Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-03

latter class. and unfortunately some
held membership in the Labor COM
mittee, it seemed to be the chief ambi-
ton to be able to return to the little
hamlet. or possibly the corporation
that elected them and report that they
had defeated Labor. They knew
nothing of Labor or its interests, nor
would they listen to argument and
learn but were content simply to re-
tard the wheels of progress.
A great injustice is often done to
important legislation because a COM
mittee may comprise in its member
ship men who are absolutely untitled
for service on that committee Thus
we do not believe. for instance that Il
man should be appointed on the Rail-
road committee because he is pre-
JUDGED against the railroads, nor
should he be appointed to the COM
mittee on Taxation because he is an
tagonistic to wild lands. A man should
have some knowledge of the question
of taxation. and the nearer he is to q
specialist the better before he is APP
pointed to serve on the committee On
Taxation and the same rule will apply
to the committee on Labor and all the
work is the important part of legisla
ton. A small body of 10 men comprise
each committee and it is their duty to
sit in judgeship over all measures re-
ferred to their committee. Great
principles and great measures are 1T
stake each day at the committee hear
ings and nothing but intelligent and
impartial judgment should be used for
10 .~F ,,,,,
great weight and is generally accepted
as the decision of the legislature
1t is unfortunately true that some
times men are put on committees for
no other purpose than to block the
efforts of other members of the COM
mittee who are fair and capable and
who are doing their best to bring about
legislation that will be of value to all
the people OF Maine Such j condition
should not exist but in many cases it
locs and the sooner the labor people
and all others who believe in fair legis-
lation get together and cure this great
evil the better il viii be for the State.
| cannot refrain while | am discus
sing the subject of committees fro:1
saying that it is the opinion of your
committee that the committee or
judiciary of the 1lth Maine Legisla
ture stands without a peer and that it
will be a long time before it will be
possible to elect another Judiciary
committee equal to this. There was A
small minority on the committee that
was inclined to show the white feather
at times but taken as a whole Labor
never brought forth a grievance THAI
your committee would not be willing
to leave to the members of that com
mittee to arbitrate
There is another evil that should be
removed before legislatures can be-
come what they should be. There
We're members of the last Legislature
who were owners and managers of
| great corpora tons and trusts. We
make no claim that these men are dis
honest but their object is to get egis-
lation that will make the corpora tons
pay a larger dividend. With this point
| in view and the welfare of all others
| lost sight cf. such Il member backed
| up as he is by the influence and money
of the corporations is very dangerous
man to fair legislation. We earnestly
hope that the Labor people will b"
more careful and use better judgment
| in the future and not assist in elcctng
men, who, like the members represent
ing the Sardne trust during the last
| session. appeared to believe that the
| legislature was being run for their
| private use and that any measure that
| would benefit the sardine trust was
| right. all others wrong. If the Labor
| voters are wise they will elect all such
| men to stay at home.
| at the last session of the Legislators
| was an act to amend Section as OF
Chapter 40 of the Revised Statutes re-
| lating to the hours of labor OF women
and children employed in any manu-
featuring or mechanical establishment
in this State The law is now so hour:
| a week and the amendment was to
strike out so and insert S. The bin
was introduced by Representative
Charles O. Beals of Auburn by request
Of the Textile workers of the State.
The Textile workers had a committee
representing them at the state House
throughout the winter and this COM
mittee was faithful to the measure AMI
to all other matters relating to Labor
In due season the IS hour bill was
given a hearing before the Labor con-
mittee. The hearing was a good one
and there was no reason why a repor.
should not have been made as a result
Of this hearing except that the cor
porations wanted more time to arrang,,
to defeat the bill We were not able
to find any opposition to the bill excep,
in the Labor committee where the cor
porations had influence enough with
a majority of the committee to get a
second hearing that gave them Tins
enough to make a canvass of tht
, House and Senate. Nothing new de
Continued en- Page Five)