The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-05-10


a hardship? If it is, think that hard
, ship ought to be taken from their
shoulders.
Another objection to the acceptance
of the minority report is that if you
increase the rate of taxation they will
/ Immediately increase their rates upon
their line. ! propose to make the
| bald statement that the exact OPP
posite will be the result, that 1t Will
reduce the rates III freight and pas
senger traffic in the State of Maine by
taxing the railroads somewhere near
what they ought to pay, and | can
prove it from history. In 1901 the
railroads of the State paid an in
creased tax by the action of this leg
| islature, and since 1901 their freight
rates have diminished and their pass
enger rates have diminished through
out the State. Why? The railroad
| interests of the State Of Maine knew
in 1901 that the people were aroused,
! that they were about to do some
thing, and they came in here and
apparently they said, son, we are
willing to do this" What do you
suppose the foundation OF this
/ fight of the railroads is against
this tax upon their property 1t is
not the paltry sum that they will pay
! into the treasury. 1t is the idea that
the people of this great State have
| taken it into their own hands TO say
that these great corporations do not
run their Legislature and do not
run the business affairs of the State
of Maine. That Is the great princi-
pie, and that is what fills up the lobby
of this State House today with the
railroad magnates, and their hired
men throughout the State. And that
is what they want to do, they want to
stifie and keep the hands OF the peo-
pie off. 1t is not the tax by any
means say TO you, Mr.. Speaker
and gentlemen, this Is a proposition
of the greatest Importance to the
State of Maine. The minute you pass
this bill and they understand that the
people of the State of Maine are to
have voice in this question of the
management of their own affairs,
when you pass that bill they will
recognize at once the peoples power
and authority, they will recognize at
once that the people are awake to
their own interests; and when they
realize that they will realize another
| fact, that upon our statute books that
authority is given to the Legislature,
| If they undertake to increase their
rates on freight or on passenger traf-
! fIc. that it is all in the hands of the
Lei islature. They want to keep your
hands off, | say, and that is the rea-
son they come around with these
arguments and visit practically every
member of this House and try to in
| huence him as best they may against
this bill.
Now, Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen,
have taken a good deal of your
time. But this is very important
matter, it involves $225,000 to the
State treasury this very coming year.
1t is great deal of money. 1t should
be carefully and candidly and honest
| " considered; and when you vote
upon the acceptance or the rejection
of this minority report | hope you
will vote according to your honest
convictions of what il right III this
particular case. | don't want your
minds and your Judgments warped by
| the argument that the wild lands and
other corporations are not paying
their share. The wild lands, the tel
egraphs, the telephones and the ex-
press companies are not paying their
| fair share, but that has nothing to do
with this proposition. Every propo-
sition stands on it's own bottom, and
let it stand or fall according to the
merits of each individual case. Why
should we accept this report? If you
accept it, in two years time when you
| undertake to tax wild lands and tele-
graphs and telephone corporations,
instead of having Il solid phalanx of
every corporate interest III the state
of Maine coming to confront us, We
will have these railroad men with us.
They will say, then, "They have made
us pay taxes, now we will make you
pay taxes" and we will gain help
! from that quarter to tax other prop
erty that is not being taxed Ill the
State of Maine. | say there Is not
wild land owner in the State but who
il opposed to this bill today. Why?
Because when they see the ice broken
in one place they know it is much
easier to break in another.
There are others who desire to
speak on this question. | know that
the argument will be made that a
majority of the committee has voted
| against this measure and that the
voice of the committee should be
listened to by you. Gentlemen, it
will not be the first time on the moor
of this House that majority report
of the committee has been turned
down and the minority report accept
ed. | remember a bill that came
from the judiciary committee with
unanimous report and it was unani-
J mously turned down by the House,
and think you did right. You I'M
derstand and | understand how things
are put through committees. Now,
when you vote, vote your conscien-
tious convictions; and | submit if
you do you will vote to accept the
minority report.
Followed by Mr.. Reed of Portland.
Mr.. SWIFT of Portland: Mr.. Speak
err, at this late hour | shall endeavor
not to occupy the attention of the
House longer than to present one
fact to demonstrate the correctness
of the position of the committee who
favored the majority. | mere
" wish to quote the opinion of a gen
tleman as well known in the State
of Maine, in the United States, and
| 4 - hn