Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-06

| The question of the probable length
of the present session of the Legisla-
ture is beginning to be discussed
among the members and officials. The
general impression prevails that it viii
either be one of the longest sessions
| for half century or else the measures
| as soon as they arc all in will be rush
| ed through House and Senate to final
passage by the leaders of the majority
party at breakneck speed. without Civ
ing time for debate or proper consid-
GRAFTON of the measures. and the law
makers will hurry home week or two
in advance of two years ago.
Five weeks of the legislative session
have passed and to date but one meas
ure has received the signature of Gov
ernor Plaisted and that one an emer-
gency measure, the temporary loan re-
solve. which was signed by him, Jan.
Il. Not single measure has been
passed to be engrossed or finally pass
ed and thus far but very few commit
tee reports have been received The
memorial to Congress in regard to the
| monument to John Paul Jones came
within an ace of being passed to be
| engrossed last week, but after it got
wv " ttlt tIlSIoSSlIiS UtpdE lllltII
| there was found to be some flaw in
the resolve as drawn and it was re-
ferred back to the committee on fed
eral relations to be redrafted. The de-
| lay in the work of the session is ac-
counted for in part by the fact that
according to the rule adopted at the
present session all bills and resolves
calling for the appropriation of money
| have to be referred by the other COM
| mittees with their recommendations
\ to the committee OH appropriations
| and financial affairs. which serves to
delay them a week or more.
At the close of the fifth week ot the
| 74th Legislature Governor Fcrnald had
| signed three public bills, two private
and special acts and nine resolves and
sufficient bills had been put on their
| way To passage during that week so
| that at the end of the sixth week II
resolves, two private and special acts
aud five public laws were in shape so
that they received the Governors sig
nature.
Last week saw the end of the intro
duction of private and special acts, the
refusal of the House to extend the time
beyond Feb. | bringing in on Wednes-
day 24O House measures and 40 SEN
ate measures, grist Of, legislation
from which it will take the committees
| a long time To recover. SO far as can
be learned the greater part of the inn
portant legislation of a public nature
| is already although number Of i'm
portant measures are being consider
ed in various quarters which are likely
| to be put in shape before the end of
| the session. Among them il said to
| be bill to codify the entire mass of
| legislation relating to sea and shore
fisheries. This general fisheries bill is
being drafted in an island town and
according to report the interests of the
seiners and packers will by no means
be overlooked in it.
| Wednesday of this week will be re-
submission day in the Senate. 1t will
lack some of the pcturesqueness of
the rcsubmission debate in the Senate
OF two years ago for there are not as
many good speakers in the Senate as
| in the Legislature of 1909, but Senator
Staples may be depended upon to
speak in favor Of the majority report
OF the committee on temperance in fa-
vor of the measure while the adverse
minority report will call forth in its
| defence speeches from Senator Irving
and Senator Milliken.
Practically all of the committees are
now at work and many important
hearings are assigned for the coming
week. The committee on judiciary
| will give a hearing Tuesday afternoon
upon the act relating to the tenure of
office of the members Of the Augusta
fire department. This bill provides
| that the members and officers of the
| fire department shall be continued in
service unless removed for cause or
retired on arriving at an age limit to
be determined by the city council. It
is claimed by the proponents of the
measure that it will keep the fire de-
partment out of politics, but there are
others, who believe they see a great
\ deal of politics in the measure itself
and it is likely to meet with some OPP
position. Uniform legislation VII be
the keynote of the hearings scheduled
for Wednesday afternoon before the
judiciary committee, the measures as
signed for that day being, act relating
to uniform laws for marriage and
divorce, act establishing uniform law
with that of other states in regard to
negotiable instruments. act referred