The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-03-18
A AUGUSTA.
Thursday, in the House.

of petitions in favor of law providing
for inspection of grass seeds, among
which were:
BY Mr.. Whiting of Norridgewock-
Petition of Samuel w. Tinkham of An
son, and IL others.
BY Mr.. Reed of Harmony-Pettion of
d. l.. Frost of st. Adams, and % others
of w. II. Farrar of Ripley, and "a others
of Sherburn Leighton of Harmony, and
AZ others,
BY Mr.. Whiting of Norridgewock-
Petition of II. f. Weymouth and %
others; of c. IL. Tobey of Norridgewock,
and 80 others.
Mr.. Hamilton for the committee on
temperance, reported ought not to pass
on bill an act TO prohibit the sale of to-
bacco to minors.
Mr.. Hathorn for the committee on
military affairs, reported ought not to
pass on resolve for repairing the block
house at Fort Kent.
| Mr.. Walton for the committee on
legal affairs reported ought not to pass
on bill an act to amend section s, OF
chapter $40, of the Private and Special
Laws of 1895, entitled an act to ineor-
| porate the somerset Traction Company.
MIR. " alton for the same committee,
reported ought to pass ON bill an act in
relation to suits for taxes.
| There were presented in the senate:
BY Mr.. Salley of Somerset-Petition
of Ii. b. Ellis OF Embden and 20 others,
for inspection of grass seeds; petition OF
Fred Chapman of South Norridgewock
and 80 others; of Ira ID. Hilton of Starks
and Il others for the same.
RV Mr. Marci1l of GOmarGpt.- RaSo1n.
ton of the Somerset Pomona Grange in
favor of the enactment of IA law in rela-
ton to concentrated commercial feeding
and grass seeds.
The resolve appropriating S12 900 for
the Maine Soldiers Home at Newport
was discussed, Thursday, at some
length, and indefinitely postponed by a
vote of u to So Five of the seven
postponement.
The bill providing for registration oil
guides passed to be engrossed substan.
TALLY as it came from the committee.
In the Senate, Friday.
Resolve in favor of the Soldiers Home
in Maine came from the House indef
nitely postponed. On motion by Mr.
Billings of Waldo, the resolve was laid
on the table and Thursday, March Is
assigned.
On motion by Mr.. Merrill of Somerset
| bill in relation to sale of pressed hay
was taken from the table.
This bill, passed to be engrossed il
the Senate, came back from the House
indefinitely postponed.
Mr. Merrill: move that we non-con-
cur with the House in the indefinite
postponement of this bill.
Before the vote is taken upon this bill
perhaps should give my reasons fol
making the motion. This bill was pre-
scented by Senator Clason at the request
not of the agricultural classes, but OF
the practicing attorneys of the State OF
Maine and was an amendment to tht
act which | will read. "All hay PRESSED
and put up in bundles, except hay pres
sed 10y farmers and retailed from theil
own barns shall have the first letter OF
| the Christian and the whole of the sur
name of the person putting up the same
written, printed or stamped on bands Oh
| boards made fast thereto, with the uamt
of the state and place where such per
sons lives. " hoover offers for sale OF
shipment any pressed hay not markeo
as aforesaid except hay pressed by far
mers and retailed from their own barns
| forfeits 81 for each bale 50 offered, Il
be recovered by complaint No far
mer objects to that law. 1t is put in
there to provide that farmers shall moi
put rocks in their hay and sell it, OF
anything of that kind 1t is class legs
lation, but il is class legislation that is
all right. What we do object to is 4
certain thing that operates under it
which this amendment is intended te
obvate.
The amendment reads as follows
''No person who has received hay moi
marked as provided in this section shal
defend any action for the price thereof
upon that ground unless he shall prove
that before the delivery of said hay tt
him, he requested the person from
whom he bought the same to comply
with the provisions of this section .
The law and the penalty remain the
same. 1t simply provides that il
if a man buys hay, knowing thai
it is not tagged, of some farmer
who happens to be ignorant of the pro
vision of the law, he simply shall not be
scamp enough to plead that fact in q
court of law as the reason for not pay
| ing for it, unless he calls the attention
of the person selling it to that fact, and
requests it to be tagged. This amend
ment passed through here without OPP.
! position. No person has offered an
objection to it before a member of this
committee, and here it comes back to
us indefinitely postponed with nobody
having said word against it. 1t is
unusual treatment and | do not like it.
Now one thing further, we are all of lis
proud of these bright smart young men
that are round here, representing the
press. We | ave received many cour-
teses from them and we appreciate
their work and what the press is doing
But Immediately after this bill was in
definitely postponed | saw in one of our
dailies to this effect: Another of the
bills of Director Woods of the expert
ment station, has come to grief-bis bill
for pressed hay" when as a matter of
fact Director Woods did not know that
this bill was in here, and the only bill
that Director Woods has drafted has
passed both branches and has the Gov
ernOr's signature.
The question being upon the motion
of Mr.. Merrill, the Senate determined
to non-concur with the House in the
indefinite postponement of the bill.
On motion by Mr.. Reynolds of Cum
berland, the vote was reconsidered
whereby the Senate accepted in concur
renee Rouse report of the committee on
legal affairs reporting ought not to pass
on bill an act to amend section &, of
chapter $40, of the Private and Special
Laws af 1895, entitled ian act to incor-