The Portland daily press., 1897-02-22
AT AUGUSTA.
Is the Cigarette Bill Bill Freak
Legislation.

The State College and Its Castles in Spain
Talks With Members of the Portland
Delegation.
What will they do inAugusta and what
won't they dop Two ways of asking the
same question, perhaps, but, indicating
the state of mind of the interrogators.
A PRESS man who met three members
of the Portland delegation to the House
of Representatives, Saturday. heard opin-
ions of interest on several subjects.
The cigarette smoker may be interested
to know that he will probably be allowed
to continue inhaling the fumes of the
cigarette if he is over 81. Perhaps II he is
barely over that age it may be necessary
for him to show that his name Is on the
check list and that he is voter before
he will be permitted to purchase the
paper bound bits of solace but ne can get
them. Indeed the minor may be able to
buy cigarettes for the law may not be
changed at all, as many mem bers class
it as freak legislation. In Its present form
the act fo-bids the manufacture of the
deadly cigarette and its sale to anybody,
man, woman or child.
The University Of Maine, and its $780,
COO appropriation with new building
thrown in is castle in Spain or the
dream of the trustees in the opinion Oh
the Portland members, who think that
to mix the figures OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Harris will get bread crumbs instead of
frosted cake OF especial .and serious
interest to Portland people is the proposed
change in the school fund law. Here Is
what the Portland members said to the
PRESS man:
Representative Wilbur G. Whelden in
speaking of the bill which proposed to
prohibit the sale of cigarettes said the
present legislature did not propose to
deal in any s'frsak" legislation. "Peopie
desire some liberty and in my opinion 1T
will be impossible to pass this ant1-clgar-
cite law. While it is undoubtedly true
that many people smoke cigarettes to ex-
cess and that their effect on the public at
large is far from beneficial yet am I'M
able to see how an act of this kind will
regulate tine matter. 1t will be, in my
opinion, an utter impossibility to secure
majority favor who this act. :"
Mr.. Whelden when asked what he
Thought the legislature would do with
the Maine State college appropriation
resolve said he did not believe that it
would pass as it now stands. 1.-The col
lege asks for an appropriation of $50. 600
for ten years, and for money to erect a
new building and to have the name OF
the institution changed to the State I'm
iversity.' In my opinion the name of the
college will not be changed by the legis-
lature. Neither will the appropriation OF
$50 600 for ten years be granted and no
money will be appropriated for new
building. The State college will, how
ever, be granted small appropriation as
has been the custom in years past AS
far as the general appropriations go 1t Is
my opinion that no money will bs OK
pended this year unless the legislature is
convinced that the public demands the
appropriation be made. No private
schemes will go through this year as the
whole trend of the legislature seems to be
towards economy"
Representative John H. nill seemed to
| think that the anti-cigarette bill would
meet with general favor and might be
passed in an amended form. In speaking
OF the appropriations asked by the State
college he said that in his opinion the
81 ocHod III fhat
stitution would not be granted. Mr..
Hill did not think it was the policy of
the legislature to make large appropria-
| lions of any kind. Ha did not believe the
condition Of business and the hard times
| would warrant lavish expenditure for
any purpose
Mr.. Hill said that tho only bill affect
ing corporations that he knew of before
the legislature was now in the hands of
the judiciary committee. This bill gives
power to a corporation to change the
purposes tor which it was organized by
fling it's intentions with the attorney
general. This bill has not yet been re-
ported by the committee
REPRESENTATIVE William j. Knowlton
said that the anti-cigarette bill would
probably be amended so that it would
prohibit the sale Of cigarettes to all
minors and he believed that in this shape
| il would have passage. The cigarette
law at present prohibits sale to all per-
sons under IA years and the proposed bill
will extend this limit by seven years.
| In speaking Of pending legislation
which is Of great interest to Portland
and Cum berland county, Mr.. Knowlton
| mentioned the proposed change in the
school tax. This tax is partly per
capita and partly property tax. The
proposed change will make the tax ell
tifeiy property tax and should the bill
become law it will discriminate against
| Cumberland county and many of the
western counties Of the state in favor OF
Aroostook county and the eastern part OF
Maine. 1t will increase this county's
| taxation by S16,0 GOO and benefit Aroostook
to the amount of $4,000 - a year. MIR.
| H,o-Jtov, c.id tboe no boorinO nm this