Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-01-27
Legislative Notes.

The legislature has passed busy week,
and its business is well forward for the
third week of the session.
Quite numerous petitions for the enact
ment of hunters tax law have been
presented.
Mr.. Philbrook of Oxford presented pc
tition of T. F. Hastings and six Others
of Bethel and vicinity TO close Songo
pond, in Albany. TO ice fishing.
The bill to abolish Fast Day and estab-
lish Patriots Day in its stead has made
its appearance, and it is said that it
really looks as if the change stood a
chance of enactment.
Ii is intimated that Bates College may
Join in the call for state aid, and ask the
legislature TO build it a dOrmitory.
A bill has been introduced increasing
the salary of the Supreme Court justices
to $1,000
Mr.. PeaSlee of Upton presented pc
titiOn of VI. K. Goodwin and 90 Others,
citizens of the towns of Bethel, Newry,
Hanover, Grafton and Upton and Riley
Plantation in the county OF Oxford that
the bounty on bears be restored; also
petition of the Selectmen of Byron, and
IS others, citizens of Byron, RoXbury,
Andover and other towns in Oxford
county, that the bounty on bears and
wild cats be restored.
Mr. McIntire of Waterford introduced
an act amending the law regarding the
transportation of animals.
Mr.. Furbush of Rangeley presented an
act to prohibit bait fishing in certain
portion of Magalloway river and its
tributaries and various ponds in Oxford
county. These ponds are Sunday pond,
Long pond, Parmacheene lake, Walls
pond, otter pond, Bump pond, Billings
pond, Barker's pond, NJ. T. Abby pond,
Upper and Lower Black ponds, Cupsup-
tic ponds and Lincoln pond.
Mr.. Hill of Browntield presented bill
in relation to hunting wild animals on
cultivated land The bill prohibits all
persons from entering upon any cultivated
lands in this state for the purpose of hunt
ing moose, deer or other wild game with
out proper permission of the owner, under
penalty of not less than SO or more than
500 to be recovered by complaint or in
dictment in a court of competent JurlSdlc-
ton, in addition to a suit for trepass and
a suit for actual damages. The bill also
provides that il shall be lawful for any
person cultivating the soil and raising
crops in this state to protect the same
from the depredatiOnS of all wild animals
by DESTROYING or shooting them when
caught in the actual act of feeding upon
ordestroving said crops and that said per-
son or persons shall be entitled to the
bodies of all animals so slain for their
personal use.
Mr.. Pettengill of Rumford has present
ed bill to increase the limits OF the
Rumford Falls Village Corporation by
including the land which was formerly
the Charles +. Wheeler farm, above the
falls.
A resolve introduced last week appro-
PIRATES SO, 900 for the use of the Maine
State SanatOrium Association in the
establishment of Sanatorium Tor con-
sumptiveS in Hebron, half the sum to be
given in 1908 and the other half in 1904.
The resolve was accompanied by state
ment of the need of such an institution,
from the association, an organization OF
which Governor Hill is president.
The Oxford County delegation has
reported ought to pass on the bill in
creasing the compensation of the county
commissioners from $500 to $3.50 per
day.
A very interesting measure was intro
duced in the house Friday by Thornton
of Ashland. 1t provides for the main
tenance of all bridges over 80 feet IN
length jointly by the state and the county,
instead of by the towns as at present.
The report of the state assessors from
returns made to them in accordance with
the act of the last legislature, shows that
there are in the state COS such bridges.
OF these 80 are in Oxford County, OF
which 80 are of wood, 10 of iron, and l
of wood and concrete. This bill, while
it will have vigorous support, will also
have strong opposition, as the effect OF
il will be to benefit the rural sections at
the expense to certain extent of the
cities.