Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-07
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
Rainbow Chasers.
(Bangor Commercially.

tDdlISOI AOIllillci
State House moving may be a very
pleasant and somewhat harmless thing
to talk about but it a far more difficult
thing to accomplish. 1t is one of those
peculiar subjects which can be very
easily inhated-in some sections of the
State at least-and the imitation of
which does no particular injury. Many
sensible people often indulge in harm
less empty talk about various subjects
and build castles in Spain and in the
air which never materialiZe and which
it is very well known while they are
talking about them will never material
iZe. State house moving is one of the
subjects which has come into this cate
CORY within the past few weeks and as
it seems to have been talked about with
much seriousness by people in the
natural seaport" we may also be ex-
cused if we speak of it with the same
degree of seriousness.
In a moment of playfulness, in which
the Solons of the State sometimes in
dulge when actual business becomes
stale or is blocked between the two
branches, some member of the recent
Legislature introduced resolve, near
the close of the session, looking toward
the removal of the State capital and
providing for a commission to inves-
tigate the subject and report to the
next Legislature. We do not recall
what was done with the resolution.
That doesn't matter. So many re-
solves and orders and bills are pre-
scented to the general court when it is
in session that are seldom heard of aft
i
not follow the matter up to know what
became of it,
The main point is, however, no mat
ter what became of it at the capitol,
that it appeared to be a real thing to
our neighbors over in the forest city,
where behring's oaks are yet fresh and
fair, and so the enterprising editors
over there began to treat the subject
in all seriousness and inserted results
of interviews with the leading citizens
under double column headings as to
"What Portland will do to become the
State Capital"
OF course Portland people were much
in earnest about it. 1t is not the first
instance Once before in historic
times, somewhat ancient history to be
sure, her citizens built city hall and
had it so planned and built that it could
easily become a State house. Even
now, we believe, there are rooms in
that city hall which go by the name
of the council chamber and senate
chamber" OF course they are good
rooms but would hardly compare with
the poorest of the committee rooms in
the fine capitol building at Augusta to-
day. So far as we recollect the various
branches of the State government new
er occupied those rooms.
Now Portland is a fine city We like
it. We like its city officials. it's news
paper editors and it's people. 1t is in
deed the hub of Maine although little
one-sided. Still the old State rolls
along very smoothly even If the hub is
at one side. The other hub is in this
city and in growing, magnificent east
ern Maine so the thing is pretty well
balanced. To be somewhat more par
ticular we may say that we especially
like it's broad minded, progressive
mayor and the editor of one of its
newspapers. Mr.. Boothby is an ideal
city executive and Mr.. Dunning is a.
brilliant editor and very clever writer
of very readable short stories. But it
is very funny to have them so serious
on the question of State house moving.
Why. in symposium upon this sub
ject the Advertiser has interviews from
the mayor, from the board of trade Of