Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-27

stand that we disturb any law. / do
not understand that we change any
thing many other town, and do be-
lieye that when this matter is UNDER
stood by the senators, they can appre-
ciate the necessity for it, and they will
vote according to their convictions
based upon actual experience and from
a business standpoint. | know it takes
considerable courage for me, not versed
in pleading causes, to stand up here
and oppose a report which is nearly
unanimous of the judiciary committee.
believe if the judiciary committee
understood this question as l do, they
would hesitate to deprive us or deny
us this small favor which we ask.
Mr.. MANLEY of Kennebec: Mr..
President, this matter was all thrashed
out before the judiciary committee.
The senator from Lincoln appeared
and prominent citizens from his own
town appeared in opposition. The bill
that he presented to the Legislature
and to the judiciary committee pro-
vides that the tenure of office of the
road commissioner shall be not less
than one, nor more than five years to
be authorized at the next annual meet
ing, and thereafter. Now, the judi
ciary committee considered this ques-
ton fully and fairly. We heard the
senator from Lincoln, and every mem
Der of the committee was in opposi-
ton to granting this authority, every
single member of the committee. Aft
erwards, the senator from Piscataquis
sad that the would report a minority
report to allow the senator from Lin
coin to explain it; and if we pass this
law we have got to change the general
statute, or pass a law similar to it for
every town in the State. Now. they
can elect their road commissioner, and
if you pass this law, they will elect
him for five years, and the next year
they will turn round and turn him out
and put in another one for five years;
and you are going through the con-
slant worry and fuss of electing, and
re-electing and turning out. every
year. Now, if you get good road
commissioner in Boothbay Harbor,
you can keep him in after re-electing
him if he is a good one. If he is a
poor one you don't want to re-elect
him, and you don't want to be tied
down to any five years terms. Promi-
nent citizens of that town appeared
before our committee and protested
against it, and they say that the call
in the warrant was entirely different
from this proposition, and they do not
propose to submit to the vote of the
people, they propose to have this law
passed that you shall elect road COM
missioner down there for five years,
and if you do not elect him, the select
men shall have authority to appoint
one for five years. | said We were OPP
posed to any change of the law relat-
ing to the election of amy town officer
that they should be kept precisely as
they We're; and 1 think the majority of
the committee who heard this ques-
ton all one afternoon, that their view
should be respected.
Mr.. MADDOCKS of Lincoln: Mr..
President, l respect the views and l
respect the honorable judiciary COM
mittee, but the Senator from Kennebec
says we will have to do it all round
If it is a good thing we ought to do it
all round. If the other towns see that
we are getting an advantage by this
law they will certainly come here and
ask for it find that the cities are not
at all backward. There is precedent
for this in the cities. ] think, in the
city of Portland, two years ago, the
tenure of Office has been fixed, and
matters have been amended and all
this thing has taken place. 1t is no
trouble to do it, there is no conflict ir
regard to it for the town, or as be-
tween towns, and I cannot see any
reason why we shall not have author
ity as the Gentleman from Kennebec
states. He states we only want au-
thority to elect for five years. We car
cleo for five years, or one, two, three
or four--that lies with us, or we neeG
not use this law at all. 1t is simply
matter left to our own Judgment an(
discretion.
Mr.. WING of Androscoggin: Mr.
President, l do not wish to infict any
thing upon the Senate. They already
have the benefit of the unanimous
opinion of the committee on the judi
ciary in this matter, if it is good fol-
anything. If a man is elected iT
Boothbay Harbor or in any other town
rs public servant and discharges
that duty well, and satisfies the peo-
pie, they can re-elect him the neXi
year, if they want him, and it seemed
to the committee on the judiciary that
it was vicious legislation and they
were unanimously opposed to it. As