Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-02-12

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Legislative Notices.
Bankrupt's Petition for Discharge.
Notice OF Bankruptcy.
Desirable Residence for Sale.
Notes from the Legislature.
The past week has not been productive
OF much that was new or startling in the
work of the legislature, though there
have been some interesting hearings.
Among these may be mentioned the
usual biennial on the matter of woman
suffrage, which is not new but very old
matter, and the direct primary election
law, which is entirely new and in a
sense at least an experiment.
The present week will also have some
interesting hearings, notable among
which is the continued hearing on We'd
nesday on the subject of the removal of
the capital from Augusta. This hearing
will be held in the senate chamber, and
the manner in which it will be packed
will be demonstration of the need of
increased facilities for the state business,
either at Augusta or somewhere else.
The hearing on the bill establishing a
third term of Supreme Judicial Court
for Oxford County comes on Wednesday,
Feb. 20.
The bill recently introduced requiring
transportation companies to furnish
passes to state officials finds its antithesis
in one introduced by Senator Staples
last week, which forbids any state official
accepting a pass, under heavy penalties.
The investigation of the state school
department is probably the reason for
the introduction Of bill which creates
a state board of education, they to choose
a state superintendent of schools.
Before the Judiciary committee Tues
day afternoon there was a hearing on
the two bills for direct primary laws,
one of which was prepared and advocat-
ed by Hon. II. NJ. Heath of Augusta,
the other by Gleason of Mexico. The
bills differ in details, but are in general
principle the same, establishing pri-
mary election for the nomination of can
didates for Office, in place of the present
system of nominating conventions. The
system is claimed by its sponsors to be a
method of getting the parties out of the
hands of the professional managers back
into the hands Of the people.
The woman suffrage hearing on Tues
day was rather lightly attended on ac-
count of the storm. Mrs. Fannie Fernald
Of Old Orchard, Mrs. George F. French
of Portland, and Hon. E. c. Reynolds of
South Portland were the principal speak
ers in favor. No one appeared in oppo-
sition, though protest from Portland
women has been referred to the CON-
mittee.
General opinion seems TO be that re-
submission stands no show of passage
at this session.
A decidedly interesting hearing was
that before the railroad committee We'd
nesday afternoon on the act to extend
the charter of the Auburn, Mechanic
Falls and Norway Street Railway, and
change it's name to the Lewiston, Au-
gusta and waterville Railway Co. Au-
thority is also given the company to &C
quire other electric roads, including the
Lewiston, Brunswick and Bath. Hon.
Fl. NJ. Heath, in advocating the bill, stat
ed that it was the intention to merge the
several roads in one organization. He
also stated that the road from Auburn to
Mechanic Falls will be begun early in the
spring, and said that the completion and
unification of this system of roads will
be great thing for central Maine.
Mr.. Hastings has presented the petit
ton of z. X. Davis and 4S others, resi-
dents of Paris and vicinity, in the county
of Oxford, praying for a law to prohibit
all ice fishing in Twitchell Pond and
Round Pond in Greenwood, also in
North Pond, in Woodstock, in said
county Of Oxford. Also for 4 law to
prohibit fishing in the tributaries to
Round and North Ponds.
Mr.. Emerson of Stow has presented a
bill authorizing the extension of the
Fryeburg Horse Railroad to the towns
of Brownfield, Hiram, Porter and
Cornish.
Petitions for the screening of the out
let Of AuaSagunticook Lake at Canton
have been presented by Representative
Gleason.
The good roads bill, prepared by State
Highway Commissioner Sargent, was
given hearing on Wednesday. This
bill adds a mill to the state tax for the
benefit of state roads, and while it is
earnestly advocated by some, it meets
opposition from the cities because of the
amount which they would pay in this
mill tax to be expended on country
roads.
Another bill which also meets opposi-
ton from the cities is one left over from
the last legislature which would reduce
from so to 80 cents per inhsbitant the
minimum appropriation for schools by
the towns, and increase the state school
tar from one mill to two. A hearing on
this was given Tuesday.
One of the most interesting hearings
of the week was that of Thursday before
the judiciary committee on the initiative
and referendum. The hearing lasted
three hours, and the committee was ad-
dressed by numerous advocates Of the
referendum, some of them officially
representing the State Referendum
League and others appearing on their
individual responsibility. There are
two measures before the legislature,
one the Weeks bill, representing the
Republican standpoint, and the other
the johnson bill, representing the Demo
cratic standpoint. The bills differ in
details, the chief difference being that
the Republican measure provides only
for the referendum as applied to statutes,
while the Democratic measure makes 1t
apply also to the constitution. There
was no opposition to the principle of the
referendum, and it is probable that the
measure will be passed in some form.
The bill providing state tax of two |
fifths of a mill for the University of
Maine had hearing Thursday, and was
warmly advocated, and strenuously OPP |
posed.
Fifteen thousand dollars to reproduce |
the Longfellow house for Maine build |
ing at the jamestown exposition is the
amount provided in the resolve intro |
duced, on which bearing was given |
Thursday. Several advocated the ap-
preparation, and no one appeared in OPP |
position.
Mr.. Hastings introduced quite grist
of matters in the senate Friday, includ- |
ing:
Act to incorporate Joseph +. Harring-
ton, Fred L. Edwards, W. C. Holt,
Michael II. Harrington, and T. B. Burke |
a. the Mt. Abram Tel. and Tel. Co., to |
do business In the town of Bethel.
Act 10 establish . salary Of $1,000 for |
the Judge Of the Rumford Falls Munich |
pal Court.
Act empowering the Portland and |
Rumford Falls Railway to acquire by |
lease or otherwise the Rumford Falls |
and Rangelcy Lakes Railroad Company, |
or any other corporation.
Act to incorporate Charles E. Oak,