Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-24
MILEAGE BILL.
The Continued Hearing Was
Thursdays Feature.
The Senate Passes the Judges Salary
Bill.
Important Work Of Thursday in the Session
n and the Many Hearings.

Thursday was another rushing day
with the Maine lawmakers. The MORN
ing session was full of hard work and
interesting features, though the pace
for debate and excitement was not up
20 that set on the previous day. The
great feature of the day, around which
interest centered, was, as on Wednes-
day, the hearing on the two-cent mile
age bill before the railroad committee.
The prominent event of Thursdays $
session in the Senate was the passage
to it's third reading of the bill raising
the salary of the supreme court Judges
from $500 to $4,000. Last week this bill.
after a long debate. was refused pass
age by a vote of u to II. 1t was COM
monty thought that this ended the
matter as far as the Senate was con-
cerned, and that the House would
speedily concur. But there are many
ms and outs to parliamentary pro-
cedure. There was no vote taken to
indefinitely postpone. and the status of
the bin was the same as before the
vote. Its friends knew their business
and played their cards well. So the
bill was brought up. yesterday. and
the result was different Two of the
opponents of the bill, Sharp of A-oos-
took. and Hodsdon of Cumberland.
were absent. and the vote to pass the
bill resulted in a tie The president
voted for the bill, making the result
Is to IA. There was no debate over the
measure. 1t now comes to the House
whose temper is supposed to De more
hostile to it than that Of the Senate.
In the House there was something of
tilt over the bill amending the road
Of road commissioner shall be left
optional with towns. Mr.. Chase of the
legal affairs committee and Mr.. Merrill
explained the change in the law, and
urged a speedy passage so it would go
into effect before. the coming March
elections. Mr.. Meffilrs amendment al
lowing towns to elect as many as three
road commissioners, if they so desire,
was accepted. Numerous questions
were asked and answered. Attempts to
table the bill were drowned in a great
chorus of '"Noes," and it was finally
passed to be engrossed under suspen-
sion of the ruler.
The Morey bill to prevent usury was
assigned for yesterday in the House.
but at the suggestion of Mr.. Macorlber
who is to offer important amendments
it was re-assigned for today for con-
sideration. Considerable opposition to
this bill has developed. and it's, course
is not likely to be a very smooth one.
Mr.. Virgins resolve providing that .he
money appropriated for academies be
taken from the mill tax and school
fund, and not from a special approrri-
alton, was at his request withdrawn
from the committee and Indefinitely
postponed. He stated that he did this
at the request of many members who
feared the small towns would suffer by
such a law.
There was big grist of committee
reports, Thursday. and lots Of routine
work was transacted. as is shown by
the stenographic report. In the House
Kirg of Caribou. presided over most of
the session and showed himself model
presiding officer. Drummond of Cum
berland, ably occupied President
Clason's chair in the Senate.
Among the few new measures in the
House. Burns of Westbrook, put in
several resolves for normal school
matters; one of $500 for two years for
repairs and supplies for the Farming
ton, Gorham and Castine Normal
schools: another for $500 for two years
for the expenses of the normal schoo!
trustees; and one of $4,000 for -he
Madawaska Training school. In the
Senate, Senator Reynolds introduced a
resolve appropriating $4,000 TO be used
as an emergency fund during out
breaks of smallpox ar other contagious
diseases. Senator Vickery presented a
bill making a close time on deer in
Androscoggin county Of four years
Senator Shepherd presented bill to
authorize the Waldo Street Railway to
discontinue it's car service in the Win
ter months.
| The second day of the hearing on the
two-cent mileage bill drew even
larger crowd, and aroused more inter-
est than it's opening scenes on Wednes-
day afternoon and evening. The hal
Of the House and the galleries were
hacked to suffocatiOn. 1t is certain
thew never held a larger crowd.
| ot nr