Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-30

Everybody knows that no going concern
is free from current Indebtedness on the
| urSt of January. The State of Maine has
always owed money the first of Jan
uary. | want to instance this SOS 900 for
| pensions that has been talked about. Every
| body knows that those payments come in
not until December thirty-frs 10 offset
| the taxes from the town.
Taking the question it is put up to
| us. admitting deficit of million dollars
| | want to compare the action of the last
! Legislature with the action of this Legisla-
| urc in session. The last LEGISLATURE.
| and any gentleman who wants to 20 through
| the resolves of the last session can verify
| this, appropriated S1,29l.S97 IS for new
| buildings
Mr.. FOSS OF Androscoggin Mr.. President
What has this to do with new buildings?
The PRESIDENT: As | understand the
Senator. he is trying to show the condition
| of the State, and show where the State can
afford this commission.
Mr.. MlLLIKEN: Mr. President: know
| that this is very dstastcful. but | will be
through in a moment. wish to show that
the State of Maine can afford a public utility
commission. | said that the last LEGISLATURE
appropriated for new buildings 81 294s9TsS
This Legislature has appropriated nothing
for new buildings, except that II is going
to permit the University of Maine to build
some new buildings 10 rent to the faculty.
tMr. BOYNTON in the Chair)
Suppose you were doing business and
your manager came to you and said, In
| these two years | have economical and
have saved $1,000 goo. have done better
than in the last two years by that amount
and you say, is il not true that in the
last two years you built 81 100000 worth
of new buildings. and in the present two
years you have built none9" He says yes
but | have economical You will say TO
him that in figuring economy you must bal
ance the value of the new buildings against
the expenditures This Legislature by de-
Ginning to expend anything for new build
ings has offset in that particular alone as
compared with the last legislature more
than the deficit handed down by the last
Legislature. The last LEGISLATURE appro-
,, priated nothing for that purpose and has
referred them to the next Legislature for
payment. The last Legislature appropriated
Sla3'165 for roads and bridges in the
various cities and towns throughout this
state for repairs and construction mean
OUTSIDE OF the genera. appropriation for
roads. This Legislature has taken the no.
sition that except in very few small cases
nothing should be spent for this purpose In
other words. the total amount appropriated
by the last Legislature for purposes for
which this Legislature has appropriated
nothing. is S1.i99 .O67.53. In other words
this Legislature has deliberately voted to
appropriate nothing in response to requests
for these three things namely, new buildings.
pauper claims. and for roads and bridges,
In addition TO that. what has this Leeis-
lature done? It has cut down to the lowest
possible notch all the State benetciaries
and in many hospital aud charitable in
situations has inflicted severe and unneces-
sary hardship in so doing
Mr.. FOSS of Androscoggin: Mr. Presi-
dent: ! submit that the gentleman Is out
of order, and move that this be indefinitely
postponed
The PRESIDENT: Will the Senator per-
init me to suggest TO the Senator from
Androscoggin that the Senator from Aroos-
took be allowed TO proceed.
Mr.. MTLLIkEN: Mr. President: II
am saying anything that is not true. the
Senator from Knox is fully competent to
cofrece me- ~ 7
Senate, have shown that. assuming that this
Legislature had been bequeathed a debt os
million dollars, it has avoided the re-
| sponsibility. for some reason has no.
elected to make appropriations for DIR
poses for which the last Legislature ammo
priated $1,500OO0
In comparing the expenditures of tho
two sessions to find out where we will
come out in the matter we must take
that into consideration
In other words, subtracting the million
dollars deficit from the million and five
hundred thousand dollars raised by the
last Legislature for purposes for which
we have raised nothing, leaves us half a
million dollars better off than they were.
assuming that our other expenditures arc
not greater. In addition to this we have
increased the revenue enough to amount
to 100000 in the two years. making a
total of 100000 gained over the last Leg
islature.
You say, how are we coming out on
the question of whether we can afford a
public utilities commission or not? 1 had
intended to say something else about the
program carried out here, but in defer
ence to the suggestion of the various sen.
ators 1 will deny myself that privilege
What about the public utilities bill itself?
alluded to it as the last piece of wreck
age. The rest has gone over to the next
Legislature, the ballot law and other
things talked so much about have all
been put off. The Legislature has taken
the position that these were not necessa-
~ or that this Legislature IS not capable
of enacting them
What about the public utilities bill? 1
hoped that whatever was done, or was
not done, that the public utilities bill