The Portland daily press., 1899-02-22
Bill Will Be introduced Into Legiy-
lature.
RESULT OF SERIES OF MURDERS
IN STATE RECENTLY.
Several Members Express Themselves I'm
Favor OF the Change--one senator
Says lie Shall Vote for Electrocution.
ESPECIAL TO THE PRESS }

bill OF the week will be one to revive the
death penalty in Maine. IL Is the result
Of tho series Of murders which have
shocked the state in the past few days.
The bill Is being drafted and will be in
troduced in day orSwo, probably in the
| Senate. Several members to whom the
PRESS correspondent mentioned the
matter tonight expressed themselves as In
| favor Of the change. and II looks as II
there would be sentiment enough In favor
of the bill to at least precipitate lively
discussion of the question.
One Senator said he should favor bill
State of New York.
| The. sighth week Of the legislative ses
sion finds the committees still hard at
work and the daily grist of the lawmak.
ing mill is q big one. This afternoon
the Judiciary committee for four long
hours heard why In the opinion Of q
number of gentlemen various bills should
or should not become laws
Hon. Clarence Hale explained that the
purpose of the Boston Auction company
Is asking legislation was that 1t might
have the right to issue preferred stock
instead of bonds.
fve-minute argument in support of the
bill providing that expenses incurred
by officers acting under authority of
the state board OF health In caring for
contagious diseases should be borne
by the towns where such diseases exist.
Such a change would make 1t imperative
for towns to establish local boards OF
health. A case in point is that of
Frenchville, where no local board was
appointed. Diphthsria broke out and
they now called upon the state to do the
work and pay the bills
Hon. Charles +. Libby addressed the
board in support of q bill providing that
no action shall be maintained against
transportation companies for negligence
causing death or injury unless written
notice of the claim shall be given within
20 days after the accident. MIR. Libby
stated that the transportation companies
should be liable only for reasonable
time after an accident, SO that 1t will be
possible for the company 10 ascertain the
facts on which TO base its side Of the
case. Ii was suggested to MIR. Libby that
the change really meant the substitution
of 90 days for the statutory Limitation
of six years. He replied: 1.-The bill
would not hamper just claim. but you
are burying claims In oblivion II you
allow the full six years. Juries pro-
tect the people. The only friend the cor
porations have is the court"
Hon. George ID. Bisbee of Rumford
Falls. l. X. Moore. Esq, Of Saco and
Hon. Herbert N. Hath also spoke in
favor of the bill.
Hon. Charles Il. Woodward thought
that claims for damages done by tires
caused by locomotives should come under
the same head, especially In the case OF
forest fires, where facts are difficult to
obtain.
| che bill authorizing III. b. Spinney to
construct bridges across Morse's ard
Spragus's rivers In Phippsburg, precipi-
tated "a lively discussion. The owners Of
summer cottages at Small Point. inolud-
ing Hon. Arthur Sewall and Hon. J. II.
Manley, are trying to get road built
from Small Point to Popham. The mat
ter is now in court. The town does not
want to build the road on account OF
the expense. 1t will cost $4,000, and the
towns tax rate Is already $3.50 on q
thousand, while the debt limit has been
reached.
George Hunt and Frank Sprague of
Bath and 6eleotmAn Stacy Of Phippsburg
ia vored the bill. Hon. John Scott OF
Bath, representing the other. .selectmen.
opposed it
| Frank E. Southland of Bath, who re-
vised the insurance laws in 1895 and has
since been trying to get his pay, told the
committee that II the work was not
worth $500 he did not want anything.
THE VETERINARIANS.
The claims of the men who care for
the health Of the horses and other ami
mails, were presented to the judiciary
committee this afternoon by Hon. Geo.
the veterinary surgeons, who want a
board of registration organized. much as
tte beard of registration of practitioners
of medicine. A bill somewhat similar
to the law for the registration Of ply
sicisns, has been introduced. The vet
srinary surgeons were in evidence and
among those who were ready to speak
for the measure We're Drs. Jolly of Water
Vile, Salley of Skowhegan. West of Bid
deford, Wakefield of Augusta, Blakeley OF
Gardiner. Black of Readteld, Perkins o'
Livermore Falls and Huntington. Lcrd
and Fairbanks of Portlaud. Ths mem
bers of the committee began asking ques
lions as soon as Mr.. Seiders commenced
to outline the bill. The members want
ed to know practically what the effect
of the bill would be on men who practic'
We terinary surgerylwithout registration
The bill provides that all who have
practiced for three years next prior t'
the enactment Of the law shall be regis
tered. II they pass the examination o