Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-03

Aubw- TO go To Lake Auburn and
get a. : water but they came down
to the Legislature coo strong. and to-
day We own the best water system in
the State of Maine They have ar
sued that the idea of the city Of Lew
iston having municipal ice plant
is unconstitutional. The advocates of
this measure are perfectly willing TO
submit the question of constitutionality
tn the proper authority. They don't
want to rob anybody. they simply
want their rights, rights which nature
has blessed them. as ! have said. as
no other city in the State of Maine
is blessed with This is no party
measure. This is a local issue. and
gentlemen. il gives me pleasure t"
second the motion Of the gentleman
fro:n Augusta; and l move that the
rules be suspended ana that the bill
have its several readings and pass
to be engrossed at the present time.
Mr. PLCMMER OF Lisbon: Mr.
Speaker. is the bill open for discus
sion now
The SPEAKER: YES.
Mr.. PLUMBER: Mr.. Speaker.
have no objection to the passage OF
| this bill. | was unable to hear all
that the gentleman from Auburn said
about the matter. and ! noticed that
both he and the gentleman from Au-
gusta looked towards the setting sun
| rather than the rising sun when maxi
ing their remarks. | don't know
whether that was for the reason that
We on this side Of the House need
no instructions, or whether instruc-
tons would be wasted upon us. How
ever. il may be, those are the facts
Of the case. AS ] said before, l have
| no objection to the passage of this
bill. would like, however, to call
the attention Of the House to one
point in particular that | think was
| raised by the gentleman from Au-
| burn. I'havc here Il clipping from one
of the Lewiston papers which l would
! like to read
The city of LcWistons fight for i
municipal Zee plant which was started
| two years ago Was renewed Thursday
| before the judiciary committee. by
| rights and titles dating back many
years it Is claimed that one company
now has monopoly of all the availa-
| BILE or practical ice fields OH the An
| droscoggIn river and thus is able Il
| absolutely control competition III tn,
| business"
| That is the point to which / wisl
| to direct Your attention for just d
inmate. o. course l appreciate tho
| fact that perhaps Il foW of US here
may be considered extremely radica
on some points and hold views that
are considered by many Of the mem
bers to be fantastic, and perhaps they
| are, but they seem to be borne ou
| to some extent by the remarks %
the gentleman from Auburn and by
| the clipping from the paper. that The
foundation of monopoly consists in tl'
holding of land under our present ten
ure and that nobody else IN able 10 &c
at 1t to use it. l merely want to cal
attention to one remedy which VII
i always exist unless We alter or amenf
our constitution, and which can b.
| invoked by the people of tins stat
to suspend or put an end TO monopol.
at any time that it sees fit, and t
compel people either TO cut ice OF
the places that they hold or else T.
get off and let other people cut ic
who may wish to do SO, thus bring
ing into play the force of competi
ton. Section nine Of Article nine O
the Constitution of Maine says 9Th
Legislature shall never in any man
ner suspend or surrender the pow
ers Of taxation AS I said before
when you get ready to tax those thing
| YOU can get ice or any other produc
q at a fair price without bothering wit
: any such proposition Which in u
> long run | am inclined to think wi
=, tie a failure as municipal OWNERSHIP
. and operation of any enterprise whic
in its nature Is open to competition
The bill then received it's third readin
and was passed to be engrossed,
An Act to amend public laws in relate
:. to marking of historical sites, came fro
= the Senate recommitted to the committ'
on legal affairs.