The Portland daily press., 1899-03-09


derstsnd him he claims that the business
Of the scalrers Is protected by the con-
stitutiou. He badly states that the bill
preventing the breaking OF contracts with
the railroads, is unjust and upwarrant.
able. But he has not seen fit to explain
why. He has brought here tracts and
decisions that have been printed In
pamphlet form BY tho ticket brokers
association. Now hewoald have you I'M
derstand that this bill 10 similar to that
which has been declared unconstitutional
by the state of New York. 1t suggests
no such a law rs the New York law.
carefully compared the laws when drew
this bill. 1 eliminated from the bill be-
fore you all the features that the New
York court declared unconstitutional.
That part related to the sale of valid
tickets. IL related to every class Of tick
cts. Our bill has reference only to the
one particular clnss-that wherein there
is a stipulation that the ticket shall be
used only by the person who purchases ~
and whose name is on 1t. can assure
you that the railroads will not restrict the
sale Of the regular trip Tickets.
1.-The tickets OF this class are good for
six years. 1t is entirely immaterial to the
railroad who lis done with them. But the
person who buys the mileage and reduced
trip tickets on which in consideration of
reduced rates the holder explicitly
agrees to use the ticket himself, breaks
his contract and perpetustes a fraud when
he sells that ticket OF allows another to
use 1t. That Is the class Of Travellers and
he kind of business that IL aimed at by
the bill that has been introduced. / ssy
again that l fail to see what objection
any honest person can have to such
law. The. railroads will not limit any
ticket except those that imply special
contract. Against frauds Of that sort we
ask TO be protected.
The committee tabled the matter for
consideration.
The vexed question that came up in the
committee at the first of the session re-
Iative to the requests OF the electric roads
OF the state, to have the provisions Of the
Engel steam railroad bill applied to
their use, has been settled after having
been on the table in the committee room
for the whole session.
The electric roads asked to be allowed
to increase their capital stock for the pur-
pose of extending their road or OF max
ing permanent improvements. The rep
of the steam roads at first OBJ
jected ON the ground that the electrics
claimed too wide privileges
Therefore hon. ii. NJ. Heath, counsel
for the electric roads, after prolonged
conferences, has made a new draft that
does away with all the objections that
were raised in the opposition. The new
Dill proviies that no electric road can
more than double its capital stock. and
that In no CASE can any road increase Its
stock more than $500, 600.
The second concession that Is made Is
the provision that any road taking ad-
vantage of the act will not be allowed to
run over the lines of any other street rail.
way except by special car. The steam
roads asked his proviso in order that the
electric roads should not be able to eff ct
a combine.
Mr.. Gardner up to tonight had shown
no disposition TO accept any offers OF
compromise made to him.
THE ICE TRUST.
The judiciary COMMITTEES has concluded
that 1t will not go into the business of
chartering trusts. 1t has decided to let
the sixty million ice trust down easy,
however, and this afternoon, instead OF
voting that the bill ought not to rass,
1t put 1t in another form. 1t voted that
the friends of the bill have leave to with
draw it. That probably ends the gigan
tic ice combine so far rs Maine is CON-
cernod. 1t is a case of freeze out, freeze
out not reokoned upon by the promoters
of the scheme.
The legal affairs committee gave a
hearing this afternoon on the bill to
teries The existing law provides that a
cemetery shall not be ex tended TO within
20 rods of a dwelling. The amendment
was presented to meet the case of South
Portland ard WAS advocated by r. ii
Hartford, Esq, who argued that in this
case at least no harm would be done
should the law be changed.
Ii. W. Cakes, Esq, of Auburn spoke in
opposition. The committee win probably
report either an amendment to the gen.
eral law or a special act applying to the
South Portland case.
The banking committee today voted to
report favorably the bill to amend section
three of chapter AZ, r. S.. relating to
private. associated and foreign banking
associations