Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-09

consideration upon the table where you
| can investigate it and take it up loi
| full consideration just as l hope we are
going to have, this morning.
The action of the Senate, of course
| is action which ii is proper for Us 10
pass in review. Ordinarily l suppose
| in regard to measure coming from the
| Senate and referred, as the gentlemen
introducing those measures desire them
| to be referred and coming here. ordi-
| narily and without some good reason
| the action of the House will be TO con-
cur in the action of the Senate. doubt
| If l have any more respect for senate
rial courtesy or as much reSpect( as
| has the gentleman from Rockiand NM
self. | have been OH record within quite
recent times in expressing the idea to
| which | firmly hold, that this BODY
stands closer to the people of this
State than the other House. and Tor
| that reason / have never seen the time
when | would willingly exchange a
seat in this body for Il seat in what IS
| called the Upper House. At the same
| time. Mr.. Speaker. the action that the
| Upper House, after full consideration
| and after thorough debate and after "A
| most commendable spirit of independ-
| ence took on this bill, although 1t was
| introduced by the leader of the minor
| ity party who had it go as he desired
| it to go. ought to have some weight
| and | know that the gentleman from
Pockland (AIr. Littlefitld) from the
| county of the senator who introduced
| this measure would be the last man
| IN say. because the senator from his
| county, a leader of the minority party
| in the State Introduced Il bill, that that
| bill is without merit, or that his judg
| uent as to the proper disposition of tie.
bill ought to be entirely disresarded.
| The bill was referred after a thorough
debate to the committee on legal at
| fairs. and il was not entirely or wholly
or in the greatest part due to seriatO-
rial courtesy that it was SO referred.
If you will read the report of the Sell
ate debate OF that day you will notice
that it was brought out, just as the
gentleman from Portland (Mr. Reed)
brought out before this House. that it
was not the proper way to abolish that
Office for that is what this bill
amounts to if 1t is enacted into law.
conceive that it would be without prec-
edent to abolish a State office by refer
ring it to a joint select committee, and
the Senate itself and this body the same
day I believe. took stand on exactly
that point When in the matter of abol-
ishing the State liquor commissioner
they referred ii to a legal committee in
stead of Il committee which to the
minds of many might properly have
had charge of the matter.
There was another element that en-
tered into that discussion. There WAS Il
feeling in the Senate on the part of
those who referred this matter to the
legal affairs committee that perhaps
from the situation of the committee on
printing and the manner in which it
was brought into existence. there would
not be the same favorable conSiderd-
tion for abolishing the Office of State
printer from the committee on print
ing that there would be from this COM
mittee on LEGAL affairs. Now the joint
select committee on printing WAS or
ganiZe under this order which has been
read: "Ordered, the House concurrimg.
that a joint select committee of three
on the part of the Senate, with such as
| tn House may join, be appointed TO
| consider the general matter of the state
| printing and to ascertain any of the
ways. if any, i'll which the present vol
ume of State printing may be reduced
without detriment to State interests s,
and what changes, if any, are ddvisa-
Bile in the existing law and what prices
should be paid for work under existing
ConditionS.' Now the first point this
committee We're directed to consider
was to ascertain in what ways. if any.
the volume of State printing may be
reduced without detriment to State ill
tercsts, and what changes, if any, are
advisable in the existing law. That
means as plainly to my mind as pos
sible, the existing law as to prices, rs
to volume ard as to the con-
duct of that printing while
the office of State printer
remains. And then follows. land what
prices should be paid for work under
existing conditions" And / submit to
YOU all who were present here. when
that joint select committee was APP
pointed, that morning after the session,
who are familiar with the discussion
which brought that committee into ex-
iStence, that there was not in the mind
of the author Of that resolution any
thing at all about abolishing the Of
flee of the State printer whatsoever
Now that gentleman from Rockland
(Mr. LittlcfielD tells us that if you re-
fer measure to a committee asked
him particularly on that point-it is
within the power Of the committee to
decide that it has or has not jursdic-
ton. And | submit that if you send
this to the committee on printing and
[ have good reason for making the
statement. that you are more than
| likely to have that committee on print
ing. by vote in which it has lined up
twice on very important matters of
testimony, refer this matter back to
| the Legislature when it is too late for
| the Legislature to take any action,
| with the reply that it is without juris-
| diction i'll the matter whatsoever.
| Byron says. ana what Byron says goes
| in this matter, or mas gone so far, thar
| the best prophet of the future is the
| past; and without disclosing matters
| of executive session l can say that my
| colleagues and myself. and | have been