Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-18

or an average of $780, 50 There are 80
other papers N this lis; III - cities and
towns. and thry receive the enormous
sum of $903.i9 an average of sl5.31 and
fraction
Tie total amount paid. according to
the list furnished me by the secretary
of State. is ST.. 1861. This. | learned
later. is not all. The amount is more
Than This. have no doubt but that the
figures will reach at least $4,000 AZ
ter receiving these figures and consid-
ering the matter somewhat l thought
I would Introduce Il bill myself: and
! the more l thought of it the more
thought that it was such a radical
change that | would not do it but that
I would rather some others should bear
| the brunt with me. Therefore !! intro
| duced an order for the appointment Of
a committee to consider this matter,
| and This committee reported this bill,
aft ar careful consideration.
Mr. President. there are two import
| ant matters to my mind to be consd-
cred in connection with this bill. The
first and most important is the notice
| to the people. l think that they should
| have all the notice that it is possible
| for the LEGISLATURE OF give them within
| reason. I do not know as the present
| plan will do this. | doubt somewhat if
| it Will. but I certainly think it will be
an Improvement. Take. for instance,
the Bangor Daily News. 1t has regu-
larIy. after the session is we'll under
way from two, perhaps to four COL
un1ns Of notices. Many of its patrons
| n o.
in the Legislature, and looking over
that list would naturally assume that
| the notices are all there. We know bet
| ter. There is only one way to DO so
| that they can get notice of all hearings
| and that is through the l<ennebec
| Journal.
| But the public generally, in my opin-
| ion, are not aware of that fact. They
cannot do il through the New Age, be-
cause. / will venture to say. that no
tees are published in the New Age af-
| ter the GATE of the hearings. or thrOuSil
any other weekly paper. Those two pa
pers are authorized to publish all the
notices and they are the only ones so
| authorized.
| The second reason to he considered
In connection with this hill is the eX-
penSe to the State. [ find, as nearly as
can get at (which l assure you is
not absolutely certain of being correct
in 1895 it cost the state $3.50 for these
notices; in 1897. S6375: In 1899. $1,000; III
1901. 1000: in 1903. about $4,000.
| by the way. MIR. President. will
say that this year ! think il will be
less The committee after they were
| ip,r
quested their secretary. Mr.. Gray. to
| communicate with the secretary of
state of other states to ascertain what
it cost them. and I have their letters
and kilograms. Some of our newspa-
pers seem to feel that the cost to this
State is very low. l have a clipping
here from the Bangor Commercial
headed "No Star Chamber Law"
will not bore you with all of it, but
| Just Il quOtatiOn.-"Th State of Maine
pays but a small amount of money for
newspaper advertising in comparison
with that which other states of the
Union pay for this purpose" let us
see what some of the other states pay.
Here is a letter from the auditor of
| Massachusetts:
Boston. February 81. 1905.
Mr.. Walter l.. Gray. Secretary Special
| Committee State House Augusta
| Maine.
My Dear Sir:
The secretary of the commonwealth
| has referred to me for a reply to your
letter of Feb 49, The law governing
advertising of committee hearings in
tins state was amended in 1903, and