The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-02-22

held that there were no vested rights be-
tween water companies. In 1885, this
company throttied the old company, and
In their charter they made no provision
for thu payment OF the property which
thsy invaded. So muoh Of vested rights
We ars asking no more than our brothers
on the other side whom they took the old
company and sucked its blood until 10
WIS absorbed. We do not do that; we
make provision for the payment for the
existing system. deny that this case is
the first OF the kind. say IL IL parallel
TO the Auburn case. Now what do we
dot We simply ask that we may have
the right to take the property in Cam
den; THAI 10 shall be valued by disin-
terestsd commission, but that neither
side shall be OBLIGED to accept the vsrdiot
Of the commission. We say we will pay
just price for this property in Camden,
and II they VIII not accept, we hack out
and fall back upon the general rights
granted us BY this Legislature, and come
into Camden rs competing company.
That's all we ask. Is there AMT hing
Inc luitable In that9 Where, then, are
we impairIng the right of contract, where
are we depreciating the securities in the
savings banksY It is sIl fustian to make
this talk. How did the savings banks
get up these rsmonstranossP DID they
know what they were doing or who put
IL into their headsp
IL has been SHOWN here that there are
9T7 votes in-Csmden. and with all their
raking and scraping they could only find
147 to demonstrate against this bill
And we have the words OF two town
meetings In favor Of this move
ment, and the appropriation OF $1,000 to
pay the expenses OF presenting 10 TO the
Legislature. This Is not a measure based
upon the tail of an eel, as my brother
says In his effort to peIittle this case. IL
is reasonahls demand for frs>protection
The town has besn burned up once, and
IL wants to prevent repetition Of that
disaster. We have brought witnesses who
have testified to these facts, and the
witnesses on the other side admit that
the complaint exists
Judge Foster argued that the question
which had been raised as TO the liabilities
of the town to incur indebtedness bey ond
the debt limit WAS not one for the com
mittee to consider. Can we bring evil
dencs here to show TO dollar what this
enterprise will costY VIII the committee
sit through such hearing The town
must take the risk OF that
Ihe present company Is paying divi-
oend Of two per cent on a capital OF $500
roo yet only SIT, COO has been paid In, l
don't wonder that these men come here
and call this trust. l thanked God two
years ago when the Maine Legislature
refused to incorporate ths ice trust with |
Its sixty million dollars OF capital. Why
Is 10 today that no men are at WORK In the
Ice fields of the kenuebecY 1t Is b eoause
the trust says it will get its ice VIII era IL
wants to; but there are other trusts and
other outopuses.
The VERBOSE Blake comes here and tes-
titles that lie has made q test, and that
the water supply Is suffi cient, |
but on the other hand we have
shown record OF over lOO fires, |
and have introduced evidence as to the
insufiiciency of tine water supply. VIII
you set against this the ons test made by /
BlakeP We come here as taxpayers, AJAX
ing to be relieved from this monopoly,
asking simple juftice at your hands.
The committee on finance voted ought
to pass on a resolve carrying $500 to
allow Maine to help build the New Eng
and building at the Pan-American Tx
position at Buffalo and to provide a
Maine exhibit, The bill calls for u board
of five commissioners to be appointed
at once by the Governor and TO serve
without pay.
The committee on inland fish and
game had busy afternoon, clearing
away many matters 1t was votsd ought
TO pass on the following measures:
BIZ preventing throwing OF sawdust or
waste into streams OF Naples and Ray.
mond ;bills closing the tributaries OF Duck
Pond, umberland county; resolve carry
ing $1,000 to screen outlet of SsbaRo
lake; and bill making October an open
time on deer In AndroscogRin county.
1t was voted to report ought not to pass
on the bi II cutting of the last 10 days of
the present open time on deer.
Leave TO withdraw was voted the pe-
titioners for law to prevent the throw
ing OF refuse into Sebago lake Several
other matters advertised for hearings
were referred 20 the commissioners as
properly under their jurisdiction.
Several matters were left on the table
Tor action later.
The committee on taxation had hear
ing on the bill reuealinG the law OF 1890
for the taxation of vessel property. This
law provides an arbitrary rate OF tax
alton according to the tonnage and age
of ths vessel. Its repeal would leavs
vessel property to be assessed and taxed
like other property as it was before 1885
The bill repeating the law was favored
by John L. Kelley OF Bath, while +. q
Plummer of Bath, W. ID. Sewall of Bath.
Capt. IL. NJ. Bean OF Camden ana ii. NJ,
Sargent OF Portland, spoke against the
bill ana in defense of the present system.
Other vessel owners and builders were '
present in opposition to the bill were
5. X. Percy, Amos Haggett and James
q. Mulligan of Bath, A. w. CLARK ana ]
J. w. Parker of Portland and Frank A. {
Washburn Of Thomaston. :.
The committee on legal affairs will re- {
,ort the hill In raIntion 10 tina hfAliIsOn {