The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-16
SenseIess Legislation.

A legislative committee has evolved a
bill providing that all legislative sdver-
Using, covering all parts Of the State,
shall be done by one daily paper-the
one that shall make the lowest bid for
the business-and not by daily and week
ly papers in different localities, as is the
custom at the present time.
Naturally there is come kicking among
Maine newspapers at this piece of fool"
legislation, and they criticize Senator
Shaw's bill right merrily.
The Bangor Daily News rises to say
"Senator Shaw of Bath will Introduce
into the Senate, Friday, bill for the
suppression of information.
A bill to deprive the public of the
chance to know when legislative hearings
will be held.
A bill In the interest of the lobbyists
and against the common people.
A bill to work pet schemes for the cit
liens of the State to learn about after
having passed.
"A bill for star chamber proceedings
and such legislation.
This bill calls for one paper to publish
all the legislative hearings, it cares not
how small and insignificant that paper
may be, the smaller the better, because
it hides the meetings all the more Sc.
curely. The public have the right to
know what Is being done In the legisla-
ture, and the only means they have of
knowing IL through the newspaper, and
the right of the public should be pro-
tected.
To deprive the public of this knowl-
edge Ia equal to taxation without repres-
entstion.
VIII the Legislature sanction this high
handed proceedingS
We hope not"
The Portland Argus says:
1.-THE bill introduced by Senator Shaw
regarding the matter of advertising In
newspapers the hearings before the leg
islative committees, ls a notable illds-
trstion of the penny wise and pound
foolish policy to which some would-be
economists are prone. The purpose OF
the bill Is to limit the advertising of
these legislative committee hearings to
one newspaper 10 the State, such news
paper to be selected by the Governor and
SOduAi AloIh liO6C bCDolDk III bCdIcu
bids for the contract, or 10 the event of
failure Of satisfactory bids, the Cover
nor and council to make such other ar
rangement for the advertising of hear
lngs as they may deem best. The object
of this bill Is to save few thousand dol
lars bennally to the State on newspaper
advertising account. The result of 1t
would be to keep the people, 10 q large
measure, In ignorance OF what is going
on at the sessions OF the Legislature. 1t
would mean the conducting OF these leg
islative committee hearings, as much as
possible, on close corporation methods
Now publicity, the widest publicity pos
sible, Is the greatest safeguard of the
people In the matter of legislative pro-
ceedings. The people are entitled to
have easy access to full information and
knowledge OF what is going on; what
measures are in contemplation and what
schemes are afoot affecting their inter
ests. The only way in which this easy
access to this information can be obtain
ed is through the newspapers of the
State, the medium upon which they rely
for legislative news throughout the ses-
sion. All the people of the State are
entitled to this medium of information,
and not merely the readers Of any single
newspaper that might be selected"