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

that we should put on a like bas;, =,
term Of office Of the commisstona, ''s
public va ks, and it is for that ~ VI
that the oil has been introduced Nv
CITY cou lc Of Portland has not
mended but i think the bill roaa.-
with th' DproVaI or the city Of d..
land.
Mr.. RI sDS of Portland: Mr. s,..,.
err it Sc to me that some one ~
wants to 1t The street department 49,"
into poll g; 1t is out If politics 49,
and our edeceasors Of two Years a..
took it o. OF ponies. ! have here w..
papers, Republican and the CTR
Democrat ooth OF which are onnos.,
to this b There Is string to II -
that the or may be able to roako
machine II this. This bill puts ~
commissiC In the position Of 4 c,.,,.
for the n :, and the mayor can rna
the thing political machine NJ
do we wal legislate here because Nv.
man want be Il political boss Of ~.
city Of Ps and? don't think VIC do
and theref move to indefinitely noe,
pone then
Mr.. BIG = OW: Mr.. Speaker, il the =,
lection to q is bill is as to thu ebay. ~.
that is mi ~ in the original bin CHS"
ing the method Of the appointmsnt
the superintendent Of streets. uo,,,,
ask the gentleman if he would AGRA. =.
withdraw his motion providing that 49,,
is stricken out and merely the ter,, y.
office is changed?
NV DnJrNnS. rrbo
of public works has only another vss.
to serve and then it will be VERY No. w..
time for the next Legislature 70 ~.
next Legislature sees fit to maka on
changes / think it would be an riah,
to do it. / think we have had cb.na.
enough for this year.
Mr.. DAVIES Of Yarmouth. ".
Speaker, the Portland delegation bon.
reported favorably on various hin,
which provide for fiveyear tenure NJ
office of various servants. the electri.
clan. certain members of the polica do
partment, and some others 7, M,
stated by the gentleman from po,-
land (Mr. Rounds) in discussing ina
matter Il few days ago that the mr.
pose of it was to get these denar.
ments out Of politics. Now. the com
missioner of public works I hapn4n "a
know is a very efficient servant. bs
is one Of the most efficient servants n.
the municipal government of the CITY
Of Portland. and he is so considered
and | believe that the gentleman fran
Portland (Mr. Beyer) said that thin
bill was introduced into the Sonata
at the instance of the mayor, who han.
pens to be q Republican Now. think
it is nothing more than fair. if this
Legislature is going to make the ten.
ure Of office of these various officials
in Portland five years FOR the purpose
of putting them out Of politics, it is
perfectly fair to make an efficient ser.
want like the commissioner of public
works a servant for five years with all
the others: and | don't know why he
should be initiated against if the DUR
pose is to take the entire municipal
system. so far as it can be done out
of politics. The gentleman from Port
! land (Mr. Bigelow) offers to have this
bill amended so that it shall be Just
like the others, and | hope that the
gentleman from Portland (Mr Rounds)
will be willing to accept that amend
ment
Mr.. REDLON: Mr. Speaker leaving
| the question of politics out of the dis
! cusSion for the time being and looking
at the matter in a fair way wish to
say that it was the intention of the
delegation from Portland. some Of Us
,t In ~
| office Of these officials that are recon-
mended to us by the council Of the
| city of Portland permanent. But we
failed to agree upon that, and If we
had not failed to agree the office OF
commissioner of public works would
have been included in that proposition
| That is to say. the chief of the fire de.
partment, the chief of police, commits
sioner of public works. city electrician
we endeavored to get appointed for life
| or during good behaviour. That we
found it impossible TO agree upon
Then the question of this commissions
of public works came up and we found
that he was the first man who was
appointed for a term of years, when
three years. We compromised on
five year term for the restof them, and
it occurred to the members of this dee'
cation that the difference between three
years and five years was so slight tha'
it hardly made any difference and So
we left the Office of commissioner OIL
public works as it was. The delesa'
ton in talking this thing over loon
that into consideration: also they LOON
into consideration the fact that there
is before the citizens of Portland III
several different forms Il city char'e'
which will. probably be agreed upon
and will be Presented to the heM
Legislature, and the delegation took lh'o
account the fact that undoubtedly these
officers, all of them would be compllieu
or considered under this new ci"
charter, and ina way that would nahe
them more equal. And under 'h'se
conditions l hope that the movement
make this Office five years instead
three will be Indefinitely postponed
The question being on the motion u
indefinitely postpone the bill. diVis''"
was called for.
A division was had
Mr.. Bigelow moved that the yeas anu
nays be ORDERED.
The motion Mas lost. Il,
The SPEAKER: The Chair WI"
declare the vot Forty-two voted II
the affirmative and 40 in the nesa''.'
SO the molten to indefinitely pos'-
pOne the bill was carried.