Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-18
|WH|lETHEY'REG GONE.
Capitol Scenes and Gossip
During the Recess.
G'pncss at Some ofthe Chief Meas
ures Thus Far introduced.
a Good Story on Librarian carsr-Me~
Corporations state House Notes.

eANAAA y oil uCPdIlSu IOl
nome, and during Saturday and Sun.
day. and also today, comparative
quiet is reigning through the Capitol
This afternoon they will all be back
however. and the session at 4.3O ociocl,
though probably brief will be a busy
one. This week will doubtless see five
sessions instead of three as last week
and the grand Sitting process in the
committee rooms will begin.
saturday very few of the legislators
appeared at the Capitol, and the pa
pers, letters and advertising circulars
that accumulate so fast remained
heaped up undisturbed on the desks
Most of the officials of the two bodies
were on hand, but found little to do
except to sit around and tell good
stories. Many of the State House
o!hcials and department heads also
scattered for their homes over Sunday
The few members who remained over
the recess had lots of things to talk
about when two or three of them got
together. Enough bills of considerable
Importance, have been introduced to
make numerous good topics for con-
versation and discussion and then there
is always wild field of speculation re-
garding what may come up for legisla-
ton. Another fertile topic for CONVEX
sation is the would be office holder of
the future, both State and national. of
whom several prominent ones are pres
ent this session.
Visitors to the Capitol are always
numerous during the session, and
many of them stroll around the build
ing day and evening. The chambers of
the House and. Senate are chief centers
of interest. and most of them have to
try the chairs of the presiding officers.
They always want to know the seats
of some of the best known members
and if from out of town the seat of
their local representative is an object
of awe and interest. They find a great
source of pleasure in the elevator, and
stand the longest before the tattered
battle flags in the big cases in the
rotunda. However windy or cold the
day they always climb to the cupola
and enjoy the magnificent panorama
there displayed. The department Off
GERS are generally inspected by them.
The Capitol is always glad to welcome
visitors, and the officials and employees
are always courteous and obliging, and
never fail to show them all the sights.
What will be done about the insol-
vency laws? There promises to be an
interesting contest along this line, Mr..
Walton of Skowhegan has introduced
a bill which repeats the present entire
law of the State. There
seems to be strong opposition to this,
for though the present insolvency
laws are by no means perfect, the idea
of repeating them and giving the first
creditor that comes the first chance is
not popular. 1t is said other bills will
be introduced amending the present
insolvency laws and changing the
power of trustee so that the applica-
tibn of the present law will be more
fair to the wage Garner.
Mr. Walton has introduced another
measure that attracts it's share of at
tention. 1t is bill placing the power
of granting peddlers' licenses in the
hands of the boards of county COM
in the various counties.
He believes that under the present sys-
tenn of State and town licenses the
character of the men licensed cannot
be carefully investigated. and he
would give no licenses to foreigners or
parties or to those sus-
pected of being swindlers. This meas
ure grew out of the now famous sale
of those 500 wrought iron stoves
all over the State by smooth and oily
Kentuckians. Somerset and Kennebec
counties were especially afflicted.
. In Gov. Powers message he con-
demned in vigorous terms chapter III
of the public laws of 1895 and suggested
that it be repealed. His opinion is
shared by many leading legislators,
and in spite Of some strong objections
that will be raised by those benefited
by the law, it seems likely it will be
repealed this session. The law in
question provides that no man can get
q charter to erect gas house, to put
in a street railroad or lay a line OF
waste pipes in a city or town where
such already exist without going to the
Legislature for special permission to
do so. The man who first gets the
1sx<r h.