The Portland daily press., 1901-02-27
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
Senator Staples OF Knox today at
tempssd 60 hold up the resolve appropriat
ing $1,000 to help defray the expenses Of
certain National Guard organizations to
the Inauguration of President MCKINLEY,
but the gentleman from Knox cast the
only vote against tue resolve which was
passed to be engrossed.
Senator Staples tabled the resolves In
aid of the hospital Of the Sisters OF Mercy
the Young Womeu's Home, and the Healy
asylum, all of Lewiston.
The resolve to provide for the examinA-
tion Of claims for State pensions was
asblsd on melton OF Senator Virgin, after
Senator Weeks had raised the point that
no statement OF fact accompanied 1t,
senator McFadden explained that the
money was needed to ferret out cases Of
freud, but senator Weeks insisted on the
statement OF fact being produced.
THE BINGHAM BRIDGE.
A remarkable resolve Is that which Mr..
Piummer Of Portland held up In the
House this afternoon. It Involves a
strange proposition In mathematics and
raises the question of yettsd rights In
ferry which II goes on TO say is not worth
much anyway. The resolve is one which
appropriates Sl2, 200 to aid in building q
bridge across the Kennebec river between
the towns OF Bling ham and Concord. 1t
is provided that the aid OF the State shall
not be extended unless enough money
ls forthcoming from other sources to
build the bridge In two years. After this
we encounter the statement that the
bridge shall be built on an estimate oil
a cost OF $50, ,CU0, and that the amount
paid by the State under this resolve shall
be about one half the cost. Thus thu
passage OF the resolve. beside aiding in
the building OF the bridge, will establish
the fact that ~ Is about one half OF SO,
fact new to mathematics. and which In
the future will have about the same
weight as the prohibitory law and other
snactments OF the Maine Soions. The
next provision OF the resolve shows that
there are vested rights in the waterways
of the state, for IL is provided also that
owners OF the ferry boat and cable shall
be paid their just values. lt would
seem. however, that the just value OF the
ferry boat ana cable need not entail
grievOus burdens upon the purchaser, Tor
in the statement of facts accompanying
the resolve are osItain reflections cast
uDon the aforesaid ferry. The statement
also makes 1t clear that bridge is need
ed, Whatever may be thought OF the pro-
priety of the State becoming a partner
In the entezp rise. 1t Is pointed out that
the towns are too poor to build the bridge
without assistance, and then comes this
description Of the present condition of
affairs:
"Ths river at this point IL now crossed
by a ferry boat, which Is very unfatis-
factory service both to the people in that
locality and to great many others who
are called into this section OF the State
by business or by recreation. Many days
during the spring, summer and fall, 1t is
absolutely impossible to run the boat on
account of the Zoe, logs, aud high water,
so that communication between one sids
of the river and the other is almost
wholly cut of Much Of the time, from
early spring when the Zoe goes out until
the rear drive OF the kennebec river gets
BY, sometimes as late as the middle OF
July, il Is unsafe to cross the river in the
boat ana the ferryman frequently refuses
to run, 90 that public convenience and
necessity ara not substantially subserved
by this ancient method OF crossing the
river. There are no villages. or stores,
in the town OF Concord or in the planta-
tions above on the west side OF the river,
and the people depend entirely for their
supplies, upon Bingham. They. Of course
frequently have to call physicians, and II
the ferry boat cannot run, the doctor
frequently has to go down the river six
teen miles to the nearest bridge. and six
teen miles back, to get few miles from
home.''
MIR. PIummer said after the adjourn
ment OF the house, that he had tabled the
SesoIve to examine Its provisions. He
added that the city of Portland had just
been ordered by the war department to
build a bridge. but he had not.heard any
body propose that the State should help
pay the bills. The matter was assigned
for consideration u week from next
Thursday.
PORTLAND ELECTIONS.
The bill changing the dates OF the
municipal election in Portland from the
first Monday In March to the first Mon
day in December was tabled in the House