The Portland daily press., 1899-02-25
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Continued From FRS, Page.


for organization of corporations. That
recon mendatlon was followed BY the ap.
pointment Of . com m ission consisting OF
w. II. Foglsr, l.. 4. Carleton, and Fred.
srick IL. Appleton, who after careful de.
liberation, reported these laws wnicn tns
legislature enacted. They are In accord.
anoe with the settled policy Of the state
and should not be repealed.
Hon. Clarence Hale, representing tina
New England Telephone company. told
the committee that prior TO 1870, there
was no way IN which telephone com.
pany could be organized except by special
charter. Now IL may, under the general
law, enter any unoccupied neld. with the
consent OF the existing company IL may
enter any othsr locality and IL that con-
sent is withheld, II still has the right to
apply for special charter.
Hon. George r.. Bird, who with MIR.
Payson represented the Consolidated
Electric Light company, emphasized the
fact that large sums have been invested
in electric lighting companies since 1873.
The law was an invitation To the Invest
ment Of that money. To repeal ~ now
would be unjust to the companies. ~ y
The hearing then closed. Lotion by the
comm ittee was deferred. -
THE FAKE DRUG STORES
The Judiciary committee heard about
the fake drug stores this Afternoon WHEN
MIR. Frank Il. Partridge explaincdu tie
druggists bill, MI. Partridge explained
the bill in detail and no one appeared n
opposition. Mr.. Partridge said that : .
fake drug store fourishes particularly In
Biddeford and Lewiston. Ii has all the
appearance OF the legitimate place OF
business, With signs. bottles and the
usual paraphernalta in sight, but the
prescription counter Is tho screen for the
depart .nent devoted TO the sale OF the ar
dent. ! he reputable druggists want these
excresnees on the pharmaceutical PROBES
sion removed.
County Attorney George W. Heselfon
of Kennebeo appeared In favor OF the act
providing that the punishment for arson
shall be sentence for life-and this IL
the amendment-"for a term OF years
as shall be discretionary with the presid-
ing Justice Mr. Heselton explained that
the present penalty for arson Is so severe
thar IL was more difficult to get convic-
ton for that reason.
Representative PurIngton Of Woolwlch
appeared to explain that the folks down
his way were trying TO establish an ale
wivc industry ON Nequasset river on the
same line as the industry down at lam
ariscotta Mills. He said they were having
hard luck with the experiment for the
bath and brunswick folks were draw.
ing out so much water from the lake that
In dry seasons the fish cannot get up into
the lake to spawn for there Is now at
rum Ing over the dam.
COLD WATER COUNTIES.
A novel proposition was presented to the
judiciary committee this afternoon when
the bills to create the kennebec Water
district and the Bath and brunswick
" alter district were discussed They au
thorize the purchase OF the existing sys-
tens Harvey ID. Eaton, ESQ, appeared
for the city of Watsrville. Mr.. Eaton is
the author of the water district scheme
wtich combines two or more towns into
district for the purpose II supplying
water. Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath spoke for
the Maine Water company which now
supplies to the two mmunities the wat
er they drink and the wherewithal to
maintai that state OF being which is
next to goodness. The plan incidentally
gets round the constitutional limit OF
municipal indebtedness in u way which
is said to be perfectly legal Mr.. Heath
made no objection 20 the Wntsrville bill
and 1t will be reported.
The Bath matter was presented by
Frank +. Southland. Esq, who told the
committee that the present water supply
there is so meagre that the city has mar
rowly escaped destruction from fire on
two occasions. The bill is in the nature
OF an enabling act. IL encountered OPP
position Of the most determined kind.
The directors took the ground that 1t
would be good thing fer the water COM
pany by enabling them 10 sell out but II
would result in mighty poor trade for
Bath and Brunswick should they ever vote
to make the purchase. The objectors
were Representative l.edyard OF Bath,
bon, Charles W. Larrabee Of Bath. Rep
resentative Wilson of Brunswick, John
Scott of Bath, and Mr.. Winter OF West
Bath. They emphasized the fact that
there seemed to be no general demand for
the legislation.
Mr.. Heath told the COMMITTEES that the
people OF Waterviile and vicinity had
made things SO lively for the water com
pany that It was perfectly willing to sell
out. In Bath the company had been so
badly used that 1t would sell for less than
the value OF the property. MIR. Heath
said that the idea of creating quasi
county for the purpose Of supplying water
was o very ingenious invention by MIR.
Eaton and plan which had been pro-
nounced constitutional by Story and
Tborndike of BUstun who are among the
leading lawyers for the country on consti-
tutionAl law.