The Portland daily press., 1895-02-02

duly prosecutes him, shall be exempt from
the disQualifications and punishments
therein provided
The bill changes section Enine of the
statute to read:
| "Section 9-Whoever Offending IN the
manner described in the three preceding
sections ales with the county attorney OF
the county in which such offence was COM
mitted. information under oath against the
other party SO offending. or truly testlhes
in any examination or proceeding IN court
| in reference thereto shall be exempt from
the. disqualifications and pun1shments
| therein provided. And no testimony SO
given shall be used against the party giving
| it in any proceeding, civil or criminal
against him, and the fact that ne mas SO
testified, if pleaded in bar or sheWn IN
evidence, shall be complete defence to
any such action.''
RAILROAD MATTERS.
| A movement which has not attracted much
attention as yet, but which may result In
lively hearing and some animated DEBATE
before the law makers. are done Win IT, Is
that embodied in petitions for an equallza-
tion of freight rates. The movement had Its
origin apparently in number OF towns on
the branches OF the Maine Central system
and the complaint is that in establishing ITS
rates the railroad disciminates against these
towns in favor of the larger towns ana
cities on the main lines. This feeling is not
confined 10 the branches as citizens OF some
of the towns on the main lines make similar
complaint.
When these petitions first appeared, they
were referred to the committee on legal
! affairs. Later this reference caused con-
siderable commentas it was claimed the
matter is one properly within the province
of the railroad committee. 1t seems that
some of the petitioners had concluded that
they stood better chance OF getting
favora BILE report from tile legalsaffa1rs COM
mittee and SO prompted the reference.
However that may be, the Introduction OF
new element in the situation has given
| certain amount of reason for the reference.
This is the statement that business men in
coast towns are signing the petitions pe-
cause they think they have grievance
against the coastwise steamboat companies
in the matter of freight rates. A member OF
the legal affairs committee said today that
certainly his committee was as much en-
| titled TO consider this steamboat end OF the
controversy as the committee on railroads.
The matter will come up for hearing FED
ruary l2, and the railroad and steamboat
4 men will then tell their side of the story.
4 This morning the petitions on lie wlththe
committee included those of citizens OF
Pennington, Monmouth, winthrop, Hart
land. Etna. Clinton,e Carmel, 81. Adams,
/ Burnham. PittsGeld, Detroit and Camden.
Mr.. Patten of Bath presented two orders
4 today, one directing the railroad committee
n to investigate and report on the expectancy
lsof abolishing grade crossings. ana the otner
il'that they inquire into the expedIencyt OF
4 providing for cumulative voting on stocks
in corporations.
1t seems that before the appointment OF
the subcommittee of the committee on rail-
roads to try and patch up the Washington
county dispute, Col. Green had made an
offer of compromise. His proposition was
that both charters should be extended 1or
four years. Then the Shore line people were
to have six months in which to get the
money to build their line. the Washington
county company keeping stlll duilng tnls
time. If at the end of the six months the
Shore line people had Tot raised the cash,
the other corporation was to have Its turn
. of six months, the plans. profits, etc. OF the
a route of the Shore line 10 be bought al a
price to be mutually determined. or II the
price could not be agreed upon, at a figure
named by Chief Justice Peters. II the
Washington county company failed In It's
six month trial. then the people Of the
county we're to be allowed to vote on the
question of aiding in the construction OF
one road or the other. This proposition was
, not acceptable and SO the subcommittee
was named. sThey have put the matter OF
until next week, when the two concerns Will
again be represented here by Washington
county men and another attempt to reach
an adjustment will be made.
THE wHEELMEN AND The ROADS.
The cause of the wheelmen and OF all
others who feel the need of better ROADS,
for that matter, will receive the attention
which it deserves at this session and may De
| recognized by the passage of sorIe approprl-
ate legislation. The bicyclst and the
Granger have shaken hands fnsthe matter,
and have agreedto to- ride together ~ he
state Board of Trade sometime ago con-
sidered the subject of improved roads, and
a bill was prepared which embod1ed some
views entertained by members of the
Grange. The League Of American Wheel
meE also had bill. After some consulta-
ton, these two bills were merged In third
whic was introduced some time ago. This
bill provides for the creation OF commits
sion of three member, one OF whom il 70
be a civil engineer, and who are to make
examination of road, furnish information
to town officers aEdsonce each year hoia a
meeting in each county for the discussion
of the problems ENCOUNTERED in road build
ing. The bill gives the commlsson nc
authority to go into road building Itself
The commission is simply 10 be consulting
body from which the town and county
officials may obtain valuable Information
, free OF charge 1t is claimed that the advice
the board would be able to give In TINS way
) and through the map, and data IL woulu
prepar al we'll as by the county meetings.
/, would effect & saving in expenditures that
would pay for its maintenance many tunes
!, over, and at the same time would result in
! greatly improved roads.
+ In harmony with this movement Is the at
Il u H. 10