The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-04-06
Men and Things at Augusta.

At the morning session of the house, Marc]
18th, two veto measures were received from
Governor Plaisted and both were sustained b,
large majorities. One of the vetoes was OF
the act which provided that persons nigh
voluntarily 60 to either of the insane hospital
Tor treatment. The governor objected to thi
on the ground that it would oblige the hospi
tails, already crowded with State patients, tx
take in private patients. which cannot very
well be done under present conditions. The
other veto was on the act legalizing game anG
fish farming in the State. The governor ex
planned that this measure would make possible
the establishment of great private game pre-.
serves in the State and deprive the people Of
their legally recognized rights of hunting and
fishing in the big woods of the State. The
vetoes were sustained
The Senate Wednesday afternoon voted
against woman suffrage. When the measure
came up in the upper branch women were con-
ssplcuous by their absence in the Senate Cham
Der. they are usually present at every ses-
sion, but it CHANGED that when this subject, in
/ which they are supposed TO be particularly in
terested In came to be voted upon none were
present. Senator Staples of Knox made his
biennial speech in favor of the measure The
vote was taken upon the motion to concur with
/ the House, which passed the bill this year, and
the motion was lost by vote of Is to 10.
Thursday morning, the House voted to recede
and concur with the senate in indefinitely post
poning the woman suffrage resolve.
The senate Wednesday morning, March 2eth,
after short debate, and by a very close vote,
reconsidered its previous action by which it
had substituted for the report Of the taxation
committee, fought not to pass" on the act re-
pealing the present law distributing to the
cities and towns one per cent. of the money
paid into the State treasury by railroad, tele-
graph and telephone companies, for the BILL
The senators from the larger cities and towns
in the State, regardless of party, voted for the
reconsideration, while the other senators from
smaller cities and towns voted against it. The
motion to reconsider was adopted by vote of
13 to IL. after which the motion was made by
Senator Noyes to refer the act to the next
legislature and it was so voted.
The resolve in favor of Canadian reciprocity
stands indefinitely postponed in both branches
of the Maine Legislature, according to the
ruling of Speaker Morey Wednesday after
noon in the House.
Thursday was day of kaleidoscope changes
in the Maine legislature, measures being re-
considered and positions reversed until most
of the members were dizzy in trying to keep
track of all that were being put through the
hopper at such high speed. The most impor-
tant shift of the day was on the income tax
proposition. At the forenoon session both
branches approved the bill offered by the tax
alton committee and providing for State tax
on income rather than federal. In the after
noon, however, both branches reconsdered
and adopted the federal tax resolve which pro-
vldes for an amendment to the federal consti-
tuition so that congress will have the undisput-
ed right to tax incomes.
The act relating to the compensation of JUS
tices of the supreme judicial court, which pro-
vides that justices who do not retire within 80
days after reaching the age of 70 years forfeit
the half pay upon which they are permitted to
retire was amended by Representative Peters
of Ellsworth as to extend the time in which
they may retire to one year and passed with
out opposition
The Senate, Thursday voted to adhere in
passing the public utilities bill, and as the
house has voted to adhere in referring the bill
to the next legislature the bill falls between
the two houses and simply fails of passage.
The tax rate for 1911 will be six mills and the
tax rate for 1912 four mills.
When the afternoon session of the senate
opened Thursday, on motion of Senator Boyn-
ton the amendment to the bill consolidating
the boards of trustees of the Maine insane
hospitals and the school for the feeble minded,
which provides that the trustees receive SIS per
day and expenses when actually employed, was
adopted. The bill and the amendment were
then passed.
The administration direct primaries bill,
which limits the application of the principle to
United States senators, congressman and the
governor, passed both branches of the legisla-
ture Thursday. The Davis primary bill, which
has much broader scope and includes State
officers and members of the legislature, was
turned down. AS the measure came before
the solons this winter on initiative petition
signed by 10000 voters, it will have to be re-
ferred to vote of the people under the refer
endum. The senate made as little ado in pass
ing the administration, or Pennell bill, as did
the house, and not voice was raised in oppo-
sition.
The 18th legislature adjourned sine die at
6.15 p. m. March 31st, and what members re-
manned, just enough to finish up the business,
scattered for their homes. The session opened
at a. and the odds and ends of business
required the whole day, although the branches
were in session but small part of the time.
The order of procedure was to devote about
five minutes to business then take recess un-
til more bills were ready for final action, put
them through and take another recess. The
acts and resolves were being engrossed, and as
fast as any were completed they were sent to
the body in which they originated and put
through the final form.
The farewell message from the governor re-
vealed the fact that 500 acts and 286 resolves
had received his approval. The two branches
received 698 bills and 352 resolves, total of
1850. Of these 101 were referred to the next
| legislature