Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-04-06
The Work of the Legislature.

The Work of the Legislature.
The legislature finally succeeded in ad-
iouruing Saturday morning, failing to do
so Friday night as desired because OF the
necessity for waiting for some OF the
last bills to be engrossed. 1t has been
a long session, only one of equal length
being on record in more than genera
ton.
A great mass of measures have been
considered, and while the Legislature,
like other previous ones, is to be crln-
cised for leaving large lot OF very i'm
portant measures to be disposed OF in the
rush of the closing hours, it can not be
accused of having been lazy legislature.
1t has been busy, either in committees or
in the sessions of the two houses, from
the start, and there has been more
thorough discussion, and perhaps more
plain speaking, than in most legislatures.
1t must be confessed that this legisla-
ture is subject to criticism for certain
tency to "whiffie'', more than the aver
age body. A vote taken at one time on
a certain measure would be reversed
later, until it was difficult telling, on
some measures, how the legislature real
ly stood. Much of this was evidently due
TO the lack of a well-defined course of
action on some of the problems to be
met. There has been difference of
opinion not only with regard to the
principles Of legislation upon which the
members should act, but also as to the
political expediency of certain courses of
action. This has been more apparent on
the Republican side than on the Demo
cratic side. Indeed, though on some of
the important measures party lines have
been disregarded, as rule the Demo
cratic minority has been very shrewd
in perceiving what action on its part
would most embsrrass the Republican
majority. From political standpoint
solely, the Democratic minority has done
the most effective work in any legislature
for generation.
In the question of taxation, a commits
sion authorized by the preceding legis-
lature made a lengthy report and pre-
sented a number of bills to this legis-
lature, but few of the recommendations
were enacted into law. A law has been
passed assessing an additional school
tax of a mill and half, one mill
of which is to be refunded to the
towns on the basis of valuation. The
object of this is to get at the wild lands,
and the net result will be that the wild
lands will pay about $4,000 more tax
than heretofore. A direct Inheritance
act has been passed, and the taxes on
railroad, telegraph and telephone COM
panies have been increased.
The liquor laws have been the cause of
almost as much trouble as is the liquor
itself. While only portion of the
many measures introduced became law.
there have been number of changes
in the liquor laws. Resubmission
was defeated, as was the repeal of the
Sturgis law, though the house voted for
repeal. The law authorizing the gov
ernor TO remove delinquent county at
torneys was passed, but a resolve author
izing the same thing in the case Of
sheriffs failed of the necessary two
thirds vote. A bill to abolish the liquor
agency system failed, but one was passed
regulating the agencies to some extent.
Beverages containing one per cent of
alcohol were declared intoxicating. The
Hastings bill, repeating what is called
the "little Joker" of the statutes, thus
making Jail sentences compulsory in
liquor cases, was passed at the very end
of the session, but was vetoed by Gov
ernor Fernald. In cases of liquor nui-
sance and unlawful possession, the pen
atty is changed by separate amendments
from fine or Imprisonment to fine and
imprisonment.
The list of things not done is about as
long and almost as interesting as the list
OF what was done. Among the things
that failed Of enactment were the change
OF state election to November, the bridge
bills of all varieties, ballot reform bill,
railroad rebates, state board of charities
and corrections, the creation of state
commission on water powers, increased
powers to the railroad commissioners,
giving them power to fix rates, and many
other measures of more or less i'm
portance.
Increase of salaries has been con-
spicuous by its absence. A number of
measures were introduced along that
line, but the word from Governor
Fernald that he should not favor in
crease of salary unless specially good
cause was shown caused the withdrawal
OF most or the olllS.
The appropriations are increased over
those made by the last legislature, but
are undoubtedly considerably less than
they would have been but for Governor
Fernald's action. Without vetoing any
appropriation, or publicly sending a
warning message to the legislature, he
quietly informed some of the leaders
that he desired to keep the appropria-
tons down, and a substantial reduction
was made in many of them.
The rate of state tax for the two years
is five mills, one and one-half mills of
which is the increase for school pur-
poses, which will be refunded to the
towns.
The work of the legislature is now
complete. Of the measures passed, only
those public laws and resolves passed by
a two-thirds vote of both houses as
emergency measures are now law. The
rest, under the referendum amendment
to the state constitution, will not become
laws until the expiration of ninety days
from the adjournment of the legislature.
During that ninety days, any one who
desires to have any act of the legislature
submitted to vote of the people may do
so by presenting petitions signed by ten
thousand voters, and the act will not
then become law unless affirmed by the
people at special election. So far there
has been no suggestion Of invoking the
referendum on any act Of this legislature
except the appropriation Of $3.50, 900 for
enlargement of the state house, and
whether interest enough will be taken in
that to secure ten thousand signatures to
n Detifion in douhtful