The Portland daily press., 1901-02-14


Mr. woodsIde, in answer to questions,
said he thought the lower board was
the more representative OF the two be-
cause IL was the larger, He said that
in Ward 0, after very large caucus, o
gentleman was elected alderman who
was understood TO be opposed 70 corpo-
rats interests and he got ont after . year
because he was tired OF buoking against
them.
Counoilmsn Dyer and Murphy also
supported ths bill. Mr Dyer said in an
s1er to questions that he did not know
OF any pstitions In favor OF 10.
Hon. Charles +. Libby SPOKE in oppo-
sition to the bill. He told OF the two
commissions TO Eeviss the city charter
both OF which reported in favor OF
single board. In view OF this fact,
both these commissions agreed upon q
single board. 1t seemed TO MIR. Libby
very singular that one branch OF the city
sovernment should come here and ask
that these powers be given 20 them with
out showing any demands for 1t. Mr..
Libby said that he had not known that
the city government was under the
thumb OF corporations as was intimated
here. This bill seemed to be- directed
agains. the Portland railroad, Jet none
Of its franchises would expire in less
than Is years. Why then is this bill
brought hersf What is the reason that
tins Legislature is asked 30 deal pieoe-
meal with this matter OF charter re-
vision which ID occupying the attsntion
OF the city. Recent legislation has been
In the direction Of eniarging the powers
OF the uppar board and curtailing those
OF the lower branch. The reason 10
plain. The men In the upper branch
are the experienced men. Before which
court would you prefer to try case,
one Of 80 members, or one of 8. MIR. Lib
by urged that the action proposed was
not be taken unless the people Of Port
Land were considered.
sir. Libby said that he came here to
Oppose the original bill because IL con-
taIned q provision which virtually re-
pealsd the charter Of the Portland rail
road. That provision was stricken out
OF the amended bill. The gentleman who
had spoken said that q new bridge was
to be built. does he mean to insinuate
that the board OF aldermen cannot tie
trusted to arrange the terms on whiol
the Portland railroad shall cross that
bridget IL he does 1 want him to stand
up here and say SO. i have some personsl
reputation al stake In this matter and
there is nothing In the history Of the
companies which / reprssent OF which
am ashamed. II there are charges 1
want to meet them.
MIR. wilford G. Chapman also opposed
the bill. He said that there was no Gauss
for it. The common council was not
elected on this issue. They had no mcrs
call TO get togsther to recommend such
change as this than any other "a men.
liz have never heard the breath Of sus-
picion attached to member of either
branch of the city government. The
people OF Portland take an interest In
politics as shown by the large attendance
at the cauouses. IL it came to such
question, could you better tix responsi-
bility in body OF 10 or In one of Q.
The bill was then tabled and In exc
cutive session the committee voted ought
not to pass. No action was taken on the
bill in relation to quasi public oorpo-
rations.
THE FEE SYSTEM.
The fee system embodied In seysral
measures was assigned for hearing before
10th the judiciary and legal affairs COM
mittee this afternoon. Charles A. True
representing the Cumberland county
commissioners asked that the matter SO
far as 1t related to the sheriff or Cumher'
mnd county be referred to the Judiciary
committee and 1t was 50 voted Later IL
the afternoon the Judiciary committee
postponed the question until next week
The legal affairs COMMITTEES referred the
matter with the exception Of the portion
referring to Cumberland county to the
respective county delegations. Sheriff
Pearson and Deputy Sheriff Perry were
among the Portland visitors today.
FRANCHISE CORPORATION TAX.
| In the Senats chamber Wednesday eve
ming the committse on taxation gave a
hearing In the three bills to impose a
franchise tax on corporations.
| lion. IL. M. Heath said that ha drafted
the bill known as Senats No. -. The
members Of the committee would under
stand that the state now had law under
which the state is receiving about S4J. OO0
per year. Six years or 30 ago an attempt
was made to seouIe the passage OF cor
porate franchise tax law. The only rsa-
son he had spent time on IL was the fact
that two years ago he saw what popu-
Lar demand there was to be for such a
law. For two years he had studied the
problem in his of hours His bill con-
tanned the best that he could prepare.
Mir. Heath said he did not claim to
speak OF the business part of this ques-
tion with the authority OF the attorneys
OF I'd bland, where most OF the work was
done. MIR. Heath discussed the two other
bills. Ths Grange bill was prohibitive
with Its rate of 1-26th, The Plummer