Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-24

county.
min an act to establish a salary for
tha clerk OF the judicial courts or
| Washington county.
Bill an act to amend the charter Vi
| the Bangor Boom Company
Bill an act to amend section l. OF
chapter 115. of the Revised STATUTES
relating to salaries OF public onicers. !.
| Bill an act to prevent preference Oh
creditors.
| Was read once and tabled on motioh
of Mr.. Philbrook of Wateryille.
Bill an act extending certain powers
of the Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany.
ON motion by Mr.. Philbrook OF
! wateryille. the rules were suspended,
the bill was read the third time ana
was passed to be engrossed.
Bill an act amendatory of chapter
| os7 Of the Public Laws Of 1893, relating
to the better protection OF sheep.
| ON motion by Mr.. Philbrook or
waterville, the rules were suspended.
the bill was read the third time and
was passed to be engrossed
| Kill an act to incorporate the Gull
ford Electric Light and Power Com
pany.
ON motion by Mr.. Philbrook of
Waterville, the rules were suspended,
the bill was read the third time ana
was passed to be engrossed.
| An act amendatory of and additional
to chapter IS, of the Revised statutes, as
amended by chapter 3G, OF tne PupHc
Laws of 1897. relating to the repair Oh
Mr' Merrill of Skowhegan. offered
amendments "A" and B," which were
MI. McFadden Of Dresden: Pending the
second reading of the bill | move that 1t
be laid on the table.
(voices) No: no. ,h.,,
II Mr.. Chase of Portland: l am aware tnat
it is not in order to rebate such mo,
ton. but trust that the gentleman VIII VIII
withdraw that motion. ] ask TINS Tor tni'
reason: / know that ii is the very gen
J eral desire of this House that this bill
shall be acted upon this morning
Mr.. McFadden: | merely suggested y
ing il on the table thinking that would
like TO examine II further. But i VIII
withdraw the motion.
The bill was then read the second time.
, Mr.. CHASE of Portland: ] move that
the rules be suspended and that the IN
take its third reading al the present tlme
| and be passed TO be engrossed. | wish 10
say that if any member OF the House de-
sires to ask any question or desires any
i information as to the effect of these
. amendments which may not be entirely
plain, / should be very glad TO explain
them.
Mr.. CRAIG of Island Falls: was not
here yesterday. and | would like to ask
If the repeating of this section leaves 1t
optional with the towns whether they
. shall go back TO the old system and work
out their taxes by statute labor. or must
they raise it in money as the law OF two
>. Mr.. CHASE: | would inform the gem
tleman that the purport of the act Is To
leave the law as ii is now as to the rais-
. ing of money for the maintenance of the
| he naf hpr
road commissioner as under the present
law or have the money expended by the
selectmen.
Mr. BROWN of Falmouth ! would
like to inquire in regard to section A.
understand that section is opiiterated
by the amendment of the gentleman from
Skowhegan. ! would like to ask what 1t
to become of that provision Of the old
law about keeping accurate account,
Mr. CHASE: will say. by that
amendment. offered. section was
stricken out. and amendment "A took
4 the place of section :. Then amendment
"B added section 2, containing the same
provisions as section in the printed
bill.
. do not understand that the amend
ment affects section in any way. Sec
ton 1 of this act is an amendment TO
, section of the original act, which con-
tains the following provision: Seventy
; five per cent of the highway taxes as
sessed shall be expended upon the high
; ways prior 10 the fifteenth day of July,
and the balance at such time as the com
missioner deems for the best good of the
public. tta+
Mr.. GARDNER of Patten: ! would in
quire If this goes back to the old idea of
country towns raising their highway
money in labor. or whether they pay
cash?
Air. CHASE: / explained that I
thought, a moment ago. The purport of
present method of raising money, cash,
, for the maintenance of the highways.
The passage of this act does not send us
back to the old system of maintaining the
highways by working out highway taxes.
, Ihe system of assessing a money tax for
the support of highways is left precisely
simply leaves it optional with each town
whether they will expend that money by
road commissioner or eXpend 1t by the
5 selectmen, and provides that they may
elect a road commissioner If they do
+ not elect road commissioner. the money
shall be expended by the selectmen.
Mr. GARDNER: There is whore | OBJ
! ject. l think it is better to have it op-
aonal whether we raise money: and l,
, for one say that my constituents in the
towns l represent wish to go back to the
old way of raising money to be eXepnded
in labor and not in cash
Mr.. DAWSON of Monroe: This bill is
one that comes home to the farmers more
than any other bill before the House. and
of course 1t is advisable that we should
: We are not lawyers-1 am not. at least.
and | want us to understand this matter.
and believe. today. that the farmers of
my section without any exception. are In
favor of the present law that we have at
the present time. Neither do 1 know of
man that wants to go back to the old
system of labor l think we believe, as
whole, that we should have the money
raised as we do at the present time Ali
we want and all We ask for. in the farm
ing communities is this, that we have the
privilege of eectlng road commissioned
or not. as We see fit. and also TO have the
money expended as we see fit: and We in
our small towns elect Se1ectmen that are
capable of spending this money 10 the
best advantage. and if we need a road
| commissioner We want to elect one, and
If We don't our selectmen will appoint
. surveyors in the different districts who
Will be sworn and they will eXpend tha;
money to the satisfaction of the town.
Leave it as it is: raise the money. let
each of us pay our money l am willing
to pay my proportional part in money. II
is more to our advantage. AS You all
know. every town has idlers, and If the
surveyor does not want to employ those
i men on the road he has right to employ
whom he sees fit. Another thing-we have
some men who have large draft horses
good horses to work. We have some men
who have small and poor horses; and
that gives the selectmen or the surveyors
| the right to hire whichever horses they
choose to do the work on the roads: but
| If you leave ii where ii is assessed in
| an nd rl-S