Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-17
DAILY KENNElno JotJRNAL FRIDAY. FEBRUARY II 1922

that APPROXIMATION bill because ~ yssnrs
ago the Legislature authorised the Gov
srnor ana cosns to make s fss ,or
and COUNCIL executed that eontrafh, It.. for ri,
expired. and Will not expire for four years
and we found that the amount OF lights
ed the amount Of $500. But we only
pnes Il ,s ss 1serG saw no other S
but TO pldce It IN the bill and leave u for
/ Mr.. iiix Of Rockland: -.rhe contract
provides for lignting the prison and
other state 1uiloines. ana the price ~ the
ldsing business In that Vicinity UNDER
stand Y y eanivaient 10 about y per
fGr STATE The prisons psncs
| in the hands OF the warden and offlclaly
The meters are taken and the bill II made
out upon what they Use. The appropr!a.
! I'M accordance with previous years On
the general appropriation bill the matter
has been thoroughly looked into by the
and matter Of contract and II seems 10
ME to be a. proper method Of doing bus.-
ness to PASS this appropriation Dill. and II
any feature in the bin peeds attacking.
merits.
Mr. Wood of Camden: wish TO say
|
my town IS paid for at the same rate -
/ the electricity used IN the. State prison;
20 cents per 1900 VOLTS. | also understand
that the contract was made with the
| State prison for a period OF ~ years. and
| has now four years yet to run. ] think IL
| is very poor legislation 10 undertake 10
attack existing contracts. think we
should live up to the contracts that nave
been made by previous Legislatures.
| ] understand that the expenses of wr-
| ing for electricity in the State prison was
borne by the COMPANY without cSst TO me
State. IN consideration that the state
should make a i0-year consrac At the
end of ~ years, II "A satisfactory price
cannot be made, the State has perfect
right TO stop, and the company AT That
/ time can take out the wires or the state
can buy the wiring al a proper valuation
made at that time.
| I also understand. the gentlema n
! from Kock,and tMr Hix) said. that this
| is ertirely within the hands of the warden
and building inspectors. They can use
| as much light or as little as they choose.
l trust tina, the amendment VIII not pre-
| vail
! Mr.. Guernsey: have no desire TO ask
lhis Legislature 10 violate any existing
| contracts. This contract Ii an elastic
| contract. and the Legislature can prop
| eiiy regulate e amount that can De
taken under 1t by making appropria-
ton. When 1t first went into effect. about
$500 was required for light. The next
! year about gree. The following year II
rose to 5000; and finally went To more
I
and Council only paid the amount Of the
| a?propra ton. $500. My oniy object IN
delaying this matter Is to have II further
considered. and TO see whether or nos a
| smaller anouns cannoN be appropriated
for the purpose. ! do not intend to at
| tack the contract or ask the State 10 vio-
late il, although It contains some terms
that should object 10. one OF which pre-
vents the wardens from carrying IAN
tern around the premises In dark
night
auire of the gentlemen from Rockland
and Camden If they have any information
AS 10 the number of electric lights in she
State prison building?
number OF lamps. The contract when
made provided for certain number ~
lamps. Then any additional lamps that
were to be added were left entirely in ts.e
hands of the Governor and Council Even
the warden himself cannot order new
lamps put in They are % come through
the Governor and Council. When the
buildings are lighted 1t is done by an or
der OF the Governor and Council.
Mr.. Macomber of Augusta: I ho,d in
my hard the contract between the Sta e
| of MaiDe and the Ligh,ing Co. a. Rock
| land, which was made six years ago by
order of che Legislature. The committee
on Sta~e prison visited that institution
and at the request OF the warden and in
spectors of the institution they examined
into the question Of lighting. That COM
mitiee UNANIMOUSLY reported that 1t was
desirable fhas a contract should be en-
tered into for Che purpose of lighting the
State prisc1 buildings and the houses be-
with The ~rison. This com.rac: was made
by committee of 1he Governor and
| Council of which Judge Downes of Ca
lais, Was the chairman and it was signed
by Henry Il. CleuveS and every member
of the Council
Now the conditions of tina, con ract are
thai for a period of 10 years there shall
i,be CONTRACT between the State of Maine
and this lighting company for the light
ing of that prison. And | claim thar; i, is
| not wiiain the power of this Legislature
| or of this House - annGl or abrogate that
contra<.. Id Is "a contract that il as bind
| ing as any contract tina; can be made
So FAR as the amount of The appropr:a-
| ton Is concerne d. il makes no difference
! whether Il is much or little.
/ The conditions of the contract are these
tina that lighting company shall receive
~ cents pc. 1900 volts. As The gentleman
has stated. that is substantially the sane
as 81 a Thousand for gas. A meter is
,ice OF current that is supplied to it
| passes ;hI ough that meter That mete".
| under fhe conditions of the contract, must
be at all Zines kept and watched by the
warden. There is another condition in
the contract and It was put there tor the
reason thas the lighting company was
subjected TO Il large expense for wiring
the building.
| You gentlemen who have Fights know
| that when the wiring is put in you have
/ to pay the bills, but in consideration OF
| the con race running ~ years ard chat
| at no time they should use less than IFS
| ltgn,s. the lighting company agreed to
| furnish and 10 put in place all the wiring
| in the. prison and furnish a, the same
time all the lamps. which they have done
up to this time.
Now in answer 10 she gentleman from
Dover tMr Guernsey to why the1
| amount has increased from one year to
ant her. for she first year or two II was
| decided by the Governors Council that
| the cells of the prison should not be
| lighted. but that those lights should be
| put around N the corridors. in the guar
| room and Ehe warden's house. Tia, is
why the price was not great in the first
| wears of 'ihs contract as the last years.
| From time to time the prison inspectors
and committee of the Council have been
| there and taken up this question. and
| they decided that in all those cells there
should be one small lamp: and that is fhe
reason for that Increase.
| Now whether the appropriation is much
or little, think there Is no doubt in the
minds of anybody here that We cannot
abrogate that contract or change IT by
any action we can take. If the afproprii-
ton Of $500 is made, and the warden or
the prison inspectors on Ihe committee OF
the Executive Council cut down that light
supply to ZIG lights. they can do 1t and it
| is entirely within their control not with
| in the control of this House.
The question being on the adoption of
I