The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-26

done and the bill was reported early in
the session of 1895. Col. Fogler argued
that manufacturing company has the
world for its market, but light COM
pany has only it's own vicinity and for
that reason competition should be limited
by law.
Col Fogler said be had heard nothing
TO convince him that the Maine company
isn't doing it's full duty by the people of
its city of Portland. Col. Fogler closed
by expressing his approval of lobbying
and the fact that the Maine company had
kept attorneys here a month was nothing
he thought to the company's credit. He
said the Fibre company had done the
same thing and that talking of the do
iugs of the lobby was like. the pot calling
the kettle black.
Mr.. Hamilton of Biddeford blamed the
Indurated Fibre company for fooling as
he called it the people at Gorham and
then joining the trust and withdrawing
its machinery. He also argued that the
current which the Fibre company in
tended to send into Portland was danger
GUS and was SO regarded by the experts.
Mr.. Hamilton said the electrical com.
panies under the present law are
monopolies. but not trusts, and that
when they charged exhorbitant prices,
the law could be invoked for relief. He
spoke of the bonds of the Maine company
and said that in them was invested the
money deposited by the people in the
savings banks and trust companies and
went on to argue that wherever the
capital for enterprises comes from 1t will
stop coming, il tie rights of investors
are not guarded.
Mr.. Wilson OF Gorham, said: "My
constituents are very much interested In
the proposed Development of the great
water power in my town, and am here
to advocate the passage Of the law, which
will enable the United Indurated Fibre
company to deyelope the grand water
power which they own. wish to say
here, that the Presumpscot rivals any
stream of it's size 10 the world for its I'M.
varying flow Of water. it has been the
ambition of the inhabitants of North
Gorham to have there water powers i'm
proved and 1t seems too bad that there
should be such opposition to the improve
ment of the natural resources Of this
state, as there appears to be to this
charter.
"0ur taxes are high and are such
burden to us that we are very anxious to
have this improvement made so that the
taxable property of our town may be in
creased enough so as to be great relief
to us all. We feel that If this Fibre COM
pany should be allowed to improve the
property, that 1t would lead to other de-
velopments, that would almost immsdi-
ately bring the other powers into promi
nenoe, and eventually lead to the utiliz-
ing of the entire fall of the Presumpsoot
river. We have every reason to believe
that the plans of this company will be
carried out in the most substantial
manner possible, as when their factory
was located here, their business was
carried on with a vigor and magnitude
that demonstrated that it was in strong
hands. The question before the house is
no trivial one.
1T concerns not only two corporations
but 90, 900 people, who comprise the cities
and towns of Portland, Deering, West
brook and Gorham, More than that, it
involves state problem or state policy.
The United Indurated Fibre company
asks the right and privilege of making
and generating compressed air and cleo
tricty, and of placing it Oh the markets
on Portland, Westbrook, Deering and
Gorham. If this were question concern
ing the incorporation and sale of boots
or pulp, or machinery or any comm odity
or article known to the industrial world
save liquor, poisons, or cigarettes, you
would not hesitate a moment. You
would at once say the policy of the State
Of Maine has been, is and should be to
encourage manufactures not to hinder,
restrain or prohibit them. But this COM
pany desires to make not boots, or
machinery, but electricity. When you
speak that word up raises the head of OBJ
lection, objections which they would have
some think the people make. But do the
people object? Gentlemen, you know as
we'll as l know, on which side of this
question tho peopls are. The people pro-
test against this law ofi'95. The people
have spoken in no uncertain way con-
corning their view of that law, and you
know what their position is. The people
want competitions and bondholders want
monopoly.
He who goes forth ut early dawn to
toll for his daily bread wants a chance to
buy his light and heat in the open
market, amid competitions, Just as he
buys his bread or his meat.
"The chief objection to this proposed
law comes from the Consolidated Electric
Light company of Portland. Their reason
for objecting is the very reason for this
law. They want to hold the rates up. A
new company means lower rates and
lower rates mean less money for
monopoly; less money for monopoly
SAVINGS ha