Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-30
STRONG OPPOSITION TO
PUBLIC UTILITIES BILL
And Kennebec Water Power Project--Much
Speculation Regarding Measures Affect
ing w., w. & F. Railroad==Important
Labor Legislation introduced.

The hearings before the legislative
committees with the opening Monday
of the fourth week of the session Will
Begin 10 assume great Importance and
Will be followed with even more inter-
est than the sessions of the Legisla-
ture, for it is in the committees that
tie more important measures are thor
oughly threshed out before coming
back to the Senate and House for ac-
ton.
The most important committee hear
ing scheduled for this week is that be-
fore the committee on temperance at
7. NJ. Wednesday. In addition to re-
Submission, the act to repeal the Stur-
gis law and the act for the abolish
ment of the liquor agencies are also
assigned for consideration at this time.
l. is not likely that the hearing on
these three measures will be eonelud-
ed on Wednesday and that day will
perhaps be the first day of a great tenn
perance festival which will extend over
at least two days and possibly more.
The observation-disclosures are not going
to let the proposed amendment go
through the committee by default. The
biggest fight Will be over reSubmisSiOn
but remonstrants will also appear be
fore the committee both on the bill to
repeal the Stursis law ana the bill to
abolish the liquor agencies.
An officer OF the Christian Civic
League recently informed Republican
members OF the House that the tenn
perance advocates would make the
usual fight before the committee and
IL ih1., would nj = -
Gus than ever before. An effort will ia
made to place fact and argument
enough before the committee to make
il necessary for the committee to r.
port against the evidence il they pOr:
in favor ol the bill. X is undf rstood
that the Democratic leaders having
constituted the temperance commits
tee 50 as Ia be sure To get reports fla
VOrablo to the rum program of the
dominant party. thought That the tom-
rerancs. advocates would let the hear
ing go by default and make whatever
fight there was to be made in the
House or before the people in the next
campaign. so that it dispensed with
clerk and stcnographer and assigned
all three matters for hearing on a SIM
gle afternoon. But it is safe to say
that there will he stenographers at that
hearing whether the committee pays
them or not and that the speeches by
the advocates of temperance before
the committee will be printed and used
freely among the people in the COM
ing campaign.
The Democratic members nj the COM
mittee on temperance are Senators
nr I inn1In bod Af *
nebec and Representatives Miller Of
Hartland, Alvah Snow OF Brunswick.
Allen of Jonesboro. Lambert of orono
and Ross Of Bangor. while the Repub-
lican members are Senator Irving OF
Aroostook and Representatives Quinn
by of Turner and Benn of smyrna
The committee on judiciary will give
a hearing Tuesday upon the bill intro
duced in the opening days of the SEES
sion by Representative Hersey OF
Houlton providing for n new ballot
law similar to that in operation III
Massachusetts. The Davies bill for
public utilities commission referred
from the last Legislature will be Civ
en- hearing Wednesday before the
committee on judiciary unless it is re-
assigned SO that it may be heard later
with the Pattangall- Scates act, Wllch
is the. public utilities measure approx
ed by the Democratic caucus held last
week. For the same day is assigned the
bill presented by Senator Osborn OF
Somerset for the regulation of electric
power companies and all persons or
corporations dealing in electric power
or electricity in the State. The bill In
troduced by Senator Moulton of Cum
berland amending the present law re-
lating to the registration Of physicians
and surgeons has been assigned for n
hearing Friday by the same commit
tee.
The Hall juvenile court bill referred
from the last Legislature is assigned
for hearing Tuesday afternoon before
the committee on judiciary. A number
of netitions have already been present
ed in favor of this bill and it Is prob
able that its author, Willis Il. Hall of
Caribou will be present to defend the
measure The legal affairs committee
will also hear on the same day anoth-
or measure referred from the last Leg
islature, the bill for the licensing OF
plumbers. which is likely to bring OUT