The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-31
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
Something About the Goings On At
Augusta.
Especial to the Press.

Special TO tne FTeSS.
AUGUSTA, January 30.--Maine Con-
gregationists will have a bill before
the legislature. The measure will
be presented by Representative Wood
bury tomorrow. There is no present
need for it in this state, but it is i'll line
with legislation elsewhere and the time
may come in Maine when there will be
opportunity to apply the provisions OF
such law. The bill was; shown by
Judge Walton and has been in charge of
a committee of the Cumberland Confer
ence. composed of Rev. Vim. T. Jordan,
Clerence Hale, Esq, W. w. Brown, Esq.
and G. A. Woodbury., Esq. The purpose
Of the bill is to establish way for the
disposition of church property
in case where the church
organization may become extinct This
is intended to do by authorizing the Con-
gregational Church Building Society OF
New York to take and dispose of such
property, the proceeds arising from such
action to be devoted to Congregational
church work in Maine. The bill provides
that in case of any church organization
becoming extinct, a council of churches
may recommend to the Supreme Court
that the Church Building Society be au-
thorized to take possession of the prop
erty and sell it. The court shall then de-
eide whether or not the church organiza-
alton has become extinct and may issue
its decree authorizing the sale. As pre-
viously stated, the proceeds must be used
for church work in this state. Similar
laws are now in force in other states.
Some Coming Measures.
A petition asking for charter for the
wv uos
trio road is here. The petition is said to
20 feet long.
From the judiciary committee tomor-
row there will be fayorably reported bills
to permit the town of Abbott to raise
funds for a soldiers monument and
changing the Oldtown city charter by
abolishing the common council. IS
In order that the Maine exhibit of the
denizens of the great forests may be
complete, Mr.. Sprague of Monsoon will
introduce a bill tomorrow authorizing
Mr.. r. Clifford Skowhegan to take one
COW, moose and calf.
Another bill coming in tomorrow is
one to permit town to draw $500 from
the state treasury for free high schools
instead of $3.50, the amount now fixed.
Senator Shaw will present medical
registration bill, and that much-mooted
subject will be again before the law
makers.
Something About Taxation Hearings.
It is sometimes limited outside of news
paper offices that occasionally the dra-
matte critic writes his notices without
seeing the shows. Experience tells the
critic that one performance is very much
like another performance of the same
kind and he often grinds out notice so
near the truth that it does not give away
the fact that the critic wasn't there. Tho
taxation committee might adopt some
what similar scheme for get
ting at the results of their
hearings to various interests. The
representatives of these inter, SITS make
substantially the same speech. 1t is:
ssWe believe we are now bearing fully
our share of taxation, Certainly any
increase would be unjust and detrimen-
tai to our business. Had it not been
for the present agitation, we might have
come to the legislature to ask a decrease
instead of to protest against any In
crease" But the reasons with VIII Oh the
gentlemen who have SO far appeared
have backed up the above little speech,
are for the most part entitled to careful
consideration, and the committee is not
likely Just yet to adopt the methods of
the absentee critics. They will conse-
ouently occupy front row seats at the
performances.
This evening, Benjamin johnson, Esq.,,
OF Boston, and J. A. Moore, Esq, of
Thomaston, spoke for the sleeping car
companies. or more particularly the
Pullman company. They pointed out
that the Pullman company is already
taxed by the state Of Illinois on every
car it owns. In order to accommodate
the summer travel in Maine the company
is compelled to keep in idleness for ten
months in the year large number of
cars, and pay for storing them. Besides
this, on some lines the cars are now run
at a loss, with a view to ultimately
building up the business. "A
high tax rate might cause tie
withdrawal of such cars. Then it
was argued that the earnings of these
cars, which appeared as part of the re-
turns Of the railroads, were now taxed
when the roads were taxed. Mr.. john
son said that the proposed tax of two per
cent on gross earnings was somewhat
startling proposition to him. AS he
looked at it, it was a heavy burden. To
show this he said If a concern received
| from it's business in a year 500, 900, a
tax of per cent on the gross would be
$1,000. But the net earnings might be
say $4,000. Consequently in order to
pay this tax, one-tifth of the
years profits would be required.
MIR. johnson also said that he be-
lieved the decision of the United
States Supre me Court in the somewhat
celebrated case of Maine VS.. the Grand
Trunk wonld eventual, be reversed. He
believed that the constitution intended
that Congress should regulate interstate
tlafic, but if each state was to have un-
limited power of taxation it would yirtu-
ally regulate the traffic itself. Mr.. John
son believed that this view was becom-
ing the general e and with the frequent
changes among the members of the SUI
preme Court might become in time the
dictum of that body.
No one appeared to talk for the insur-
ance companies.
First Lutheran Church,
These officers have been elected: