Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-21


| solve in favor of the chairman of the
| committee on Maine State prison,
| which was received under suspension
| of the rules, and on the further mo-
| ton of the same senator, the resolve
| took its two several readings under srs-
| pension of the rules, without reference
| to committee, and was passed to be
engrossed.
On motion by Mr.. Wilson Of Wash
| ington, the vote whereby bill, All Act to
amend Section 40 of Chapter 2S4 of the
public acts of 1901, was passed to be en-
| crossed, was reconsidered, and on the
| further motion of the same senator.
Senate amendment A was added, and
as amended, the bill was passed to be
| engrossed.
Mr.. Gardner of Penobscot, submitted
| under suspension of the rules, bill, An
Act to incorporate the Patten Trust
Company, and en- the motion OF that
| senator, the bill took its several read
ngs under suspension of the rules,
Without reference to a committee, and
i, was passed to be engrossed.
On motion by Mr.. Morse of Waldo,
| the vote whereby Senate No. 239, re-
solve in favor of an electric lighting
plant for the Maine State prison, was
committed to the committee on appro-
rTiations and financial affairs, was re-
considered; and on motion of Mr.. Good
win of Somerset, leave was granted Mr..
Morse of Waldo, to make statement of
facts in connection with the resolve.
Mr.. MORSE Of Waldo: Mr.. President,
and gentlemen of the Senate, You will
remember, undoubtedly, when, this
matter of lighting the State prison
came up in the general appropriation
bill, this committee was appointed to
investigate the matter and see whether
or not something might be done in re-
gard to the future lighting of the State
prison. have read that report, and
am much pleased with it. The present
inspectors are, or ought to be the proper
persons to look after the Immediate
needs of the State prison, and make all
contracts; and when this matter came
up in the general appropriation bill. I
then thought that the State had been
paying out $500 a year for lighting.
| When ] came to look into the matter, I
| found it was even worse than that. The
Governor and Council We're authorized
! to make the contract that now exists
l NY dSl VI Ilt SiolelluiC VI 1000, N'iieeP-
| ter 401. No doubt the Legislature that
authorized this contract acted in good
faith, but behind this act was an I'M
seen hand. At that time and even now,
very few people have any knowledge of
electricity. The contract reads: 20
cents per thousand watts, consisting of
I12 16-candle power lights. Let me cite
you a comparison. The State Reform
school is lighted with 1888 16-candle pow
ar lights-and for that the State pays
5000 per year. The State prison is
| lighted with 112-as shown by the con-
tract, 112 16-candle power lights, not for
1880, as in the estimate here in the
general appropriation bill, but for"
$4,000 a year. which the State has been
paying constantly since 1893. Notice
gentlmen-the 112 lights at the Reform
School prices would cost the State of
Maine $137.7G per year-against $4,000.
Is that right, gentlemen? Are you sat-
isfed with that? l am not. The State
treasurer's report shows what we have
been paying each and every year for
lights. part of the committee report
| is that out of this $3500 per year for
1908 and 1904, that, at the rate we have
have been paying since March, 1907 to
February, 1905, it has only cost the
State $2636.75. 1 do not understand why
| it has cost the State less to fulfill
contract that lit made 10 years ago, for
the year past than it has for other years.
Under this expenditure at the present
| rate, I am informed by this committee
who have Investigated this matter, that
with $500 appropriation for each year
| at the end of 1904 it would leave of this
$1,000, $1726.5o. This is another thing
that is not exactly plain to me. Gem
| tlemen, a great wrong has existed at
| the State prison, not because of the
many persons confined therein who
| may have been born in crime, but be-
| cause of business transactions known
| TO exist. The people of Knox county
| are aware of the condition under which
| the State prison is laboring today. The