Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-26

pile 10 edt-IHey COulQ not get q dinner
in Augusta-and they car,e up here and
stood in the rotunda and the people of
Augusta had not only all the seats in
this Hall of Representatives full but they
had every aisle and every passageway
crowded leading to this place so that it
was hard work for the attorneys who
were employed by Portland to get in here
to be heard.
Now, gentlemen, we don't want the
State House in Portland; things have
changed; but we do want to see this
thing put in the right shape-not be Mig
gardly about it, but we want it put in the
right shape, fre-proofed and everything
and with plenty of places in which to
transact business. We are a State that
can afford it, we are practically out of
debt; and if we don't want to raise our
rate of taxation let us issue few bonds
so that we can get a house that will b.
a credit to the State of Maine. l hope
that this resolve will pass and I think l
voice the sentiment of every citizen of
Portland Portland which pays one-sev
enth of this whole State tax. / believe
that every man in Portland wants this
building not only tire-proofed but they
want it large enough SO when they come
here they can get into the Hall of Rep
resentatives and can get into every cont
mittee ROOM I think, with the gentleman
from Waterville, that $35O,000 will not be
sufficient. 1 would be glad to make it
900 if need be; but make a good one
while you are making it. (Applause.)
Mr.. BURLEIGH of Augusta: Mr..
Speaker, I shall be very brief. The gen
tleman from Waterville has truly said
that this is not a question of the city OF
Augusta. 1t is a question of the State
of Maine; and the State of Maine think
has expressed itself on this subject. The
Governor of this State in his message to
this Legislature urged upon it strongly
the necessity of taking action to provide
adequate accommodations; and the Gov
ernor not only urged that in his message
but no later than this very morning
placed himself on record in private con-
versation as being absolutely and III
qualifiedly in favor of this resolve. The
Governor. as the gentleman from Water
vile has we'll said. does stand for econ
omy The Governor stands for true econ
omy, wise economy.
Now would like to correct statement
which the gentleman from Waterville In
no doubt made. AS L under
stand him. his suggestion was that the
auditors estimates of $S,000000 for the
next two years were based upon
si,rplv the natural increase in the
various departments. not allowing for
81 7 think the
gentleman is mistaken. 1 think that
those estimates were made up by the
Auditor on the basis of what was asked
for by the various institutions; and L
know that one item of over $500 900 that
was asked for and was before commit
tee of this Legislature, the COMMITTEES
on appropriations, will not be asked for
and has been cut out from the Auditors
estimates SO. gentlemen. this question
is here as to the merits of this PROPOSE
ton and the actual necessity of it.
The gentleman from Waterville made
one point which I think is not well talk
en- He suggested if this amount was
needed that it was just as certain as
could be that more would be asked Tor
at some subsequent Legislature. Now
want to call your attention, in House
Doc. No. 21S. to the paragraph commence
ing at line 25 "Provided, THAI the com
mission shall not proceed to make any
expenditure or contract therefor, until
they shall have first obtained Z contract
or contracts from responsible parties
to complete the work for Il sum not OK
ceeding the amounts specified in this
resolve, which contract shall be secured
by a bond to be approved by majority
of said commission" Does the gentle
man suggest that Governor Fernald or
any commission appointed by him would
enter into 4 contract to complete work
without complying with the conditions
of this resolve which forbds him 20 en-
te.' into any such contract until he has
the contract submitted for the compile
ton of that work within the appropria-
ton.
Now Just Il word as to the actual
necessity Of this appropriations | took
pains yesterday to make a few minutes
as to the condition of our rooms and de-
partmcnts and documents. and without
wearying you I wish to refer briefly to
some of these because these are actual
facts and have u direct bearing on this
case. There are but three committee
rooms properly so called in this House.
the Judiciary legal affairs. and room
No. 3. The legal affairs and judiciary
each have IL room to themselves. Room
No 3 has assigned to it four different
committees at this present time. Dur
ing this present session confusion has
arisen by reason of a conflict of adj
VertiSing dates Sometimes it would
happen. with four committee occupying
the same room. that they would adver-
tiSe dates of hearings for the same hour,
and there was an inconvenience not only
to the committees but to the public who
came to attend those hearings. In other
instances the same is true in other
rooms. The Board of Health is a de-
partment of this state and it has three
committees assigned to its room. The
Fish and Game Department, the Office
of the adjutant general and the educa-
tional department each have three com
mittecs assigned to it. The agricultural
department has two in addition to the
fact that in the department there are
two other departments. The pension de-
partment has two committees. The in
Surance and railroad departments have
one each A small room adjacent has