Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-04-02
End of the Seventy. Third legislature

EMO OF inc SeNeuty stuuo - SsSssSS'
The seventy-t third legislature adjourned
finally n little before IL o'clock Thurs
day night, after session covering prac-
ticaliy the whole of thirteen weeks.
Few legislatures have had so many mat
tiers of i'm portance 10 act upon. A sum-
mary Of the most important matters Ii
as follows-we are indebted TO con-
temporary for the compilation:
The resolve to provide for legislation
through initiative by petition and an
optional referendum stands at the head
of the list of more important bills pass
ed during the three months biennial
session of the I'D Maine Legislature.
The bill applies only to statute laws. 1t
stands practically alone as a measure
making a radical change in the manner
of government.
Two laws treating of public morals
have been passed. The first is the bill
to prohibit the operation of bucket
shops and the second an act raising box
ing contests from a misdemeanOr to a
lawful pastime. The boxing bill is very
similar to the ordinance in force in
Philadelphia, which allows six round
bouts without decisions.
The bills granting the Somerset, the
Moosehead & Sebasticook and the Port
land q Rumford Falls railroads the right
to extend their lines to the Canadian
boundary and the bill merging under the
head of the Lewiston, Augusta Il Water
Vile Street Railway all the important
street railway lines in central Maine
are the important public service corpora
tion bills.
As regards measures for the public
improvements the Sargent good roads
bill stands in a class by itself. This
measure, which is supposed to be COM
bination of the good points of all the
bills in force in this country, will place
about S133, 900 in the hands of State
Highway Commissioner Sargent for dis
tribution among the small towns in the
improvement of their highways.
There have been passed two laws
much sought for by the labor element,
the first raising the minimum age at
which minors can be regularly employed
in mills or factories from IL to Ia years,
the second establishing more sanitary
conditions in workshops and factories.
Under the head of charities comes the
bill to provide for the support of the
pauper insane by the state which takes
effect in 1910; the resolve providing for
the erection of workshop where the
adult blind may learn trades and become
self-supporting and the $50, 900 home for
the feeble minded.
A pure food law closely following the
national law was passed without much
comment. The subject of free railway
passes was bone of contention between
certain factions for several weeks and a
bill finally was passed prohibiting all
state officials from using them. The
pay of the legislators was increased from
$3.50 to $500.
The bill amending the laws relating to
extradition was passed and has been in
voked once since the session began. 1t
gives the governor alone discretionary
power In such cases.
Hereafter the people of the state will
observe the 10th day of April as Patriots
day, instead of the time honOred Fast
day, so long a relic of Puritanism. A
large number of measures relating to
miscellaneous subjects have become law.
The sums of s1S0,000 for maintenance
for two years and 800, 900 for new build
ings were voted to the University of
Maine. Legislation was passed abolish
ing the office of State Binder and direct
ing that competitive bids be received for
state binding.
Two of the most important legislative
measures which failed of passage were
the bills for removal of the state capital
to Portland and for the resubmission to
the people Of the amendment to the con-
stitution prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of liquors.
A bill repeating the Sturgis law was
passed by both houses in the very last Of
the session, but Governor Cobb, as was
was to be expected, vetoed it, and
though majority voted to pass the bill
over the veto, the necessary two-thirds
was lacking, and the Sturgis law still
stands.
Numerous measures affecting the pro-
hibitory law and its enforcement were
before the legislature, and some OF them
were productive of a great amount OF
debate, but without exception the i'm
portant ones of these measures were de-
feated, so that the status of the liquor
laws now is practically the same as be-
fore the legislature met.
Judge Chapman Of the Bangor Mu-
nicipal Court, who was tried on charges
of failure to do his duty in the trial Of
liquor cases, was acquitted on every
charge by good vote in each house.
With this issue the Democrat puts out
. bulky sheet giving the public laws
passed by the legislature. Ignorance OF
law excuses no one, and you are sup
posed to know what is in these laws.
In the matter of appropriations this
was the most liberal body that ever occu-
pied the state house at Augusta, and in
conseouepca the state tax will be raised