Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-25
Mr.. Davis and the Somerset Railroad
Extension.

The Waterville Sentinel quoting
from the Journals recent editorial on
Mr. Davis and the Somerset railroad
extension says:
Note the fairness of our opponent.
Every word il says, refers to the bill
for THE EXTENSION OF THE SOM
ERSET RAILROAD. Not word
about rebating its taxes.
And the Journal knows that in the
original draft of that bill, which, for
obvious reasons, has been distracted
from .he files at Augusta. there was
not a word about tax rebates.
Of course Mr.. Davis favored the eN-
tension of the road, agreed to do what
he could for it, advocated il and as
sisted Mr.. Haines in procuring Il char
ter for il as it was his duty to do.
When the bill came from the COM
mittee it was in new draft" 1t still
Durported to be a charter for the cX-
tension OF the Somerset. 1t came in
as hundreds of bills come in and was
passed without debate and without the
attention of the legislature being called
in any way to the tax rebate feature.
IL 10 iCiiS"itlAIs,- eiLeNt iN''i' - w.
years OF effort to get some definite
statements out of the organ Of MIR.
Davis relative to his attitude on the
bill providing charter for the extern
sion Of the Somerset railroad. The
Seminal says that in the draft of this
bill as originally introduced into the
legislature there was not Il word
about tax rebates" The Sentinel ad-
mits that Mr.. Davis favored the ex-
tension OF the road, agreed to do what
he could for it. advocated it and as
sisted Mr.. Haines in procuring a
charter for it as it was his duty 10
do" All this of course had to 60 with
the original bill which the Sentinel
tax rebates
This feature of the bill the Sentinel
it will be observed, charges to the rail-
road committee. 1t says: ''Whn the
bill came from the railroad committee
ported to be a charter for the extern
sion OF the Somerset. 1t came in as
hundreds of bills came in and was
passed without debate, without the at
tention Of the legislature being called
in any way to the tax rebate feature"
The Sentinel further states that MIR.
ia,
favor of the Somerset extension, that
The tax rcbating section was never
called 10 his attention until years af-
forwards, ard that he promptly OBJ
Jected TO it when it was called TO his
attention.
All these things the Sentinel gives
us to understand it could easily prove
if it could only secure this bill in its
original draft, but that it is unable to
90 SO because it has been abstracted
from the flies at Augusta
Now the Joinmal always hesitatcs
to destroy the Illusions Of a fairy tale,
but duty demands that it should do
so in this instance The original bill
providing the charter under which the
extension of the Somerset railroad was
built was never ".tbstracted from the
files at Augusta 1t has been at the
Secretary OF States Office ever since the
adjournment of the Legislature, and
it is there now. The editor Of the
Journal examined it there yesterday,
and it is there today for the inspec-
ton of any citizen of Maine who de-
sires to know the truth about this
matter. The Sentinel is in error in
stating that this bill in its original
draft contained mot word about tax
rebates"
AS matter Of fact it contained
what the Sentinel is pleased to call
the tax rcbatng section IN PRE-
CISELY THE SAME LANGUAGE IN
WHICH IT STOOD WHEN FINALLY
ENACTED.
There was no attempt to force this
bill at any stage of its passage. The
endorsements show that it was intro
dIced into the House January %, 1903
and was referred from the Senate, in
concurrence. to the railroad committee
on Jan. 80. The public hearing upon
this bill was advertised in the Kenne-
bee Journal from Feb to Feb. %
continuously. We presume it was
similarly advertised in other newspa-
pers of the State. The hearing before
the committee was held Wednesday
afternoon. February p. The Journals
report Of the hearing SAYS that there
was no opposition to this measure"
1t WAS considered in detail. After the
hearing section ten of the original bill
was stricken out by the committee.
This section authorized the corpo-
ration "to locate. construct, equip.
maintain and operate branch railroads
in each direction from it's main lire
not exceeding twenty miles in length"
The sections following 10 were then