Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-05

ton of fires If you will look up the stat
ute books of Maine you will find that the
property and by law to the municipal Of
ficers of a town; and when that power
is taken away and is given to the tnsur-
ance commissioner, those municipal Off
GERS will not feel like going forth and
doing their duty as they would If that
Office were abolished. The $1,000 is mere
pay for a junketing excursion for the in
surance commissioner and his men
throughout the State. do not believe
that it has ever done a pit of good On
the other hand. ! am told by fair insur-
anoes comparifes that 1t has done injury.
that they are. intermeddling with the in
surance companies of the State in the in
vestigatfon of fires and that it has often
times caused trouble, and | do not be-
lieve that that $1,000 expenditure is any
good to the State of Maine and l shall
ask at the proper time that it be abol-
ished.
Now, am not opposed to any
judicious, legitimate approp riations l do
not want anybody to think ! am | will
prove to you before l get through that
am not; but we have offices in the State
There is a bill now pending, Mr.. Presi-
dent, to abolish the bureau of industrial
and labor notwithstanding about $350u
year. Do you suppose that that bu-
reau has ever fed poor child or clothed
an orphan? Do you suppose that the
people of the State of Maine are any bet
ter off today for having that office? II
is O sinecure for somebody, and that is
all there is to ii. That bill is pending now
for the adjustment of that Office, before
know what the committee may do, but
shall ask the Senate at the proper time to
pass upon that matter. Look at the re-.
port of the bureau of labor statistics and
see If there is anything that you find III
there that YOU think is of any benefit to
the State of Maine. If there Is not, then
let us abolish it-let us go to our con-
stituents feeling that we have done our
duty to the tax payers of Maine.
There is another thing In this bill--the
watering of the Maine State prison. Why,
the watering of the Maine State prison
the contract made in 1897 for 10 years like
the contract for heating the Maine State
prison for 10 years, is $780, 1t is upon the
tongue of every person who knows any
thing about that institution-who lives in
the vicinity, who knows the people that
made the contract, that it was a job, {.
gigantic one, rotten one and one that
about today Eighteen hundred dollars is
all the State pays for watering the State
House; and ] apprehend that the actual
cost. of watering the State House is as
State prison. l will guarantee to find %
or 30 linen who will give bond for $4,000,
If necessary, who will furnish water for
the Maine State prison for $500, even ii
tASy nave " garry II There III DuchctS,
and l shall ask for that appropriation
upon that matter.
The senator from Cumberland said, yes
terday, that these items were all estab
lished by contract or law. l deny that
they have right to make a contract to
bind this Legislature, and | say that
where the contract was made in 1897 foI
10 years for $500 a year, it is wrong and
should be cut down to $1200; and they
will take it and be glad to take it, or if
they don't take it, why, they may rescind
the contract and we will find somebody
else to water that little institution down
there of 175 people, inmates, upon the av.
erage, of that institution.
Now, there is one other matter in here
which l wish to call attention to. 1t
seems a large sum for the State of Maine
to ap propriate and to be to the expense of
$4,000 for the Maine cattle commission;
conta giOus Diseases 900 and a deficit of
$1,000, making $4,000 that the cattle COM
mission ask this year for contagious dis
eases and to make up the deficiencies
within the last two years. apprehend
that that covers it, am | right? May |
ask the senator from Cumberland?
Mr.. BURNS of Cumberland: / think so
Mr. STABLES: That would be $500
saying nothing about the deficiency for
the State cattle commission That is a
large sum. believe that fair appro
priation for that matter for the benefit of
the farmers Of the State of Maine would
be legitimate; but when the cattle COM
mission asks for $4,000 of the tax payers
of Maine for that thing, | say it is too
much, and I cannot allow it without ell
tering my protest.
Now, here is another thing. There is Il
bill before this Legislature for $4,000 to
allow the committee of agriculture to EN-
ploy dairy experts. l am something of
farmer myself. l don't want to say any
thing against the farmers or do anything
against their interests; but l was some
what amused when l read the bill. ]
that the commissioner of ag
riculture will employ an expert to go
around over the State of Maine to teach
the good old housewives how to skim milk
and how to wash the churn Three thou
sand dollars has been appropriated by
that commission. Now, it is an expert
ment and we all admit that it was an ex-
p eriment. Whether it will do any good to
the farmers of the State of Maine ana
whether the dairy interests can receive
any benefit from this experiment we do
not know l should be glad to support
it. 1t is an experiment. | apprehend that
if we raise $500 under the expenditure of
the commissioner of agriculture who, /
have no doubt, Mr.. President and Gentle
men, will expend it judiciously, and if we
find that they make better butter than
our good old mothers did, why we will
double the appropriation. two years from
now. But l trust that $500 of the $4,000
will be cut off.
Now, we have an eminent and distin-
guished adjutant general of Maine, whose
honesty and integrity, whose patriotism
for the good old State of Maine no one
will question. one for whom | have the
most profound respect l know that he
will perform his duty ably and well. but
In this country of ours and in this State
of ours when we appr opriate $35, %. IS.
making for the two years $40. 445.76, it is {,
good deal of money; and while l appre-
ciate the militia of the State, | am of
those that do not believe it is good policy
to maintain a large militia force in the
State of Maine The patriotism of the peo-
pie of Maine is too well known. The pa
triotism of this country has been demon
strated time and time again When the
war broke out in 1861 it was not the militia
that we relied upon; it was the boys com
ing up from the field, from the shop from,
college, that saved the Union and made il
possible that we might be present. today,
here in this Senate. Therefore, while l
believe in a fair appropriation, l leave
it to you senators-that everyone must
vote according to the dictates of his own
conscience. being responsible to no one
but his OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the sum of
$4,000 would not be a liberal appropri
ton
There are two other matters to which
wish to call your attention. We are
living in day of great prohibition excite
ment. We hear from the grand old state
of Vermont that today she has high Ii.
cense She has given a black eye to pro-
hibition in the State of Maine. i am not
able to say. today, whether | am in favor