The Portland daily press., 1897-03-26


mlttee room and that ID struck him as a
just measure aud in order to be sure that
the House understood just what priyi-
ieges the minority report if accepted
would give the company, MIR. Pattangau
went over the bill by sections and made
a few remarks on each provision.
He said that Deering had asked for the
passage of the bill by pstitions. All the
company wanted in Westbrook was ehe
right to run wires across QUE corner of
that city.
ln Portland the bill gives the COM
pany the right to lease and sell power for
mechanical purposes and for transporta~
tion. Mr.. Pattangall said that the only
question was as to whether the company
should be allowed to put COVER into Port
land. AS far as the statement made to
some OF the members that the company
didn't intend to do business, but that ft
wanted the charter for speculative DUR
poses. Mr.. Pattangall said that the oon-
hdence OF the Portland people in the com.
pany was proven by the fact that scores
Of the most prominent business men In
ehe city had signed the company's
petitions. He said he regarded the bill as
the most important of the session and
that he hoped no member had oarelessly
promised his vote. That the bill wasn's
q local issue seemed clear. Mr. Pattans
gall said, as 1T affected the policy toward
such corporations In all parts of the state.
All parts of the state have water powers
which should be developed and the power
sent to the shipping points.
The presence Of an electric light oom.
pany he argued was no reason whv
electric power shouldn't be taken into
Portland. He was willing to tolerate the
law of 1S95-if the legislature would as.
sumo a favorable position toward com.
panies that wish to do business on terri
tory that happens to be occupied.
Mr.. Patti gall submitted that the
people who signed petitions for that bill
had rights which must be respected as
well as the Consolidated Electric Light
company. Reviewing the business Of
the company Mr.. Pattangan said that
with the Fibre company in the field the
Maine Consolidated company could con-
tinua in business. especially when the
contract for lighting Portland is taken
into consideration and as far as a state-
ment that the Indurated Fibre company
would kill the other one and have a
monopoly, Mr. Pattangall said that there
were dozen or more water powers near
Portland and that the Indurated Fibre
company only had one of them, leaving
the other for the Maine Consolidated
company to take up that it may generate
electricity as oheaply as the Fibre com.
pany. AS far as taking the part of
foreign corporation against a Maine COM
pany. he said that 1926. 600 Of the stock of
the Maine company was held by people
outside of Maine and SCI, coo by Maine
people. While of thu capital stock of the
Indurated Fibre company s235,000 was
held In Maine, the whole capital stock
being $3.50, 600. Mr.. Pattangall asked the
members to vote on the strength of what
was told them on the floor and not on
what had been whispered in their ears in
private.
General Murray Of Pembroke argued
that it wasn't right to interrupt the
course of the affairs of company which
had expended large sums of money to be-
come established. He insisted that the
company is a foreign corporation and
said that the bill proposed to give it the
right Of way two rods width for the dis
ance Of twelve miles. Gen. Murray said
be understood that the bonds of the
Maine Consolidated Electric Light COM
pany to the amount of $500. 600 was held
by Maine people.
Col. Fogler Of Rookland said he spoke
to explain the reasons he bad for oppos-
ing the bill. Col. Fogler said that the
Fibre company had come to Maine for
the purpose Of manufacturing tubs and
pals, but that it had been deserted and
now the company wishes the stata to
pave the way for it to unload a power
plant which It doesn't want. He had
said the company couldn't generate and
sell electricity until 1t gets the power to
do SO from the legislature of New Jersey
from which it has it's charter, and
characterized the proposed legislation as
a legislative monopoly. He objected to
giving the company the right of eminent
domain and said that such right ia
given to companies having public duty
to perform.
Col. Fogler explained that eminent do
main put the companies under obliga-
tions to serve all who apply and were
willing to pay and that eminent domain
was granted wnen public necessity de-
manded It, Regarding the law of 1895 he
said that it was contemplated In 1898