Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-17

| champion the cause of capital
| against the people. 1t is evident the
| people Of South Paris believe they are
not fairly used by the Company which
| is furnishing them electric lights. AS
| | understand. by this bill. they offer to
purchase of the old company as much
| of the plant as is in their towu-that
is. in the town of South Paris; and
they ask this Legislature to give them
a charter in order that they may light
their town properly and efficiently and
at a reasonable price; and / think that
| the gentleman who was on that COM
| mittee who speaks for this charter will
explain that the evidence showed the
old company is not furnishing light
and power in the town Of South Paris
at reasonable price, and that the
prices have been jumped up outrage
ously since ii started: and not only is
| the price eXorbitant, but the service
rendered is not proper. / have friends
who live in Portland who are doing
| business there: and they claim it is an
outrage. and that in running a manu-
featuring business they cannot depend
| upon the light this present company
| gives them: and l believe it is in the
| interest of fairness, decency and proper
| legislation to give the town of South
| Paris an opportunity to furnish their
| own light and power. when the citizens
of that town rise almost en- masse and
| say that they are abused by the old
company, and tat they are not getting
proper service. We want to encourage
| manufacturing. etc. i'm their village. to
light their houses and public buildings
properly; and I hope this Senate will
stand by what was the unanimous
| action of the HouSs. I was in the
House when this matter came to a
vote. and not voice was raised
| against its passage. W. have never
heard word against it before and it
seems to me there must be something
| behind this. IN the House not a voice
was raised against this charter: and
| trust the senate Will support the
minority report. and give the people OF
South Paris the advantages which
fairly and honestly belong to them.
| Mr.. PIERCE Of Aroostook: Mr.
President: l will briefly try to outline
to the members of the 81 nate the con-
dition of affairs which is brought to
| your attention this morning. Let me,
| as n member CT the legal affairs COM
| mittee who signed The report that the
people of South Paris should be given
the privilege OF doing their own
| municipal lighting, say: That this bill,
| or charter. or act has been explained
| i'll part. but not in whole. Two years
ago the same matter came before the
committee on legal affairs and was dis
cussed at great length. and the COM
mittec while as a whole. feeling that
South Paris should have right to do
| its own lighting wer" little timid
| about asking the Legislature to ere
woke" as some of them said. the char
| ter rights Of The oxford Light and
Power Company; and desired to give
| the old company chance to try fug
| the next two years. If possible to
satisfy the leeds of tn" people of that
village This vas done, and the mat
ter was referred to tn" next Legisla-
ture-this present one. The same mat
ter came up again; tie same people APP
peartd for and against and a stronger
case was presented to the committee OF
this session by far than was presented
two years ago The lights have been
poorer and the conditions could not he
met whereby ne people of South Paris
could get sufficient Lights: and now
they have come before Us asking the
privilege not If taking anything away
from any body. hut OF getting that
(which belongs t" them. the right to do
their own municipal lighting. which is
the right Of every municipality.
Now as to the history of this COM
rany. that you may not be led to u
wrong conclusion from the premises.
A number of years ago the Wallaccs
obtained a charter from the LeGisla-
ture for Il light and power company
located i'm the town of Norway; they
asked at that time the right and
privilege to control the furnishing OF
light and water to the village of South
Paris South Paris came to the
Legislature objecting. ana had an arli-
Gle inserted i'm their charter that that
should not interfere with the village Of
South Paris doing its own municipal
lighting. Nothing was done with that
charter. Later on they organized I'M
der the general law covering all this
ground. Then after that they came
to the Legislature TO have their acts of
organization confirmed and extended,
and at that time South Paris objected
to having anything in that charter
which would prevent its village from
doing its own municipal lighting.
But in the meantime law had been
passed which gave corporations or
ganiZing under the general law ex-
elusive powers over the ground cover
ed by their charter of organization,
and the South Paris Village Corpora
ton only succeeded in having this
clause inserted in the bill, that what
ever rights were had by the oxford
Light and Power Co. should not inter-
fere with any rights which the South
Paris Village Corporation might have.
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