Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-03-30
Legislature Trying to Finish Up,

The Maine legislature has now got to
the point where il is bending its energies
to getting through. Starting out with
the determination to have An early ad-
iournment, it has already been in ses-
sion longer than the usual time. This
has been made necessary BY the food of
bills which has been poured into the
hopper, not day going by without
quite a bunch of them, and some i'm
portant measures coming in late in the
session.
Afternoon sessions began last week,
and the work is so well along that there
is good hope Of getting through some
time this week.
A great mass of legislation, in both
private and special laws, has been enact
ed, and many bills have failed either IN
committee or in one or the other OF the
houses, but many of the important pub
lie matters still remain undecided, to be
finally disposed of in the rush of the
close of the session.
Not really the most important class of
measures before the legislature, but per-
haps those which attract most attention
and produce most talk--also perhaps
make the most trouble-are the rum
bills" or measures relating TO the pro-
hibitory law and its enforcement. At
present il looks as if, after all, there
would not be much radical change made
in things. Resubmission was defeated
some time ago. The Eaton resolve, sub
hitting to the people constitutional
amendment giving the governor power
to remove delinquent sheriffs, with a
string attached repeating the Sturgis
law, also failed, in spite of an attempt TO
run it through. A straight bill to re-
peal the Sturgis law, without strings,
was defeated in the senate Thursday by
a vote of % to s, one Republican voting
for repeal, and one Democrat against it.
The Hastings bill, making jail sentences
mandatory in liquor cases, has passed
the senate but has still TO run the gaunt-
let in the house. The temperance CON-
mittee reports unanimously in favor Of
abolishing the liquor agency system, but
what will result from that is yet undecid-
ed.
In the matter of size of appropriations
the total is going to be less than at first
appeared likely. Considerable credit
for this is due TO Governor Fernald, who
any flourish of trumpets, quietly sug-
gested to leading members of the legis-
lature that he desired to practice
economy, and a number of measures
which had already gone through were
recalled and the amounts which they APP
propriated were considerably reduced
It Is thought the total of appropriations
will be only slightly larger than that
made by the legislature of two years
ago.
The resolve appropriating s350,000 for
an addition TO the state house has gone
through and been signed by the governor.
This measure, after it had gone through
the committee hearing with many favor
ing il and none opposing, and had got a
unanimous report from the committee,
ran up against some opposition, and
looked for time in danger of failing. 1t
is suggested that the referendum will be
invoked on il, and it would certainly be
an appropriate measure on which to be-
gin to practice with the new weapon.
1t will require the signatures of only
10000 voters to submit the question to
the vote of the people.
II is thought that the rate of the state
LAX Will Ot Tue SAINT dS iOE Tue past lWO
years, three mills on the dollar. The
appropriations are somewhat larger, but
the revenue will be somewhat increased
by taxation measures passed or now
pending.
One Of the hottest fights of the session
has naturally been over bill to divide
the town of York, which is finally passed
with a referendum. Various measures
regarding Portland affairs have kept the
delegation from that city pretty well
stirred up, and other local affairs have
been the subject of more or less general
contests.
In one respect this session has exceed
ed many previous ones, and that is, the
amount of debate. The silvery tongued
Pattangall, astute Democratic politician,
has for some time averaged two speeches
a day, and some of the Republican men,
bers are not far behind him. A vast
amount of talk has been made in the
past weeks-not that that is an unmixed
misfortune, for fullness and freedom Of
debate is good thing. Indeed, the
date of final adjournment depends to
some extent upon the time required by
the legislators to discuss the subjects
some of them important-still remaining
for consideration and action.