Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-03-24
Legislative Notes.


reported ought not to pass.
The act TO make valid certain dOings
of the assessors of Norway for 1902 is on
its passage.
The Buckfield Water Power and Elec-
trio Light Company will be chartered by
the legislature.
The committee on education has voted
down the $4,000 appropriation asked
for by Bates College.
The legislature will incorporate the
AndroscOggin Log Driving Co. and the
Ellis River Improvement Co.
The committee on salaries refuses to
favor an increase in the salary of the
county attorney for Oxford County.
The county tax of Oxford County for
1908 and 1904 will be fixed at S25,O for
each year. This is an increase of $500.
Ought not to pass is the report of the
fish and game committee on resolve In
favor of screening AnaSagunticook Lake.
The bill to incorporate the city of
Rumford has been referred to the next
legislature-at least, the committee has
so voted.
The committee on taxation has report
ed ought not TO pass on the bill changing
the method of assessment of the common
school fund.
An act to prohibit bait fishing, so
called, in certain portions of the Magal-
loway river and its tributaries and in
various ponds in Oxford county is
passed.
On the resolve in aid of the Maine
State Sanatorium Association, the COM
mittee on public charities has reported
that the same be referred to the next
Legislature.
Ought to pass is reported on the
bill to regulate the taking of black bass
in Upper Kezar pond, Oxford county,
also prohibiting the taking of Smelts in
said pond, reported ought to pass.
The judiciary committee has voted
favorably on the bill regarding the Ok
ford County courts; ought to pass in a
new draft on the bill amending the act
establishing the Rumford Falls Munich
pal Court.
The act providing for the appointment
of clerks of the Supreme Judicial Court
by the court, instead of electing them by
the people, has been voted by the judi
ciary committee as referred TO the next
legislature.
Two reports were made by the tish
and game committee on the bill restor-
inc a bounty on bears and wildcats, the
majority report being ought not to pass.
The reports are assigned to Tuesday for
consideration.
The committee on agriculture has
voted ought to pass on the bill increas-
inc the stipend for agricultural societies
from one cent per inhabitant to one and
one-quarter cents. This means an In
crease of 81, $50 year.
An act creating a close time on the
tributaries to Indian, South and Twitch-
ell ponds, and on Indian pond in Green
wood. and the tributaries TO Bryant
Pond in Woodstock, in the county OF
Oxford, has been passed.
The bridge bill saw it's finish Thurs
day. when the last formal vote disposed
of it. 1t is proposed, however, to have
the state assessors collect statistics re-
parding the cost of maintenance of these
bridges, so that the next legislature may
act intelligently on the matter.
The bill establishing April 10 as
Patriots Day is favorably acted upon by
the judiciary committee. The bill does
not abolish Fast Day, and the governor
is left at liberty TO issue a proclamation
for such day il he sees fit. Whether
he will do so under the circumstances
can be guessed.
The prospect now is that the 100000
asked for by the University of Maine
will be reduced to one-half or perhaps
even one-third of that sum, though the
friends of the university propose still tc
make vigorous fight for it. If it should
not succeed, it will be the first time in
LONG wears that the institution has failed
to get all it asked for.
The bill TO apportiOn the state school
fund on the basis of the average attend
ance instead of the total number OF
scholars will be reported adversely by
the education committee. Three mem
beers of the committee will, it is under
stood, make minority report on a new
draft which will provide that half the
tax will be apportioned in accordance
with the original bill and the other hall
upon the basis of the average number OF
weeks each child is enrolled and in at
tendance in the public schools.
A bill introduced quite recently, anC
which has hardly attracted the attention
it deserves, provides that in the trial OF
misdemeanors the jury may decide
whether fine or Jail sentence shall be
imposed. The real purpose of the bill Ii
said to be to allow violators of the pro
hibitory law TO escape the Jail sentence:
now promised by the judges, and it is
charged that the liquor sellers have raised
a fund of several thousand dollars in aid
of the bill. The legal affairs committee Is
evenly divided and makes two reports on
the bill. 1t is assigned for consideration
in the house on Tuesday of this week
There is little likelihood that it will
pass.
All committees, except that on appro-
priations and financial affairs, and that
on the revision of the statutes, have been
instructed to make their final report on
Monday, March %, and it is expected
that the work of the session will be
closed up Friday night, so that the leg
islators can go home Saturday: In fact,
this will probably be done, judging from
the experience of past sessions, even If
some matters are rushed through with
out sufficient care. In order that the
laws passed at this session may be in
corporated in the coming edition of the
revised statutes, it will be necessary for
the legislature to hold another session,
probably about the first of September,
to approve the revision. That session,
however, will probably be only about
two days in length, and will be regarded
more in the light of an excursion ana
reunion than otherwise. This session
has been remarkable, not only for the
large aggregate of business introduced,
but for the number of important
measures introduced during the very last
of the session. Most of these important
matters introduced so late will either go
without hearing or will be referred to
the next legislature.