Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-28
LEGISLATION
Enacted by Maine Lawmakers
the Past Three Months.
The Principal Features of What is
Done and Undone.
The Amount Of Work Never Has Been EauaIIed
in the Past.


at the fl nal adjournment of legislative
body. The members do this for the pleas
ure of recollecting the pleasant features
which they carry away cherished in men,
DRY. Other people glance backward upon
the work done by the public servants,
with a view to ascertaining what duties
and responsibilities are imposed upon
them.
This resume cannot be unfavorable to
the 10th Legislature. If number of
measures enacted are criterion it has
been the hardest working body of law
makers that ever assem- bled in Maine 1t
has passed 1913 acts and 1874 resolves, 81
more measures than were enacted by the
Goth Legislature in the same length of
time. 1t found more money to appro-
pirate than previous Legislatures had
been favored with and it has expended it
judiciously. To quote from two of the
ablest speeches in the Senate, Wednesday.
the State is awakening to its splendid
resources and to the fact that it is able to
care for its public institutions, better than
heretofore. The appropriations for 1895
amount to 81, 75S, 4O6. 50 for 1896, 81, 624,
1878. The amounts required for new
insane hospital. for rebuilding State
property burned at Gorham, for providing
6al adoti fDr h., aha al
of the Pennington Normal school, and
expenses larger by reason of savings in the
past swell the aggregate Those who may
feel called upon to cry extravaganza will,
it is believed, find it difficult, to show
wherein such alleged extravaganza may
be found.
What was perhaps the more interesting
and exciting featu res of the session have
not resulted in legislation. The women
suffragists are encouraged to renewed
efforts rather from what they did than
from what the Legislature did. York
county came here en- masse but conditions
in that county, so far as affected by legis-
latiOn remain the same as heretofore
Talk upon the listing bill, votes upon
the mill tax bill did not secure success,
the plea for "resubmission" on the one
hand and the Dow bill on the other, were
interesting, but in the opinions of the large
majority of the lawmakers were calls for
legislation that would be unwise. Neither
did they see their way clear to providing
the liquor cure for indigenous inebriates.
They drew their personal checks to pay
their board bills and refused to vote high
er salaries for their successors, The State
board of education failed of passage but a
marked advance in educational legisla-
ton was made.
But while much was undone a great
deal more was done of which the follow
ing summary may be of interest: 1t will
be seen from the titles of acts and resolves
published elsewhere that about 65 cor
poration charters have been amended
about SO new corporations were organized
general laws relating to fish and
game, telephone and telegraph companies
and gas and electric companies; there
were 80 enactments of private and special
fish and game legislation, the kind that
hereafter will come under the supervision
of the fish and game commissioners.
There was legislation relating to eight
municipal charters. The railroad charters
extended or newly granted number about
90. The salaries of about a dozen county
officers were affected, eight municipal
courts have been subjects Of legislation
and 90 new water companies have been
gran ted charters while general law pro
viding for such organization was refused.
Deer are not to be killed in Kennebec and
Androscoggin counties and in Deer Isle.
The State is to place buoys in Moosehead
lake.