The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-22
why SESSIONS DRAG.
Prospects for Short Term Not
Brilliant.
No IMPROVEMENT ON PREVIOUS
YEARS so FAR.
The Proposed EIectric Line to Harrison
and Its Relation to General Law-dow
Augusta Provides for Spiritual Welfare
of Legislators.
rspEcrAn TO THE PREss.I

Augusta January Chow long WILL
he bs here is the question which the new
membe asks when he gets settled IN
the old State House and its new addlt-
ion. Tbs old member smiles and says
little. He has hsard predictions Of
short sessions before. Then the new
mem ber finds that as the days go by
the legislatures daily sitsings are only
an hours duration. In the afternoon,
he reads the papers and looks over the
wonderful array of literature piled NJ
on his desk. Certainly the session should
be short, he says. In the meantime
he and all his fellows are putting in day
by day, bills, petitions and resolves
which are referred to various oommlt-
tees. Each of these take much the same
course. Each matter must be heard by
the committees and reported upon. Each
takes time even if it relates to sub
ject comparatively unimportant. 30
when the member who has been there
before figures out the probable length
of the session, he takes into considera-
tion the number Of measures which are
coming in during these early days.
This winter the mum ber presented in
the Senate is not up to the record OF
1895, but about equals that OF 1898 and
both of those sessions were long ones,
lasting through March. In thesI3ouse the
amount of new business put in one day
this week Tailed almost exactly with
the amount presented on the correspond
ing day Of the last session. These things
do not bear out the prediction frequent
ly made that this is to be a short session,
but of course much depends on the way
the lawmakers go at the work.
ELECTRIC ROAD TO HARRISON.
Speaking of the proposed electric road
from Westbrook to Harrison, someone
asked why the project could not be ruled
out of court so to speak, on the ground
that as the line would not cross tide
water, the company should organize un-
der the general law. But there are other
things besides the mere crossing Of tide
water, which makes a charter desirable.
The Westbrook road wants authority
to propel it's car by compressed air as
well as electricity and it also asks that
the towns be permitted to loan their
credit to the enterprise.
The judiciary committee has reported
the following bill:
| "Section Whenever a trustee or
guardian settles an account in probate
court, the judge of probate shall examine
| his bond, and shall endorse thereon the
| fact that such examination has been
made. Ii he finds the bond insufficient
| in amount, or the sureties unsatisfactory.
he shall require new bond, in such
amount and with such suret1es RS ne
may approve, and such trustee ar guar
dian, failing to give such new bond.
shall be removed"
SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF LEGIS-
LATORS.'
The legislator may find chilling
welcome in the Augusta hostelries and
the particular bills may seem to be al
ways frowning upon him, but for his
spiritual welfare, Augusta is prompt
to provide. On the desk of each mem
Der this morning was a leafist giving
the organization and services of the
Unitarian church and containing cor
dial invitation to the strangers to Wor-
ship there.
AUGUSTUS NEW CITY HALL.
Augusta this year rejoices In a new
City hall, although the satisfaction OF
many of the citizens is tinged with
melancholy by the thought that the
structure is "on the other side, " mean
ing that it was built on the east bank
Of the Kenpebec, where are the arsenal
the insane hospital and the smaller por-
tion OF the BONES of the Augusta peo-
pIe. The new City hall will be the scene
of a reception and ball in honor of Gov
ernor Powers and his staff on the eve
ming of Tuesday, February %. and Au-
eusta's leading social organization, the
Abuski club, has, together with leading
citizens, not included in its mem bership,
taksn hold of the affair and promise to
make it a success. In the days when
old Granite hall was in all its pristine
glory, the Governors ball was the event
of the winter in Augusta. Fire swept
through the hnilding in '91 and when
it was rebuilt, no provision was made
for the Governors ball and that func-
tion has necessarily been abandoned
since tnen. Now, however, there is an
or portunity to revive the social success
of the past in legislative circles, and the
Augusta people propose to make the re-
ception and ball of this year memo
rable one.
THE PENOBsCOT CENTRAL CHAR
TER.
| The bill introduced by Mr.. Murray OF
Pembroke in .the House today autho-
rizingsthe Psnobscot Central Railroad
company to maintain street railroad in
| the streets of Bangor. gives the minor
details of the route between the line
representing Bangor and Bangor and
West Market Square, Bangor, and then
aoes on to say that the company shall
have the right to, lay its tracks from
that SQUARE down Broad street and
along front strset to the steam boat
wharyes and thence to the tracks Of the
Maine Central railroad.
The company has applied three times
to the city council Of Bangor for permis-
sion to do this and three times has the
IL. .4--a1