Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-01

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she will come there and put her pipes
into that lake and enjoy the use OF pure
water for domestic purposes. The gen.
1 tleman has referred to the act Of 1873.
/ in his allusIon to amendment B. There
! is a section OF that act which hits the
case. The first section Of that act,
which is a joint. act giving Lewiston
and Auburn the right to take water
from Wilson pond or Lake Auburn,
| Sufficient for domestic purposes IN
said cities OF Lewiston and Auburn, IN
Guiding a sufficient quantity for extin-
gushing fires and the supply OF hotels
| livery stables and Iaundries within
| said cities. But nothing in this ac'
| shall authorize the use OF water SO
taken for the purpose or propeiling ma
1 chinery for any manufacturing pur-
poses" That II the point we make. to-
day, that that same restriction snould
| be placed in this act, or, In other
| words. that the language OF this ACT
| ard the privileges under the act should
stop where Auburn stops. We do not
care to deny to Lewiston the privilege
! of the use Of the waters Of that lake
| for running church organs. coffee mills
| or elevators. That we regard as 40
| nestle use. 1t Is use enjoyed by
every city that has a water supply with
sufficient power. Auburn does It, and
we expect Lewiston to do it. under this
grant and with this limitation. as do
nestle use of water.
| Mr. MERRILL. Of Skowhegan: This Is
certainly very important piece of legis-
Iation, 50 far as the cities Of Lewiston
and Auburn are concerned. The city OF
lie vision comes here and asks. tand Wen
she may by the evidence produced here
| by the gentleman from LcwistOn.D for the
privilege OF taking water from this great
| pond for municipal and domestic pur-
poses in the city of Lewiston. When the
city of Auburn purchased the water
rights there for supplying water in that
city. the county commissioners said that
| the city of Auburn should pay 10 the
| owners OF this pond. or those VINO
clsimed TO h own Il, haying suPeT1Sp
from the pond The city OF Auburn
appealed from the finding Of the county
commissioners and the supreme eonrt q
| this State decided that all great pon5s
were public property, that is, that they
belonged 10 the State and that munic.-
| palities. for the purpose Of taking water
! for domestic and municipal purposes, had
! n superior right TO those who had the
right to use that water for mechanical
and manufacturing purposes. That is the
law of the State Of Maine, today.
| Now what does this bill ask for. and
what will the city of Lewiston be met
drafted? What does it say? The city
Of Lewiston IL hereby authorized and en-
powered to take water from Lake Au-
burn. or any pond in Androscoggin coun-
| ty. sufficient for domestic purposes in
| said city. including a sufficient quantity
! for extingushing fires and the supply Of
| hotes. livery stables and laundries. and
for sprinkling streets within said city,"
| Now for all those purposes there is no
question that the city of Lewiston has
the superior right over the Union Water
| Power Company. or over any manufac-
turing company that draws water from
Lake Auburn, but the act goes on further
and the city of Lewiston asks for tine
right 10 take water for running motors.
elevators. dynamos. fans. etc. Now what
does that imply. running motors. eleva-
tors, dynamos, for any purposes so far as
| language of the bill. as | read it, and
when that charter is granted with that
cause in it. the city Of Lewiston will be
| met as Auburn was met when they UNI
| dertook to take water from Lake Auburn.
and the courts of this State. when that
question tx presented under this charter.
will not decide that they have a right 10
take water because they will say under
! this charter it liz for mechanical and
manufacturing purposes.
There il no question about that. Let
us read it agair-"for running motors.
elevators dynamos. fans" For instance.
somebody wants to start an electric light
! plant in the city of Lewiston. | believe
that the city Of Lewiston owns her cleo
| irc light plant. but suppose some corpo-
ration there wants TO put in electric
| lights of its own. There is nothing in
this bill that prevents the city of Lewis
ton from furnishing water To run that
! dynamo and to manufacture that electric
current say ina. the court OF me 5ne
the city of Lewiston under this charter
! had a right to take water from Lake Au-
burn for purposes mentioned in tins pro
posed bill We might as well look at ii.
gentlemen, right here. do not believe
that the members of this House will say
that under the broad terms of this bill
the city of Lewiston has the right tn s.
inc taking water from Lake Auburn for
the purpose of furnishing manufac urcrs
with power. ! question further whc, her
the city of Lewiston has a right to so
into any such enterprise | question fur
ther whether the city of Lewiston has IA
right under the constitution to pro,
vide power to manufacturers and
to tax the Inhabitants of the city
of Lewiston to Guild that pant
and take that water. 1t raises a very seri-
have any right to carry on manufao-
turing business, and that is what !, is
they are furnishing power Tor manufac-
Now. Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen. I
would suggest this amendment. which |
seems to me AN addition to the amend |
I,
the city of Lewiston be empowered to
take water from Lake Auburn. or any |
pond in Androscogg. county, sufficient |
for domestic purposes in said city, in |
Guiding sufficient quantity for eXtin- |
gushing fires. and the supply of hotels |
livery staolcs and laundries and for |
sprinkling streets within said city "and |
all other municipal purposes adding |
after the word city" in the sixth line. |
land all other municipal purposes" | |
think then, Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen Of |
W. 81 or cd tn
the city of Lewiston all that she is en-
titled to under the law. and all that she |
is entitled TO come here and ask at our |
hands.
Mr.. HARRIS: | cannot quite see how |
the amendment offered by the gentleman |
from Skowhegan (Mr. McrrilD' either re-
stricts or enlarges amendment "a" The |
city of Lewiston would have right to |
water for municipal purposes for their |
public buildings. schools. fire purposes. |
etc.
Mr.. MOREY: Certainly there was no |
intention when this act was drawn of au-
thorizing the city of Lewiston to go into |
any manufacturing business. | do not |
think. as 1t seems to me- that it would |
be construed that way, being only for |
mechanical investions: but | am willing |
to accept the amendment of the gentle
man from Skowhegan.
The question being on the adoption of |
amendment 81 TO amendment "a
The amendment was adopted e4 81