Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-12

Before the committee on legal affairs,
Wednesday afternoon, appeared Har-
vey d. Eaton, Esq, of Waterville, in
behalf of the bill to amend the law
relating to electric posts and wires. He
explained that the amendment limits
the liability of the company erecting
the lines and posts to damage arising
from carelessness or negligence in the
erection or maintenance of such posts
or wires. The committee voted ought
to pass. The committee passed a SINH
| lar vote on the act to incorporate the
Buckfield Power and Electric Light
Co, also on the act to incorporate the
Hillsdale Water Company of Frank
| fort, also on the act to incorporate the
Mt Abram Cemetery Association, also
on the act amending Section of Chap
| ter 264 of the Public Laws of 1898 in
relation to ways. The committee voted
fought not to pass" on the bill to il
eense hawkers and pedlers. The bill to
define and enlarge the duties of juries
in trials of misdemeanors. The COM
mittee will make two reports on the
bill to permit the South Paris Village
Corporation to establish an electric
| light plant The majority. report will
1
ity report will give permission to estab-
lish a plant for municipal lighting only.
The committee voted Ought not to
pass" on the bill in relation to salvage
of logs found at sea below the lowest
tributaries, and took the same action
on the bill to authorize the Estes Lum-
Der Company to locate piers and booms
at Scion and Embden in the Kennebec
| river. The committee voted ought to
pass" or the act additional to Chapter
70 of the Revised Statutes relating to
titles of property. On the order direct
ing the committee to inquire into the
lexpediency of passing an act to pay
back the license fees which the State
received under the hawkers' and ped
dlers act of 1901, the committee voted
that legislation is inexpedient. On the
new draft of the bill to extend the
charter of the Sebasticook Manufac-
turing and Power Company the COM
mittee voted Ought to pass"
The committee on federal relations
gave n hearing i'm the Senate chamber,
last evening. on the resolve in favor of
government ownership of the anthra-
cite coal mines The first speaker was
Charles L. Fox of Portland, who adj
dressed the committee in support of the
measure. He was followed by Henry
ID. Lloyd of Winnetka, Illinois.
Henry Demarest Lloyd of Winnetka,
| Ills, addressed himself to the task of
| presenting the reasons why anthracite
| coal mines should be owned by the
| United States. He gave 10 reasons in
support of his contention. These rea-
| sons We're as follows:
| LIST. A practical monopoly exists in
| the ownership, mining transportation
| and marketing of anthracite coal.
ID This monopoly is. as all monopo-
lies always have been, in the words of
| GibbOn greedy, barren and oppres-
| sive."
| Sd. The coal industry has been taken
out of the hands of real merchants, or
captains of industry, and placed under
| the control of corporations-consolid
| tors and stock exchange manlpulators,
men who have proved themselves an
competent to manage business either
| for their stockholders or the public OF
lab orers and consumers.
| 4th. The results of these monopolles
have been, and will continue to be, de-
structive to the prosperity, liberty, and
| even the life of the people.
9Th. No people who care for their
safety or their self-respect can subn:lt
| in government or industry to power
that claims the Divine right to make
both sides of their contracts-lts SIDE
and the other side.
9Th. Relief by competition has been
tried repeatedly and found Impossible.
eth. Relief by the enforcement OF the
laws against combinations and freight
discrimination has also been tried and
found impossible.
Sth Failing competition and regula-
ton ownership by the people is the
only agency which the people can use
to restore their market rights and all
their other rights. If we cannot have
freedom by competition, we must get
freedom by the commonwealth.
9th. Germany, England, Sw1tzer-
land, Australia and multitude OF
municipalities furnish Illustrations of
the successful recourse to public
monopoly.
10TH The desired protection of the
public can be secured summarily, i'm
met1iately, successfully, easily by due