Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-22

this morning in one Of the papers that
Maine gave away. years ago, her vast
domain of timber lands and now was
asked to give away her last great as
set. What was Maine asked to give
away. my friends? Has the law of
riparian ownership been repealed Is
it possible that mtu Who own lands
on both sides OF the Kcnncbcc river
are So placed that they cannot build
Il dam across it? What was Maine
asked to give away" Anything Why
so good lawyer as the Hon. Herbert
NJ Heath fighting this charter before
the committee with everything at his
command, said t. Mr.. Hartman at the
first hearing in the Senate Chamber,
that this company needed no charter
but could organize under the general
law. Here is company that could
organize and cperat" under the general
law, and yet it is said when it asks
for an opportunity t. operate that it
was asking for something worth a
million or $5,00o.0o0 from Maine. Think
it over a minute. Their" could hay"
been but two reasons Why that charter
needed to be a special charter at all.
! could see no reason myself why
everything that Charttr ask"d for could
not come under tn" general law. There
could be but two reasons for a special
charter. one was tho question of a
corporation organized under tn" mill
act having right I" raise great
pond That was a question put up
That would not tax" anything rom
Maine, would it? Not q thing. The
other VAS thu question: Of the right Of 4
corporation organized under tn mill
act flowing u public let: and b,.a1ls"
w there on Mnxic Cor, they discover
ed $40 acres or 50 of puhlic land. til"
state having sold the timber and grass
and owning nothing hut the soil which
Is absolutely worthless and which never
brought a cent Of income to Maine and
never can. they said tAcy were taking
IA million dollars worth Of property
out If the state Of Naiir Nuw. think
of u, We lave bnaSt.d for years Of
III" wealth of our water powers. We
have said that we had in our Water
powers wealth NOR" in.Xlaustiblc than
tn" mines OF Pennsylvania or Colord-
do. We said We had 4 right To- bring
within our boardcrS NOT 15o.Vnu Icu-
pie but ten inillion people if We harness
uUr water powers and make them do
oIr work. and yet WHEN there comes
an opportunity to do Il portion Of that
Development gentlemen stand up and
say. no. YOU must not harness That
water powcr." Why? HBecaus. If you
do You Y i'll Hood Gao acres Of land tia.
ia, stat" has long ago parted with the
growth on and which it has absolute
Is no uso FOR" When You anaiyzc that
argument ! think You won't find much
in it. But Il is said thu STATE could
sill the franchise for a million dollars.
To whom" When they lad sold the
franchise. who is going to take In"
Land belonging to the people Who stand
for ,nc k.nnebec Dam charter" Is
their Land the States Are their ripa-
rim rights to be sacrificed? Certainly
not: and the men talking that either
know that they arc talking absurd
nonsense or they ought to.
Til, opposition to tbs charter has
not come from public motives. When
has il had back of it u particle Of sin
cern sentiment | heard TIE arg,lme nts
before TIE committee | saw thoS"
true-IcafteI patriots representing the
Central Maine Power Company, Tn"
Portland Consolidated Electric Com
pany and the LibbeV & Dingley Com
pany, shocked TO death Tor fear that
somebody "as going to got a corpor-
alton franchise. | listened /" their ar
eumrnt. T rocollect that my friend
MHrphN from Portland on t.,
Eth or March tabled bill il
the interest Of the Portland Con
solidated Electric Company which
gives TO that Company more power ten
times over than ever the Kennebec Dam
and Reservoir Company could give to any
body. and yet the Company wa shocked
beyond measure that any Legislature and
especially a Democratic Legislature. should
charter cnryoratiun listened 10 the
arguments of the Central Maine Power Com
pany. | remember when, feeble and poor
that Company cam" to this Legislature
asking for what" Asking for an ineor
poration in order that il might compete
on even terms with the existing company
in the city OF Waieryillc. NJ that time
il came here believing in competition and
praying 10 hc sent out where II could ,io
the public good. II did compete With tht
existing company. Through the energy and
business foresight of its managers it be
came strong and powerful Il absorbed
other companies. II says in his advertising
and its literature that il controls the
electric business from Dexter and Bling
ham on The north to Richmond gu the
South. Il controlled the whole K"nnebe-
valley: and having grown that strong
having put before the Legislature a Bin
10 consolidate it, various propert"s, hay
ing grown w 10 4 point where il carried
million dollars OF water in it storh. then
il became avcrSe 10 competition and il stood
W. mere and fought Tor what? The rights Of
The public to save the public rights, Now.
gentlemen. apply thai minute. You are
not going TO develop electricity SO il can
be carried out of Maine, are you? you
are not going 70 do that. You are not going
- develop electricity according; to the YER
dict OF this Legislature So II can b. used
in competition with anybody in Maine. are
YOU! Well my friends then you are not
Going TO develop it at all. and the water
powers on the Mooschead and on the Pc
nobscot as worthless as the newspaper
hold in my hand. tApplau5e. }
You are obliged to develop your water
pDWprS and nSa them ,.ithnr i'm Main,