Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-31

Mr.. HASTINGS of Oxford: Mr.
President: / might add for the in
formation of the Senate that Section 81
takes care of these electrical power
companies on the borders of the State
which now transmit their power across
the borders. Section 3 reads:
This act shall not apply to any COR
poration now engaged in conveying or
transmitting electric current beyond
the confines of the State or chartered
or empowered so to do nor affect or
impair any existing contracts for the
transmission Of electric current be-
yond the confines of the State"
l Will simply say in addition to what
Senator I.oOney has said that it seemed
well to the committee that we should
ADOPT this policy. and that it is con-
tfary to the policy of the State to
transmit this power beyond our Dor
ders; and that is the policy which has
been followed in all the charters grant
ed this session. l recall the case of the
Magalloway Corporation and also the
charter incorporating the Shawmut
Co. in which this very section is en-
bodied
OF course. in the future, at the next
session of the Legislature, if they think
1t is necessary and expedient to grant
a charter to any individual or corpo-
ration for transmitting electricity, it
might do So but it seemed to the COM
| mittee that it was advisable to es-
| tablish this policy. 1t may not mean
much, but it was designed to establish
the policy that the State should keep
its electrical power within it's limits.
fnly I oc1- tl,nt
be taken by the yeas and nays
Mr.. MILLIkEN of Aroostook: Mr.
President: l had nothing to do with
tnis bill. not being member of the
! judiciary committee, but of the indi-
vidual charters to which the senator
from Oxford has referred and which
came before the committee on interior
waters. of which | am 4 member, / do
know something and I want to say
word about this general question of
policy.
The Governors policy and that of this
Legislature mas been at this session
to make two provisions with regard to
these charters. First, that the fran
chlse right given by the State to any
private corporation for the develop
ment of water storage and the using
OF the power of eminent domain for
that purpose should revert to the State
without cost to the State at any future
time when it should seem good to take
over that property. That provision
has been made IN every charter at
this session which has given a corpo-
ration right to store water. Second
that any charter giving a corporation
a right to develop power in this State
should contain this provision, now in
corporated in this general bill, namely,
That the powers so generated and de-
Feloped by the natural resources of
this state should not be carried be-
yond the borders of the State without
the express authority of the Legisa-
ture
This does not mean that at this ses-
sion Of the Legislature we are to lock
up forever the power generated in this
state and transformed into electricity
but it does mean that we are to say
at this session, and have said in indi-
vflual charters, and are now to say in
the general law, that it shall be the
policy of this State to require the ex-
press consent of the Legislature in
every individual case before that power
l suppose that everyone who reads
the history of the Standard Oil Co
wonders why, when those preliminary
steps were being taken, when this mo-
nopoly was being acquired, the people
did not understand the situation and
why they did not prevent that monop-
oily from coming into existence; and
looking at the history of this State
/
prices which seemed so ridlculolxly
low. when the State has in some in
stances made as gift in return for
something rot actually given-why the
people of the State did not understand
the situation and prevent it. | venture
to say that in the future the people
will look back to this time and wonder
why the people of the State did not
awake sooner to the Importance of
water power 1t can be figured out just
as simply as a problem in mathematics
and the questions of heat. power and
light are going to be questions of wa
ter power.
Now, we have in this State enormous
resources still undeveloped, for the de-
velopment Of water pOwer-an asset to
this State greater than it's timber
lands and greater than any other in
dustry in the State, except possibly
the agricultural interests. This bill is
simply for the purpose of saying at this
Legislature of 1909 that this power
shall not be taken outside the State to
be used there without the express au-
thority of the Legislature. That is all
it is, and it seems it is a fair and alto
gether reasonable bill don't see how
how there can be any objection to it.
Mr. WARREN of Cumberland: Mr..
President, l do not know what reasons
may have been brought before the jul
dietary committee for the enactment
of this bill. 1 was. however. a member
of the committee on interior waters
and the question came up there indi-
rectlv as Senator Milliken has stated.
and that condition was made In GER
tain charters that We're presented and
enacted this year. That was done. how
ever, in that committee against my
protest. see no reason why this bill
should pass. 1t Is restrictive legisla-
ton. believe that it IS inexpedient and
will do us harm. We have fortunately