The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-01-28
Matters at Augusta.

the charter of the Belfast Banking Company;
also an act to incorporate the Citizens Electric
Company of Belfast
By Mr.. Miller of Lncolnville, resolve grant
ing State pension of $S per month be paid to
William H. Murch Portland late of Co. G. 18th
regiment, U. S. infantry.
By Mr.. Harmon of Stonington, act to annex
the town of Isle au Haut to the county of Knox
By Mr. Staples of Knox, act incorporating
the Vinalhaven Water Co. naming Thomas F.
Libbey, E. F. Russell, F. S. Walls, T. G. Libbey,
M. +. Lyford, j. II. Sanborn, G. S. Lbbey, B. L.
Lane, M. P. Smith, A. F. Littlefield and NJ S
Bird as the lncorporators. Authority is given
to supply the town of Vinalhaven and the vii
lage of Carvers Harbor with water The capi-
tai stock is fixed at $4,000, which may be in
creased to 100000, earnings in excess of six
per cent dividends after payment of all expen-
ses to be applied to reduction of water rates or
construction expenses.
By Mr.. Staples of Knox, act incorporating
the Grand Lodge of the Ancient Order of Unit
ed Workmen in Maine.
Petition for closing Marsh stream and all
brooks flowing into Northern pond to trout
fishing from June to May l in each year and
to the dipping of carp between April and May
Is for three years.
Act fixing the legal length at which trout
may be taken at nine inches.
Act prohibiting fishing in the tributaries of
China lake in kennebec county.
By Mr.. Morse of Belfast: Resolve in favor
By Mr.. Morse of Belfast: Petition in favor
of Waldo County General Hospital.
BY Mr.. Morse of Belfast Petition of c. NJ
Conant of Winterport and SO others of Monroe
Frankfort and vicinity asking for regulations
upon fishing in Marsh River and tributaries.
A BATCH OF LOBSTER BILLS.
Hodgkins of Damariscotta, act providing
that person shall catch any lobster or en-
gage in any branch of the lobster industry
without A license npl,-
empted. Licences are classified as resident
and onresident and are further divided into
fishermen, smackmen, retailers, wholesalers,
pound owners and Gamers, the scale running
from 81 for fishermen to $1,000 for Gamers.
Hyde of Bath, act directing the commission
er of sea and shore fisheries to expend LOCO
annually for two years for experiments in
couraging the shell fish industry
Duncan of Rockland, act prohibiting the ex-
portation of Maine scallops between May
and October l in each year.
Kelley of Boothbay, act making the new
lobster measurement applicable to canneries.
Hodkins of Damariscotta. act providing that
the commissioner of sea and shore fisheries
may appoint deputy commissioner at salary
of $1,000, to take the place of the present
chief warden and act in the absence of the
commissioner
Bowley of Swans Island, act amending the
lobster law so that short lobstets must be i'm
mediately liberated and that the possession
OF mutllateQ LOBSTER meat shall SUBJECT the
offender to the fines provided.
Davies of Yarmouth act increasing the
salary Of the commissioner of sea and shore
fisheries from 1,500 to $1,000
Duncan of Rockland, act providing that one
half of the fines for violation of the sea and
shore fisheries laws shall go to the person
making the complaint and the other half to the
/ commissioner of sea and shore fisheries.
A NEW BRIDGE BILL.
No br;J :
complicated one, for bridge bill was in
troduced in the house Friday by Chase of Sc
bee. This bill differs from the Donigan mea-
sure in many respects, but principally in that
/ it does away with the stipulation that bridges
to be taken over by the State must be SO feet
in length, substituting therefor the provision
that the cost of the said construction with all
other moneys raised for the construction and
repair of highway bridges, in a given town
make a tax rate in excess of four mills on the
valuation of the town.
The average tax rate for highway purposes
of all the towns and cities of the State in 1903
was practically four mills. There has been
criticism of the Donigan measure on the
ground that one town might have a 50 foot
bridge valued say at 81 200, while a neighbor-
ing town might have a bridge As feet in length
built at a cost of several thousands. The first
named would come in under the Donigan act
while the second would not although it might
be much more of burden upon its town than
the first named.
Sen. Donigan also introduced in the senate
new draft of his bridge bill making the length
of bridges tc be maintained by the State 80
feet instead of 50 as in the original bill. 1t
was tabled for printing.
HEARINGS ON TAX MEASURES.
The committee on taxation had q hearing
last Thursday on several measures, some Of
them coming before the committee as recon-
mendations from the special tax commission
First was bill to include barges with vessels
for taxation; the matter being left now with
| local assessors.
Hon. F. c. Whitehouse of Topsam, spoke of
the use of barges in towing pul lip wood from the
provinces. He said that the owners of barges
ask no exemption from taxation but wish mere
ly to amend the law that barges shall be
placed on the same basis with other vessels.
He believed that barge owners would be justi-
fed in asking for a lower valuation than other
vessel property. Senator Colcord remarked
that There are barges and barges. There are
wooden barges and there are steam barges
worth five times much. l do not regard this
proposition an equalization of values but |
think it would be all right to place the word
wooden before barges." Senator Colcord also
said that the earning of steam barges is about
one and half times that of wooden barges and
gave it as his opinion that in five years there
would be no wooden barges built.
An act to establish uniform poll tax was ex-
planned by State Assessor Pottle, who stated
that the present poll tax may be from one to
three dollars any town or city may decide.
Last year tie average poll tax throughout the
State was $2.67. The bill aims to fix it at uni
form rate of So, and Mr.. Pottle said that he did
not regard this as a radical measure.
AS an instance of the workings of the pres
ent law Mr.. Pottle said that in Auburn, where
the poll tax is So, the people feel somewhat ag
grieved because the poll in Lewiston is 81.
The next matter taken up was bill respect
ing the place of taxation of personal property.
This measure is intended to straighten out the
doubt now existing regarding the taxation of
yachts and pleasure boats kept in Maine by
people living out of the State. Boothbay is
already collecting tax about Sl50000 of
pleasure boats, but as there has been no appeal
to the courts the town does not know whether
it is within its rights. When this measure was
laid on the table for later consideration bill
to define the standard of assessment was taken
up, the purpose of the bill being to provide for
the valuation of property at its full cash mar
ket value. Hon. M L. Merrill of the special
tax commission, stated in opening, that there
are towns that openly admit that they not
valuing property at the full market value for
the purposes of taxation.
AT this point Senator Macomber curious
to know what the real market value is, whether
it is what the property cost, what it will sell
for what the assessors believe that it is
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