The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-09
SENATE BUSINESS,

Senator Harlow of Oxford, presented a
bill to permit the Oxford Central Telegra ph
and Telephone company extend its line
into Androseoggin, Cumberland and Frank
lin counties.
Simon b. Gates and others ask to be in
corporated as the Winn Water and Power
company, with capital of 100000, and
the right to drain the Penobscot at Winn
A bill in relation to the taking of smelts
in Dana ariscoIta river, corrects an error in
bill for the same purpose, passed two
years ago. The bill was intended to estab-
lish line on one side of whioh smeHs
might be taken with nets. and on the other
only with hook and line. An error in nam
ing certain lodges made the act imperative
BUSINESS PRESENTED IN THE HOUSE.
The charter of the Oakland Water com2a-
ny is extended until December 81, 1898, by
bill presented by Mr.. Haines of Waterville,
today. If at that time the company has
three miles of pipe in operation.
resolve in favor of the town Of Warren
was presented today. Warren claims S14s.44
as due her from the school funds of 1894.
resolve in favor of the town of Whiting
asks an appropriation of $1,000 to aid in the
building of roads. ~N'
Mr.. Brackett of Canaan, put in bill-to
amend the statute Gin reference to damages
fol injuries caused by defects in highways
so that failure to give notice of the condi-
tion of highway will not be bar to pro-
ceedings, but may bestaken into oonsiders-
tion in determining the questionsof negli-
gence. Failure to give fourteen days notice
of the action shall prevent the recovery OF
costs but not damages.
The city of Hallowell petitions for the
right take water from Cobosseeoontee Lake.
Mr.. Miller of Camden, presented bill to
authorize the Knox Woolen company and
others to draw down the water in Canaan
pond four feet.
INSURANCE LEGISLATION.
The wisest legislation is often that which
repeals old laws. Some people interested
in insurance matters are quoting that say
ing now. The law they want repealed,
however, is not very old one. At the last
session. after much discussion in and out
of committee, a law was passed in relation
to co-insurance. The law provides that
"all contracts of f1e insurance written
on property in this state shall cover the
actual loss or damage not exceeding the
amount insured exc pet in such cases where
it shall be otherwise agreed in writing and
signed by the assured. Co-insuranoe con-
tracts shall state the value of property in
sured.''
1t was thought by some that this would
result in better understanding between
insurers and insured, and consequently in
lower rates, but the companies objected to
it and stopped writing co-insurance alto
gether. Now the men who advocate the re-
peal of the law are confident that they will
succeed in taking it from the statute book.
Several members of the committee are said
TO favor the repeal. An important piece of
insurance legislation at the last session
was the law which provides that should any
insurance company not organized under
the laws of Maine, but doing insurance in
the. state, Or its representatives residing
without the state attempt to recover any
suit to which it is party.from state to
an United States court, or should any such
company enter into any compact or combi-
nation with other insurance agents fol- the
purpose of governing or controlling the
rates charged for fire insurance on any
property in the state. .sthe insurance COM
missioner should revoke the license of such
company and it should not be renewed in
less than three year.
1t is under this law that the old system
of rate making was done away with SO
that the rates are now fixed by one state
adiuster. Like the co-insurance law, this
is likely to be the subject of discussion
again this winter, an effort TO repeal it
bsing among the probabilities. In the way
of new legislation, it is said that there
ill be bill for standard policy law.
Sto n n rd po1icv exnains the intent or suoh
a.law.it being that the companies doing busi-
ness in a state should use uniform policies
prepared in accordance with the require
ments of the law. Such laws are In force
in several of the states.
Besides these measures. ex-senator Her.
sey has a scheme to pIovidegfor the fixing
of the valua tion of insured property. and
the limitation offthe amountof:the insurance
to a sum not exceeding two thirds the val
ue. The object of such law would be to
prevent the setting of fires to obtain in
surance money.