Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-08
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
CONTINUED from Page Two.)

this bill and claiming that il is a cor
poratsoE measure. / want to remind him
that the common people over whom he
10 often sheds tears in the Senate ara
the ones who are to be injured If this
bill does not pass. ask him to bear that
In mind. One thing IS sure-so the SEN
ator from Oxford says-if we do not
grant this bill. all interests are saved
Suppose We never do grant any rights on
the lower Richardson lakes or the outlets
thereof, all interests would still be safe.
Suppose the State never made an adj
vance legislation but walked on in the
same old ruts, following the same old
principles laid down hundreds OF years
ago-suppcse we never dared to venture
anything. all interests would still be safe
according to he arguments made by the
senator from Oxford. But would there
be any progress?
Just one word more in the matter the
mills on the banks Of the Androscoggin
river are not operated under very favor
able conditions. They are a long way
rom the cotton. 1t has to be shipped
here at great expense. they do not Sc
jure labor 30 cheapy as it is secured in
the South: and, II we can do anything by
furnishing power for these mills. or by
the granting Of rights whereby they can
furnish power for these mills and thus
assist the laboring people down there, 1
believe It IL the duty and the privilege
of this Legislature to grant those rights.
Mr.. President I have nothing further
especially to say. I might call the at
tention Of the Senate to the fact thai
many opinions have been handed down
IT,.
the State has; but that question, so far.
has not been raised; and I will not dis
cuss 1t at this time, as think it is prob
ably admitted. 1t ought to be admitted
and if it is not admitted, 1 believe, in
fairness. it will be.
trust the motion will not prevail.
Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Pres
ident and gentlemen of the Senate, 1
regret very much what | feel to be
my lack Of ability to meet this i'm
portant question in the manner in
which it should be met. am glad the
senator from Hancock has anticipated
what l might say. He was right in his
anticipation in saying that | should
take the side of the common people;
and If he has become education so
that he will not forget it. | will say
that | shall describe the common
people so that there can be no doubt
where the senator from Knox will
stand on this question.
This is the most important measure
that has come before this Legislature
or any Legislature in the State of
Maine for a great number Of years.
l approach it this morning with the
kindest Of feelings towards the manu-
featuring establishments upOn that
river. ! come here with no feelings to
befriend anybody upon either side. I
must speak according to the dictates
of my own conscience before the COM
mittee of which | had the nonOr to be
a member. 1 come here this morning
fully believing in the right of a corpo-
ration to be protected At the same
time l come here with the firm belief
that the great beauties of Maine
should also be protected These beau
tiful lakes should not be oblit"rate ted.
They should be kept in their prinevaI
for the benefit Of the citizens OF
the State. Never will |. as long as |
am in this body, advocate tnaL these
lakes should be destroyed as they
would be, If this bill is passed by this
body. Maine. the grandest State of
this Union-the State that brings to
our shores every summer thousands
of people to breathe the elixir of life
and to sport upon our beautiful lakes
II you destroy them the grand
scenic beauty Of Maine is gone.
Let me reply now, for a few min
utes, to what the senator said. ! adj
init that the Androscoggin valley is
prosperous valley. Those manufac-
turers over there have as an end the
promotion of the welfare Of the peo-
pie: and would not harm them. Have
they been harmed for the last twenty
five years In the city of Lewiston on
the AndroScoggin river? Let me state
what the evidence was before the
committee. If you go back twenty six
years from 1906 the Union Water
Power Company has never drawn
down the water excepting one year, in
1903-in the other twenty-siX years
they have had above their sill from
one to ten and one half feet.
Any one would suppose that the
mills Of Lewiston would be annihilat-
ed. They have had for the last twenty
years a right to drain that lake to a
certain extent every year: and for the
last twenty years the property of
Lewiston and of the AndroScoggin
valley has prospered as has no other
section of the State. The Union Wa
ter Power Company has prospered by
having the control of that lake to a
certain extent as they can have it in
the future. Do you tell me that the
operatives in Lewiston have been in
jured In the last thirty years? 1t is in
testimony. before the committee, Mr..
President. that for the last ten years
no mill in Lewiston has shut down
excepting for about two hours in 1904
yes, within the last twenty years
and within the last twenty-six years
they have drawn down the water in
that beautiful lake and have had a
right to draw 1t. One year when there
was a drouth all over the State OF
Maine, there was foot of water over
the SILL but. take it from 1906 back
for twenty-siX years this Union Wa
ter Company, this private corpora
ton of Lewiston has had from one
to nine feet by the testimony before
Tho CopoDittpp moro than they have