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

A small but important change w,s
made in Section go of CHAPTER 40 Of
the Revised Statutes relative to the
Commissioner of Labor. This chang ,
VIII give the commissioner the right n
| send an agent wherever it is necessary.
An act to amend Section So of Cham
ter 80 OF the Revised Statutes was in
troduced early in the session by Rep
resehtatVe Smith of Berwick This
plii reiates to the trustee process and
the amendment provides that the sum
Vi >lV snail be exempt in all cases ex-
cept suit for taxes. After wages for
personal labor or services have been
attached and before entry of the writ
II the account is paid in full only the
iees OF the officer serving the writ can
De added to the account Mr.. Smith is
1orceful and able gentleman and the
measure could not have been guided
throngh the rough waters it en-
countered under a better pilot. The
OIL was referred to the committee on
Legal Affairs, given a good hearing n
favorable report made and accented in
both branches. When the bill came nm
Tor its second reading it was tabled bv
Representative Rounds of Portland
VINO was opposed to the measure
which stayed on the table some time
Another start was made and until Mar
~ there was no trouble until il
arrived at it's passage to be enacted in
| the House. At session late in the
AFTERNOON when many members were
| absent movement was started
against the bill, plans having been
worked up during the recess. Your
committee arrived in Augusta about d
r. NJ. The Legislature went into
| session shortly after this about s p NJ
A friend OF Labor came out of tho
| House of Representatives and reported
movement on to indefinitely postpone
the Dill When we went into the
| House we saw DR.. Tibbetts of Orrins-
toh' member of the House, engaged
| III making a seat to seat canvass and
shortiy after this same gentleman
mace motion to indefinitely POSTPONE
the measure Representative Smith
was on MS feet at once and made q
strohs argument for the bill and was
loHoWed by Representative Pattangau
VINO argued as only Pattangall can
argue Tor the life of the measure. How
ever the plans We're too well laid and
VII yea and nay vote the motion was
carried SO to &c with So absent Very
| soon after the vote was declared your
committee secured record of the vote
ana 1T was found that the strongest
opposition was in Penobscot and
Cumberland counties. In Penohsoo+
two members only out of the II voted
Tor the measure They We're John Cole
OF kenduskeag and Patrick Dunn of
| Brewer. In Cumberland the onlv 70.
| preventative standing by the measure
was Freeman Grant of Freeport Aftcr
| tIlS account of stock was taken your
committee prepared for good fight
we We're aware that all of the better
class of lawyers Throughout the state
| including President Deasy of rho
| Senate and Speaker Weeks of the
House were in favor of the measure
ana inns same rule will apply to
| doctors, merchants and corporations
we oid not propose to be bluffed nor
| nave our friends suffer defeat bv this
crowd of second raters
A call was at once made on tho uniop,
or the state and after the men arrived
| from Portland and Bangor there was n
cnange IN the two counties. The man
Sent down by the Portland Central Labor
union happened to be fleet of foot and
,Els worked to advantage for there was
foot race on with the delegation from
Portland but we voted them whenever
we we could catch them. Exception should
be made of Representative Boyer of
PORTLAND who was honestly for the hill
put was absent when the first vote was
taken This contest lasted during the
week. Three times the bill was indefi-
nitely postponed but every time the
friends of Labor found way to bring
II back to the floor of the House In the
| Senate Senator Hamilton paid close at
n hxb
from the Senate every time. The last
| vote was taken Friday about II P>M.
| and was complete victory for Labor.
| The governor approved the bill at mid
n1ght and the greatest hand to hand
| flSht the State Federation of Labor has
ever engaged in was closed.
| An Act was introduced by Representa-
tive Pattangall to repeal Chapter of
, h Public Laws of 1897 relating to lum-
herring operations. This law proved to
| be very vicious as was feared when it
was passed in 1907. The bill was referred
to the committee on Legal Affairs, a good
one weak voice in opposition. Mr.. Pat
| tansail ably presented the bill to the
committee. After the hearing was over
| more than a majority of the committee
tod me personally that this so-called
peonaSe bill was the most cruel piece of
legislation that ever disgraced the sta
tutes of Maine and that they would re-
peal that law If it was the only thing
/
| felt well satisfied and allowed the mat
| ter to stay in the committee room for
long time. We were much surprised later
to find that the committee had reported
| ought not to pass Upon investigation
| we found that the Penobscot river um-
| bermen had defeated the ends of justice
1t is the opinion of your committee that
| it would have been an easy matter to
| have taken the measure to the committee
| on Judiciary and had it repealed. We
| base this conclusion on the fact that a
| similar measure or a continuation of the
peonage bill was referred to the commit
tee on judiciary and the committee did
| not even bother to report it. We would
have taken the peonage bill to the Judi
| ciary after it had left the Legal Affairs
| only for the fact that We had measures
pending before the Legal Affairs all WIN
ter and we did not consider it good poll
cy to combat a body of men whose opin-
| ion could he so quickly changed as Il ma
| iority of the committee on Legal Affairs.
| There were two other Labor bills intro
| duced at the very last Of the session al
though there was no hope of having
them enacted at so late Il date. They are
both meritorious measures and are likely
TO be passed by the next Legislature.
One is called the Weavers Particulars
Bill and was introduced by Beals of Au-
| burn.
T.