Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-18
Passed to Be Enacted.

An Act to amend the banking laws of
the State of Maine and particularly
Section l of Chapter As of the Revised
Statutes by changing the official des-
ig1lation of the head of the banking de-
plrtment and by more clearly defining
his powers in relation to expenses and
to the employment of clerks.
Orders Of the Day.
The PRESIDENTS: The Chair calls
attention to the fact that there are two
special assignments for the day: Bill
to create Board of State Charities and
Corrections, and, Report, committee
| on taxation, ought not to pass. on Bill
relating to taxation of certain public
service companies.
MIR STAPLES Of Knox: Mr. Presi-
dent referring to senate Doc. No. 49,
which / had assigned for today, | will
sGy that since having it assigned |
have drawn a bill and sent the same
to the committee on taxation, such bill
covering something of the ground that
| objected to in this bill. That having
gone to the committee on taxation; and
as | shall have an opportunity, when
it comes back here, to discuss 1t and
to give my views upon it, | will move
that Senate Document No. 16 be talk
en- from the table.
The motion prevailed; and on fur
| tner motion by the same senator, the
| report accompanying same was accept
| ed.
On motion by Mr. Gowell of York,
Senate Document No 167, "Resolve in
| favor Of increased appropriation for
| fishing interests of the State,'' was
taken from the table On further mo-
ton by the same senator, the Resolve
was passed to be engrossed.
| Mr. GOWEI.L Of York: Mr.. Presi-
dent. l move that Senate Document,
No. 119. "Bili, to create Board of State
Charities and Corrections" be taken
| from the table.
The motion prevailed.
| Mr. GOWEI.L: Mr.. President, I un-
derstand that several Of the senators
desire to discuss this bill at length,
upon It's merits; and I propose at this
time to take only few minutes OF
your time III presenting to the Senate
a few objections to this bill as they oc
cur TO my mind.
| | understand that this bill, or a SIM
liar bill, was pending before the last
Legislature: and the last Legislature,
III it's wisdom, appointed a commission
to investigate the matter thoroughly
and report to this Legislature, That
commission has, I believe, faithfully
attended to it's duty; and has present
| ed a comprehensive and, / believe, a
| fair report.
| But, Mr.. President and gentlemen,
1 am opposed to this measure because
| believe, on the whole, that it is i'm
practicable and does not present a fair
business proposition to the people of
the state of Maine | am aware, Mr..
| President, that the objects of this bill
are most commendable, being in the
line Of legislation to assist the unfortu-
nate people who are peculiarly the
wards Of our State and entitled to our
aid and support. In the first place, the
principle of the proposition, to my
mind, is entirely wrong. This measure
| creates State board, called an adj
visory board. 1t might be called per-
| haps, as my friend the senator from
Knox has referred to it, commission.
and that is more practical-for our
4 Democratic friends frequently tell the
| truth But I believe that it is not the
| policy Of this state, and should not be
| the policy Of this state, or any other
| state to create q board of control or
| a commission. or whatever name II
| might be called, unless public eXigen-
cies Of our several departments which
| come under the jurisdiction of this
| measure do not require it. If | have in
| terpreted the report of the commission
correctly, they do not claim that the
| business affairs Of the departments are
| rot controlled as they should be. l
think that they have even widely com
mended the trustees of tho various in
| stitutons Now the trustees Of the
Maine Insane hospital and the other
hospitals, and the fpeb.2 minded and
other institutions which we might
name, are men of arr II $. They are
business mon. They arc men we'll
known to the people OF ou' state; AMI
it seems to me. gentlemc that it is
rather Z preposterous ~ position TO
appoint board Of five consisting of
| four mon and one woman 10 act as an
advisory board of those men. ! be-
| lieve those men are second to none as
business men as men of integrity, and
| that they stand second to none in their
native State.
| / believe that the conditions are
somewhat different in our State from
that in many states which have a SIM
liar board. If | have been correctly
! informed, there are but three states
in the Union which have an executive
| council; and the State of Maine is one;
and | believe that the Executive Coun
| ell should perform the duties which
are designated for this advisory board.
| | believe the school for the feeble mind
| ed was established by the last Legsla-
| ture: and that act provided that there
should be a visiting committee from the
| Governors Council, and that the Gov
| eInor should be ex-officio chairman of
| that committee. | hardly think that it
would be a good test for this Legislature
| to appoint a committee to have control
| over that board which is represented by
| the Chief Executive of our State. On
| reading the first section of this act you
would receive an impression that it was
! entirely phianthropic measure: but one
, of the sections provides that there shall
be secretary of the board, whose sal
| airy shall be fixed by the board; and the