Mr.. Lamb of Westbrook presente today
the petition of T. 5. Burns Of Westbrook
and 13 others, asking for the passage of q
bill to regulate the election of school com
mittee of the town of Westbrook. The Pc
tit,on Is accompanied by bill which is a
COPY of the one passed In 1880 for the towI
OF Deering and which Is now in operation
there.
For a Hos pitaI at Sanger.
Lewiston's hospital scheme has another ri
val In the race. If it is necessary to hav,
another general hospital In Maine 1t Is per
fectly evident that one at Bangor, 1876 mile
from Portland, where is located the presen
Maine General Hospital. would have wide
field OF usefulness than one In Lewiston
only about 40 miles distant from the admira
BILE Institution In the Forest City. A bill
was introduced today by Mr.. Porter of Ban
g0r, for the incorporation OF the Easteri
Maine General Hospital In that city, and
while this new institution has not yet givel
notice of any demand for state aid to b.
safely be assumed that such a request will
be made. As there is no need Of three gen
eral hospitals In Maine the question seem
to resolve itself into one as to where 1t |
more advisable for the state to lend its aid
to Lew iston or to Bangor. Bangor, so ia
as location is concerned, would certainl.
seem to have the better claim. The follow
ing well known residents Of the Queen Cit,
are named as cOrp0rators in the bill:
franklin A. Wilson, Nathan G. Aver, Jo
seph S. Wheelwright. Charles d: Bryant
bennett, Hiram Oliver. Charles Hight An
Rustus d. Manson, Joseph r. Lewis, Chas
A. Boutelle. BeDjamin A. Brown, Lysande
Strickland, Daniel F. Davis, Jasper Hu lch
ings, Joel w. Palmer, N. Edward Aver, Car
ollne. s. Wilson. Muriai%e Jersey, Mrs
W. Field, Lucy N. Field. Charles H. Cutler
Amory Battles, Henry l.. Griffin. Lucy +
Griffl0, Hattie M. Brown, Harriet s. Girls
void, Thomas W. -Vose, q. B. Thatcher
Eugene Hersey. James Adams. Thoma
White, Joseph ". Porter, Frederic, q. Ar
lin, S. P. johnson, Daniel A. Robinson
Frank ingalls,. r. A. Jordan, George ?. Jel
fords, Salem NJ. WOOlwich, Isaac 81. Merrill
To Cure All Ills.
Several petitions were presented today, In
cluding one from Rev. John Collins and 8
others of Peaks Island for an amendment t
the liquor law by adding to 1t such penalte
Of fine and Imprisonment as to rende
the violation of 1t Improbable ann uncon
Portable to those who persist In it, and at tn
same time render its enforcement speed
and sure as 1t is not now.
Pay For York Commission oners.
York county people believe that the com
missioners of that county should receive th
same pay as those of the counties of Gun
berland and Aroostook, which Is So 30 da
for the days spent in their official duties in
| cluding the time spent In travelling. Abi
to amend section 81, chapter 78, r. s., {
| provide for this change was introduced t(
| day Mr.. Chadb0urne Of Biddeford Th
| pay of the commissioners Of the counties q
| the state, as the law now stands. with IN
| exception of Ar0ostook and Cumberlan, n,
when the pay is $3.50, is So day. This bi
puts York county on the same footing al tb
| other two named.
OidtoWn's Municipal Cooperation.
Joseph T. Mullen. Henry Davis and He,
ry A. Pratt. municipal officers of the tow
| of Oldtown, send to the general court p
per representing that at a fully attended Sc
| sion of the last annual meeting OF said To-
| In March, 1890, the voters of said town /,
structed the municipal officers to apply for
| city charter for the town, and that Ia accor,
aDce with said vote they have prepared
bill to incorporate the city Of Oldtown, sp
| in behalf Of the town and In accordant
ter may be granted. The municipal 0ffica
further say that they have made irlonirv an
can find no opposition to the GRANTING ~
such charter, and they have no hesitation
| asserting that the citizens are practical
unanimous In favoring city charter.
The bill for the Incorporation of the nj
has already been presented.
A Blow at Dead Beats.
Mr.. Shaw Of Portland introduced TODAY
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