The Republican journal., 1909-02-11
Matters at Augusta.
What the Legislators are Doing and Sayins
THE LIQUOR SITUATION.

What the Legislators are Doing and Saving.
THE LIQUOR SITUATION.
At the Republican legislative caucus held in
the Senate chamber last week to discuss the
liquor question the committee appointed pre-
sented three propositions, as follows:
"The first proposition is bill to authorize
the governor to remove deliquent county at
torneys and to appoint successors from the
same political party as that from which the
official so removed was elected. No provision
is made for referring this to the people
"'The second proposition is to submit con-
stitutional amendment authorizing the Cover
nor to remove delinquent sheriffs and to ap-
point successors from the same political party
as that from which the sheriff so removed was
elected. This is to be submitted to the people
at special election in September, 1909.
''The third proposition is the repeal of the
Sturgis enforcement law. so called to take
effect upon the ratification of the proposed
| constitutional amendment"
1t is pointed out that the first proposition
requiring but majority vote and having the
unanimous approval of the caucus, is likely to
pass AS to.the other two, there is doubt
AT the last caucus it was the recommends
tion of the committee to put the whole matter
up to the people, but Rep. Bigelow of Portland
put stumbling block IN the way by declaring
that such an action would be cowardice and
that the legislature ought to take the respon
SlplllIy. lniS resulted III an amended prOpO-
sltion as the Republican members will take the
responsibility of passing the law for the re-
moval of county attorneys The question as
TO whether the action of the caucus will result
in the banishment of the Sturgis law from the
books is an open question. The passage of the
constitutional amendment removing sheriffs
will carry with it an automatic repeal of the
Sturgis law, but this will not come about with
out Democratic help in the house Whether
Democratic members through dislike of the
Sturgis law will be willing to stand for the
proposition to remove sheriffs is yet to be
seen.
FOR THE GIRLS HOME.
R. F. Dunton, ESQ.,, of Belfast. Rev. William
Vaughan, president of the society, and Mrs
Elizabeth l.. Brackett, its secretary appeared
before the committee on appropriations Feb
ruary End in behalf of the Childrens Aid So
clety of Maine, which maintains home for
homeless and friendless girls in Belfast The
amount asked for by the institution is $500
for two years for maintenance and $4,000 as
special appropriation for an addition to the
building and for repairs. Mr.. Vaughan gave
general description of the home accompanied
by plans and emphasized the need of repairs
Mr.. Dunton explained to the committee that
the building of an addition to the Home would
not materially increase the cost of mainte-
nance. The secretary, Mrs. Bracket explain
ed that the Home was the first of its kind to
be established in the State and said that it now
cared for Is children in ages from to Is from
all parts of the State and that there is wait
ing list of TO-
NO EXTENSION OF THE B. & A. R. R.
The proposed extension of the Bangor &
Aroostook railroad through the Allegash coun-
try will not be built at the present as the bill
asking for an extension of the rebate of taxes
on the system was indefinitely postponed by
the committee on railroads February 3rd at
the request of Hugh Chaplin, Esq, the at
town, for fho L..
briefly that the bill had met with serious oppo-
sition and that this opposition had taken such
form that even if the legislature should pass
the bill the proposed efforts of the road to get
financial backing for this extension would have
been seriously injured For that reason he
asked the committee to indefinitely postpone
the bill. Speaking on the matter to news
paper representative, Mr.. Chaplin said that
the extension of the road through the Alegash
country is question for the future He also
stated that no other bill would be introduced
to take the place of that indefinitely postponed,
answering the suggestion that has been made
in some quarters that bill would be introduc-
ed contemplating rebate of taxes on the new
system of the road in case one was built In
the Senate, February 5th, the report of the
railroad committee recommending that the
Bangor & Aroostook rebate bill be indefinitely
postponed was read and accepted without re-
mark.
STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES
The committee judiciary reported Feb
ruary 4th that the bill creating State board
of charities and corrections ought 70 pass.
The hearing on this bill was held January 18th
when number of people appeared before the
committee in favor of it. The bill provides that
the board shall consist of five members OF
which one shall be oman and that its mem
bers serve without pay 1t viii have the
sistance of a secretary trained in scientific
charity. Its duties will be to supervise the
eo11S L
table institutions and hospitals receiving aid
from the State, all county jails and aims houses.
When the bill came up in the Senate February
5th it was tabled by Senator Gowell Of York,
who gave no explanation. 1t is thought the
bill will not pass
TAXATION OF NATIONAL BANKS.
According to the testimony of national bank
representatives, testifylng before the COM
mittee on taxation February 4th. if the Legis-
lature passes the tax commission bill imposing
a tax of one-half of one per cent on savings
deposits in national banks there won't be a
national bank left in Maine in ten years. By
that time, according to the national bank men,
every national bank will have surrendered its
charter and asked the State for charter
trust and banking company. They say that
their institutions are restricted in their in
vestments and so hampered by being obliged to
carry large surplus that it would be wrong
to impose such a tax. And, beside, which
WOulu seem 10 SeCLle the question anyway, II
they are correct, tt ey say that the State has no
right to impose such tax anywhere-that the
State must keep hands off the deposits of an
institution chartered by the federal govern
ment
Hon. c. S. Hichborn, president of the First
National bank of Augusta, opened the case for
the banks, and in expressing what he styled his
personal opinion he said: "My opposition is
broad, comprehensive and all-embracing. say
that at this time when the State of Maine is
practically out of debt and there is no occasion
for any great outlay the State is not called
upon to renew fealty to the policy of putting
penalty on thrift, and that is what this bill
would mean if applied to the deposits in ma
tional banks" He declared that the money put
out in loans to encourage business pays tax
and that in this way everything in national
bank pays tax except the great reserve
which the federal government requires to be
kept. He brought his remarks to close by
reading letter from w. J. Fowler, deputy
comptroller of the currency, citing decision
of the United States Supreme court saying
and its real estate, a State is wholly without
authority to levy any tax whatsoever against
national bank.
THE PROPOSED 53-HoUR LAW.
AS is usual when labor matter is up for
consideration, the hearing on the two 5s-hour
laws before the committee on labor Wednesday
afternoon was an interesting, and at times ex-
citing one The statement was made that all
the States but Maine have 5S-hour law, but