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

exclude the town of Cumberland. Now,
the town Of Cumberland believes that
1t Is unjust, they believe it is not fair
and that 1t is not honest.
Mr.. THOMAS of Harpswell: Mr..
Speaker, have always believed that
in a great majority Of cases silence
Is golden, but being member Of this
committee and living on the shore
and being acquainted with those peo-
pie there and knowing the circum-
stances. I wish to say that / Joined
with the majority Of this Committee
in reporting that the bill ought not
to pass. am surprised that the
gentleman from Yarmouth (Mr. Da-
vies) should want bill to pass this
Legislature which some OF the best
lawyers Of the State say will be un-
constitutional II it becomes a law.
Does the gentleman want this Legis-
lature to pass special act to take
from those people the God-given
right to earn their living by the sweat
of their brow and in the way that
they have always enjoyed in common?
II this law was not unconstitutional
1t would still be very unjust. / have
been informed lately that the people
very little about this bill and that
the people Of North Yarmouth care
nothing about it.
/ live where the waves OF old ocean
wash my very threshold. / have fish,
ed along the Atlantic coast from the
shores Of Block Island to the coast
Of Newfoundland, and I defy anybody
to tell me anything about the needs
Of the people along our water front.
I started out as a fisherman at the
age Of fifteen. saw the last traces
Of land as 1t faded awy in the dis
tnce. and the waves OF the ocean
rocked me to sleep and I woke only
to find that / had been dreaming OF
home. I know something about the
hardships Of the fishermen along our
water front, / allow no man to tell
me Of their needs; and il l did not
think this majority report was just
I would never have agreed to it. Mr..
Speaker, hope that this bill will not
have a passage. (Applause.)
Mr.. DRAM Of Bristol: Mr.. Speaker,
I was on that committee and signed
the minority report I was convinced
on the testimony before US that we
should give the town OF Yarmouth
protection. All the towns that have
asked for protection have received 1t.
What would you think Of Legisla-
ture that would give to the town of
A protection and give to B protection
for their industries and refuse pro-
lection to C? believe that c should
have the same rights under the same
circumstances. So under those condi-
lions ! refused to sign the majority
report.
The clam industry is a matter Of
great Importance and unless pro-
tective arm Is extended to those
towns which ask for it, that industry
must soon perish. 1 was the only one
who signed the minority report. I did
It from a sense Of duty, from an hon.
est conviction brought about by the
evidence which was produced before
the committee. ask this LegiSla-
ture to accept the minority report
when they only ask what you gave
other towns two years ago. And why
shouldn't you give it to those towns
to do justice to ourselves and to our
people? SO / stand on the report
which I made and hope you will &C
cept it and will render a just and
true decision toward this town which
Is asking for the protection of an in
dustry. (Applause.)
Mr.. HILL Of Machias: Mr.. Speak
er, / feel that SO large a majority of
this committee would not have decid-
ed as they did without valid reasons.
But on the face of the matter it seems
unjust that the town Of Yarmouth
should not have the same protection
that Cumberland and Falmouth have.
The commissioners of shore fisheries
have expressed themselves strongly
in the matter Of the clam fishing in
dustry and protection to our shell fish,
and the bill presented today is only
to give the flats of Yarmouth the
same protection that the other towns
have. The committee could only have
decided against this bill for some rea-
son which has not been presented to
us. So far. the argument has all been
on the side of Yarmouth. would
like to hear from the majority of the
committee why this decision was ar
rived at.
Mr.. DAVIES: I understood the
gentleman from Harpswell (Mr
Thomas) to say that he had under
stood that the people in Yarmouth
We're not generally in favor of the
law.
Mr.. THOMAS: That is what I I'M
derstood.
Mr.. DAVIES: Were you present in
the committee when petition was
presented from the inhabitants. and
do you know that there were nearly
three hundred names on that petition
Mr.. THOMAS: No.
Mr.. DAVIES: Did you know that
there was petition presented by the
Inhabitants Of North Yarmouth?
Mr.. THOMAS: believe there
was
Mr.. DAVIES: Do you know how
many signatures there were on that?
Mr.. THOMAS: do MOI. simply
know that 1t is very easy to get up a
petition.
Mr.. DAVIES: 1t is very easy to
convey a false impression.
Mr.. SKILLIN: The gentleman from
Yarmouth (Mr. Davies) said that OBJ
lection was made by the committee
that proper notice had not been CIV