Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-01

jority Of such cities and towns in the
State of Maine.
Mir. Thompson was followed BY Mr.
fllis OF Embdnn. who spoke along sim
lar lines. endorsing Mr. ThOmpsons
views in many of tn" points al issue.
| The opponents of the bill then came
IN for their inning. Scott Wilson ESD.
city solicitor OF Portland. was the first
speaker against the proposed measure
He claimed that this bin was contrary
10 the language of the constitution AMI
| contrary to the custom that has pr,-
vailed through the New England STATES
Tor the last two hundred years. That
the bill would affect some towpS a.
| vantageously and others disadyan
tageOusly. That the ratio ON which
1t is conducted is VARYING one an
over the State
| Mr.. Wilson claimed that the nronos,s
Legislation would De dangerous. That
the state Of Maine now distributos
stWON among the tow rs and cities AMI
u this bill was passed il would distri
| bate some S9)o.0Gh. That il would H..
distributed without special supervision
ana that com'nisSl IN might have 10
he appointed to SUPP rviSe this distri-
button. He said that Portland would
suffer a loss .. so OJ0 while AroOstoo,,
county would ht the t:ainer by SIS OOO
That at nreSci- the cit, of Portland is
tiibuting $4,000 more than il re-
,"iveS back.
Mayor Hcal Of Raneo~ was the next
I" appear in opposition to the bill. fol-
lowed by William =. Hubbard. chair
man Of til. boa:d Of assessors of Ban
gor. E"th gentlemen showed by figures
how Bangor would h. affected by tn.
roposed change in the law.
L.. J.. bennett. ESQ. of Portland also
appeared in opposition. In opening he
paid Ills compliments t. Hon. Obedian
Gardner. master OF the State grange.
hy saving that he ana his 'associates'
conceived the idea of tha bill for the
purpose Of defeating tn. constitutional
amendment for the taxation OF wild
lands, which the State grange aims at.
He claimed ,hat Mr. Gardner was in
*tructrd by the erang, to have print
"a 4 number " petitions asking for the
constitutional change with reference to
wild land taxation. but that he had not
leen fit to do So and had never sent out
4 pctitiOn.
Others who spoke against the bin
were J. l.. bunker. Jr Of Bar UfarbOr.
j. r. Moore e ThOmastOn. j. r.
Rhodes. 2d Of RocklL',l Hon. ]. NJ.
Libby Of Mechanic Falls. o. NJ. Lord Of
Portland. ana Vim. Lyons Of West
brook
Hon. George q. Weeks made the clos
ing argument in favor OF the bill. His
remarks were well pointed and pre-
sented i'm a forceful manner. He said
that there had been no greater work in
Maine for the cause of temperance In
recent years th"n had been done by the
broadening out of tn" scope OF the pub
Ii. schools. He said that this had been
accomplished largely by acquainting
the children with the effect OF alcohol
upon the human system. He said tina.
if the schools of the Stat" were worth
anything it is tut proper that every
dollars worth If property in the state
Should help pay for their maintenance.
That it seemed to him that ii will be-
came any city 10 oppose a bill OF this
character when they were receiving
such Il benefit as this from the people
of the State.
No action on the matter was taken
by the COMMITTEES.