Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-08

company must build a dam below
what is called Pond-in- River. On ac-
count of the physical surroundings
at what is called Pond in the River
great deal Of water naturally goes 10
waste. We provide that the COM
pany, at an expense OF 10000 winch
the senator from Oxford says Is prac-
tically no expense or does not amount
| to very much--we provide that they
must build this dam and save twice
as much water as they ask 10 use. In
other words, they ask To draw from
the lakes now, during the winter
months. two and one-half billion feet
of water: and we say that they must,
| by this dam save five billion feet OF
water-there arc six billion feet going
to waste, according to the figures OF
the record now kept. Ii requires one
billion feet according to the records
which we must go by-and it is the
only authority We have to go by
one billion feet only is required
| fer lowing the logs. Building the dam
| Will make a saving of five billion cubic
| feet of water, and they only ask the
privilege Of using two and half Dillon
during the four months Of the winter.
In other words they have come 10 TINS
Legislature and are seeking to borrow
water and they guarantee to return Il.
| 1t is q guaranty. II YOU can make
guaranty by letters and figures ana
provisions in d bill. If the lake would
not refill. what would be the sense or
reason of drawing the water out and
| what would be the use If that extra
water during the summer and If the
| water did not come up TO the top of the
dam? Why? 1t is so .nuch money
| wasted. II is 100000 if l remember the
figures correctly. which were given as
an estimate OF the cost for dredging
this outlet. Thirty thousand dollars
could be thrown away: and is this cor
poration. which the senator from OK
ford represents as being so greedy and
so selfish. inclined to throw away
$50 900 for a purpose which will not
| benefit them in the least? / Will do
| so if the lakes do not refill to the top
of the dam. That is a clear PROPOSE
| ton: and it is not open to argument
and that is the whole thing in nut
shell. The corporation and those who
have its affairs in charge claim that
| they can keep their mills running dur
I ing the winter with the privilege: and
| they guarantee to return in the Spriag
and summer more than the amount
| which they use extra. as provided for
by the bill.
| The senator speaks Of the vicious
ness and the senormity'' of this bill.
but he does not point out the facts and
| conditions which make the bin vicious
| or enormous. 1t is nice to use those
big words and they sound fine when
they go out over the State and are read
by the people out on the farms and
want to say right here that 1 will adj
nit that the people in oxford and
Franklin, to the best of my Judgment
1.-THE majority Of them-are opposed to
this measure. l believe it is because
these big words would have been used
in regard TO the effect Of drawing down
these lakes. 1 believe more than that.
lit is because misrepresentation have
been made through those misleading
communications which have been is
sued and paid for in different papers.
l believe. if the thing were stated
fairly to the people of oxford county,
and not only stated fairly but so that
they could understand it thoroughly
and could know what the effect void
be an how it would affect the working
poaple in Lewiston, in Rumford Falls
and in other places. l believe they
lWould vote for the bill.
Further than that. Mr.. President,
believe that the men that are said 10
be opposed to the bill if they came
down here next July. provided the bill
were in opera ton. would not know that
the lakes had ever been drained. The
trouble is that the probable results are
not correctly stated to the people ard
| they are not correctly and properly un-
derstood. 1t comes down to this prop
osition: 1t is simply an issue between
the manufacturing interests Of the
State and the summer industry. Both
Of which are important. | believe
there is room enough for both on the
| Rangeley lakes and the other lakes
both can expand and get all that wa
ter that is required and needed. but if
We are to discriminate in any respect,
or in the slightest degree. l believe We
should leSislate in favor of that indus
try which keeps the people-the oper-
atives busy all the year round. Il
there is to DE any faNoritisn shown--ie
the word il properly used-let it be
/ SIlOWI LOW AUS liloI NilISIi
keeps 1000 people busy from January
to December 81, provided the water
power is sufficient strong. Let il be il
favor Of that industry which pays over
three hundred thousand dollars weekly
to operatives along the banks of the
IAndroscoggin river.
| But l believe that nobody's interests
will be injured: and. if there is any
i
tives the benefit of it. True: 1t may
effect favorably the owners or the
stockholders of this corporation as We'll
as the operatives. but the operatives
are those who are principally effected
because. as l say. more than three
hundred thousand dollars is kept from
their pockets every week that the mills
are not in operation.
In Rumford Falls today one-half OF
the mills are running on one-half or