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

Upper St. John River Log Driving
Company.
Mr.. HERSEY of Houlton said: Mr.
Speaker, If the House will turn to
Senate Document No. g. they will find
the bill under discussion.
Mr. HASTINGS: With the 2rLtle-
mans permission | want 10 make one
correction. Senate Document O. vas
the original bill. Tho one which We
are now discussing is in a new draft
whereby the improvements that We're
asked for in Bill CT, such as building
dams and building piers and building
abutmentS, We're eliminated, in order
not to bias the situation that exists
now either for or against any agree
ment which the State Of Maine or the
Province of New Brunswick might ar
i've atm other words there is nothing
i'll the present charter as proposed to
turn the waters, 10 create any stor-
ages or to alter the natural conditions
in the least. II is simply to aid III the
driving of the logs under the present
condition of things. In the origna! till
ii proposed to build these storage dams
but they are all cut out Of the rs
draft.
Mr.. HERSEY: Mr.. Speaker | THANK
the gentleman, for his explanation
which understood myself but call
attention to the bill that you may get
the general idea. 1t simply asks that
the Upper st. John Log Driving Com
pany may be incorporated for the pur
pose of driving a portion OF the Sd.
John river. This is no octopus. 1t is
simply a necessity to the numbering in
ferQ n Maine I nch n
that you may understand the situation
as ! understand 1t. de- not know
much, Mr.. Speaker. about sea and
shore fisheries. l do not butt in" when
anything of that kind comes up, but
when 1t comes to the county Of ArooS-
took and its rivers and its water pow
ers and its forests, its lakes and
streams, know them ALL know
every lumberman in the county.
know her business men. | am first
and last for the protection Of the in
terests OF tho people of my State and
my county. 4 situation has arisen on
tbs river which demands the thought
fui attention of the legislators Of this
body
The St. John river is a great river
which rises in Somerset county, it
WV I'll OHtli II DStbiIltS Will llit
Allagash and the other tributaries a
mighty river and the boundary be-
tween Maine and New Brunswick
At Van Buren, eight years ago was
established and built large lumber
plant owned and called the Van Buren,
Lumber Company, plant erected at
a cost of a quarter OF a million. Il
modern mill, employing a good many
hands. That company has enlarged
its plant. spent a great deal of money
in the building of piers and sorting
gaps and even placed electrical power
upon its sorting gaps so that the work
may be done even by night. 1t is 4
great interest there on the American
side. 1t is great interest for the
state of elaine. for the manufacture
of lumber, American lumber that
comes down that mighty river. Be-
fore the building of that mill Amer
lean lumber was cut on the upper wa
tiers of the st. John, went down the
81. John river to st. John, was man
ufactured at st. John and shipped
TO the states, duty free. AS you see
American lumber on the American side
from the State of Maine shipped up-
on the St John river to St John and
there manufactured, came into the
State, duty free under our treaty. So
IL was for the interest of New Bruns-
wick that they should control abso-
lutely the st. John and its waters and
deprive Maine of it's great benefits of
tina. river and of the manufacture of
lunber. After the building of this
great mill the interest divided. there
was contest between Maine lum.
bermen, Maine mill owners. and The
Provincial men, what is known a:
the Stetson and Cutler Company ant
the Gushing Company Of st. John
large luinbermen in the control of tbs
lumber on the upper st. John. There
was organized some 20 years ago 4
log driving company known as the
Madawaska Log Driving Company. II
commenced To drive logs from the
junction OF the Allagash with the St
John for some - miles down to Van
Buren, and for 20 years has driven
The river. corporation iIenticaily
like the one asked for in this charter
For 20 years, that corporation, a mu-
tual corporation. composed of the lun :
berInen upon that river as this is
composed of the lumbermen upon the
river has given eminent satisfaction
1t takes the drives al the junction
~ the AilagaSh with the 81. John an,
drives Them down, drives them dow
10 Van Buren, where the lumber !,
sorted and the Van Buren, Lumbel
Company takes out its lumber am
the rest goes TO St. John. 1t is pro
posed in this bill to give "A charte
70 the lumbermen on the upper st
I.)fn 10 drive their lumber n mile
farther up above the mouth of tn
Ailagash, down where the Madawask
Driving Company connects-in othe
words extend its driving company b.
another company 10 miles farther Ii
the great =. .ols, t!seG' 1sy'eoras.i 10,
ing interests upon that river .hos
who are operators upon the river