Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-01

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Hall. Hannaford. Hanson, Hartman,
Harrington; Harris. Jersey, Higgins.
Hin Hill H9dgkins Of Temple. Holt, Hussey.
Lambert, Lane: Libby. Lord, Marshall,
McLain, Merrifield, Merrill of Bluehill,
Merrill of Durham. Miller: Millett, Mont
son, ORR. Patten. Patterson. Paul, Pelle-
tier, Perry. Peters. Pinkham. Porter.
PRESLEY, Redlon, Richardson, Ross.
Rounds. Sanborn. Silsby, Smith of Ando-
wick. Snow of Scarboro, Spear of South
Portland, Spear of Warren, Stanlev\ Stet-
son. Slower, Strickland. Thompson, Thur
Tough. Trafton: Trickey. Trimble, True,
H Earney; W w Whitney, Wing of
AY:-Allen of Jonesboro, Bogue, Bour-
ASA ASA -, Chase of York. Dunn. Farnhan,
aariiscotta. Mace, Packard Pattangall,
Pike. Putnam. Quinn. Sawyer, Sleeper,
Smith of Biddeford. Weld, Wing of Au-
DISQUALIFICATION, Cook. Couture.
Cummings, Day. Doble. Dufour Edwards,
Hamlin, Harmon, Havey, Hyde. Lombard,
Ludgate MERCER. Moore, Robbins, Stack
pole. Tibbetts, White of Columbia, White
of Wayne-2l
So the bill was passed to be enacted
it having received the votes of two
thirds of all the members elected to
the House.
| Passed to be enacted: An Act re-
lating to the common school fund and
the means of providing for and dis
tributing the same.
On motion of Mr.. Strickland of Ban
gor the House voted to take a recess
of Is minutes.
After Recess.
Unfinished business: Bill to author
ize cities ard towns to maintain tele-
phone lines.
Mr.. HERSEY of Houlton: Mr..
Speaker: This bill provides that the
towns may tax their inhabitants to
support and telephones and telephone
lines. I think this bill ought not to be-
come law giving towns and cities the
authority to go into the telephone bust
ness and tax the inhabitants for run
ming business like this. All over the
State there are bankrupt telephone
companies whose only hope is that
some larger company would take them
over and take care of the stock and
the stockholders. The stock telephone
companies require some capital. A
town can issue stock and run a tele-
phone company by taxation, and you
can see at once the difficulties that
would arise. Enact this law and some
town which has weak board of rnu-
nicipal officers or a town which is be-
ing run by some fellow who wants a
telephone company established will in
duce the town to go into this telephone
business. We must protect these towns
against themselves. Charles Francis
Adams says that a municipality may
at times properly own it's light and
heat and water plants but wherever
town or city has attempted to have
under its own control and own street
railways or telephones and operate
them it has been a failure on every
occasion and that it has resulted in
disaster to the city or town that has
tried it; and he advises that it never
should be done. I think this House
should say that this bill ought not to
pass, and I move that it be indefinitely
postponed.
Mr. CAMPBELL of Kingman: Mr..
Speaker: The report of the commit
tee on this bill was unanimous in it's
favor. 1 would like to hear from some
member of the committee.
Mr.. BEYER of Portland: l hope the
motion to indefinitely postpone will pre-
vail. This is a general law which al
lows city by majority vote of its
city council to buy any telephone line
or erect one and tax it's Inhabitants for
the support of that line. If it We're
special act it would be different mat
ter A general law allowing the whole
sale buying of any one of this class
Of operations I do not think should go
through this Legislature.
The question being on the motion to
indefinitely postpone the bill.
The motion was agreed to.