Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-02-17
Legislative Notes.

Camden asks for incorporation as a
city.
One appropriation bill has already
passed, carving the sum of 81 ,375, 9O6.55.
There was no opposition at the hear
ing to the bill substituting Patriots Day
for Fast Day.
Mr.. PARROT of Oxford has introduced
bill amending the charter of the Nor
way Municipal Court.
Senator PhilbrOok has introduced a
bill to make valid certain doingS of the
assessors of Norway for 1902.
A number of petitions have been re-
ceived for law making it optional with
towns whether highway taxes shall be
paid in labor or in money, and bill to
that effect has been introduced.
The committee on education has voted
to report resolve giving Colby College
Slj, 900 to rebuild its burned dOrmitOry,
in place of the 50, 900 asked for. 1t is
understood that the University of Maine
will get the $50, 900 for which it asks.
The committee on fish and game have
voted in favor of two fish hatcheries
asked for, one at SebagO Lake and the
other at the RangeleyS, and recommend
an appropriation of $4,000 for each. a
number of interested parties appeared in
behalf of each at the hearing.
Mr.. Shaw of Bath has presented a bill
to grant additional powers to the Au-
burn, Mechanic Falls and Norway street
railway allowing any street railroad
company whose lines as constructed or
chartered would form connecting or
continuous lines with said company to
lease or purchase the same.
Mr.. Pettengill of Rumford has pre-
Sented bill in relation to the cOmpen-
SatiOn of town officers. The act pro-
vides that towns having four thousand
or more shall have the right to vote their
selectmen per diem consideration not
exceeding five dollars per day for time
actually spent in the service of the town.
The hearing on the bill which provides
that the state shall maintain all large
bridges across waterways attracted a
large audience Wednesday. A number
of senators, representatives and others
spoke in favor of the bill. City Solicitor
Wilson of Portland opposed the bill,
which will in general benefit the rural
sections at the expense of the cities.
Woman suffrage was disposed of in
the house Thursday, after very little
tame speech-making. The motion 10
substitute the minority report, which
denies the suffrage to women, was car
ried by a vote of 10 TO 20. OF the Ok
ford County representatives, Hill, Peas
lee and Pettengill voted for woman suf-
frage, Howe, Hubbard, McIntire and
Parrott against.
At the hearing before the fish and
game committee Thursday, on the propO-
sition 10 restore the bounty on bears,
the principal speaker was W. +. Small
of Newry. who set forth very strongly
the destruction of sheep by bears in
northern Oxford. The bill was also
favored by Representatives Pettengill
and Peaslee. No action was taken on it
by the committee.
Howe of Canton presented an act to
amend the charter of the Androscoggin
Valley Agricultural Society. This bill
authorizes the association TO erect a
grand-Stand ON its fair grounds and to
issue stock therefor not exceeding $4,000
and bonds to an equal amount, the whole
to be secured by a mortgage on the
grandstand, the net proceeds from the
grandstand to be applied exclusively to
the payment of the interest on the bonds
and the retirement thereof.
An act incorporating the AndroscOggin
Log Driving Co. Charles Z. Oak, Edwin
Riley, Frank p. Thomas, K. l.. Melcher,
II. C.. Dunton and Waldo Pettengill are
named as incorpOrators. The corpora
ton is authorized to build dams, etc,
in the Androscoggin river in the counties
of AndroscOggin, Oxford and Franklin
between the New Hampshire state line
and the village of Livermore Falls in
East LivermOre, for the purpose of
facilitating the driving of logs.
The fish and game committee has vot-
ed To report a bill putting a tax on non
resident hunters. The nonresident who
wants to hunt for game birds only will
be called upon To- contribute - for the
privilege. If he wishes to hunt birds,
deer and other game exclusive of moose,
his tax will be $40. For the privilege of
adding a moose to the list the fee is
fixed at S25. The bill also contains a
provision to reimburse owners whose
growing crops are injured by game.
Mr.. Pettengill of Rumford has intro
duced bill incorporating the city of
Rumford The bill provides that the
administration of municipal affairs shall
be vested in an officer to be called the
Mayor and one council of ten to be
denominated board of aldermen. The |
new city is to have seven wards. The |
municipal election is to take place an |
nually on the second Monday of Decem- |
Der and the municipal year is to start on |
the first Monday of January in each |
year. The act is TO take effect when |
the same shall have been accepted by
the inhabitants of said town at a legal
meeting called for that purpose, provid- |
ing it shall be accepted within five years
from the date of approval.
1t is understood that law is likely to |
be passed which will make quite a |
change in the telephone situation. A
committee of the State Grange has had
in charge bill making somewhat radi-
cal changes in the law. As the result, it |
is reported, of conferences between this
committee and representatives of the
larger telephone companies, several of
the provisions of the bill will be stricken
out, including the clause requiring one
telephone company to transmit the mes
sages of another company, etc. On the
other hand, the companies will offer no
objection to the repeal of the consent
clause" so-called. This will leave any
company free to run its lines into or over
the territory already occupied by another
company, provided it has permission
from the municipality.