Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-14

section ~ OF House bill lll-tniS ~
pOration is authorized to exercise its
power carry on its business and 90 an
acts pertaining thereto in any other
state or country. In other words. gen
tlemen, you have acclaimed eloquentiy
against foreign corporations that are
doing everything that lies within their
power to make this foreign corpora
| ton as to every other state in the IN
| ion and as TO every other nation on
earth What a horrible thing is a for
| eign corporation unless you can get To
| be one yourself daughter and APP
| plauSe) 1t is said that you want Solle-
| thing for the farmers. If there is any
| thing in that bill that is going To add
| anything to the blessings of the farm
ers OF Maine. please point il out 70
| me. | have not found ii yet. | do real
| iZe that the farmers of Bangor ANA
| Rockland are Interested in it. Uangh-
ter.)
Now this is i business proposition, to
my mind. Don't believe Mr.. Bryan is
going to be elected President even If
the Eastern Telephone Company mad
never existed. 1t does seem To me that
! there is no politics or sentiment IN IT,
| or any particular reason why man
voting not To give this charter should
| feel aSha med Of himself or be afraid
to go back to his constituents. II seems
to me that the square business pro-
position which is before this Legislat-
ure is this: Are YOU going to permit
competition in quasi-public corpora
tons or preferred competition" Are
| YOU going to establish in the State of
| Maine two telephone monopolies in
stead of one Are YOU going to place
| it beyond the power of any man to
ever start telephone line in Maine
without the consent of two great or
| porationS instead of one AYc you go
ing to pass bill in regard To this New
England Telephone Company that You
| would not look at in regard to any
other corporation in Maine? If you are.
why are YOU going to DO il? Look at
the thing as business proposition
with an eye to the best business inter
estS Of this State, ana think that sou
viii come to the belief that the right
policy of this State is To leave the New
England Telephone Company Whtrc il
is and by law and by court restrict its
rights that il gives the peopl" of
Maine the best possible public service
DApplauseD
Mr.. LIBBY of Poland: As | believe
that every man should be able to give
a reason for the hope that is in him /
rise To state my position. | DO not re-
gard this primarily as a fight between
any TWO telephone companies. | regard
this matter as something deeper and
broader and more important 70 tn" m
trreStS Of the State uf Maine AT this
particular junCture of affairs than any
question of telegraph or telephone
companies or any other companies. For
the first time To my knowledge in his
State Il great monopol!stic corpora
ton comes before the Legislature with
Il large lobby To prevent a corporation
being formed in the State Of Maine FOR
the purpose Of carrying on competing
business III the state. II has been ar
gued here that il is the policy of our
state to make mOnopUlirS Of these
things. | do not 50 understand il. VIII
any gentleman point To any charter
any word or phrase which indicates
that our State has ever adopted that
policy. or where our courts have said
i word in favor of it2 | understand
the policy of our State on the other
hand. is to l." antaguniStic to the idea of
setting up monopOlies upon our terri
tory whether they lie foreign or not.
Now this New England Company.
while it may attract our sympathies by
its name. is a New York corporation
and is entitled to none of those scnti-
mentS which cluster around the name
Of old New England. This ErlI Tcle-
phone Company, the origin of this New
England Company. Incorporated by the
| | 4Di q ,f b.,
GU, its entire outfit from top to bottom
70 this New England Company Of New
York. Incorporated into that charter
which was given to the Bell Telephone
Company We're the words. Nothing in
this act shall authorize the National
Hell Telephone Company To interfere
with any existing rights or lines or
prevent any other parties from build
ing. maintaining or operating lines of
telephone in any part Of the State"
And would ask YOU. gentlemen if
that sounds like undertaking to set up
4 monopolstic business in the very
first telephone charters which were
granted by the Legislature of his
state? Does it not. on the other hand
rule out the New England Telephone
Company from any standing in court
/
Of no competition? Why are thev here
Why are they standing in the Hobbies
of this House to protest against the
demand Of the competitor here. when
by the very charter under which they
1--we and exist. SO far as this State is
concerned. they have bound themselves
never to prevent any other party
1iom operating and maintaining
lines Of telephones in this state?
tAppl&uSe.D 50 much for The
original idea. And DENY that
the state of Maine by its policy has
ever adopted that motion
But there are different WAYS of
creating monopolies. 1t is true that
under the general law of this State
how it got there | don't know-there
IS provision that where one company
of this kind is in operation in a town.
another cannot go there without it's
consent or the consent of the IegisIa-
ture. party cannot obtain the per
mission of the other fellow who is in
Tor him to enter into competition and
therefore these people have to come
here to the general court of the State
the only place where they can be heard
ana the only place from which they can