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

| 1t Is Il matter at common kunWledct
| that i'll mdnN sections OF the state,
! AMONG those whose habit it Is to SCH
| liquor contrary to law, there is Il cea-
| erdl feeling that there * an easing up
! IN The matter of thu prohihitory law
and that thor opportunities for doing
| business are enlarged.
TIE majority party has endorsed TIN.
| repeal of the prohibterN amendment
| To tn" Constitution and has set in mo-
! ton the ma chincry for it's repral, and
| las offered nothing in its place There
| Is no suggestion as To what would be
offered in its place. While everyone
knows that tire change in the Const!-
| tuition Will not make any change in
the laws, yet without other laws il
would leave the whole matter in un.
| certainty That is one thing that has
| been done at this session.
Through most of the session. eXeept
the time occupied in that program. We
| have been hesicged with the sugges-
tion of economy. We We're told in the
campaign that there WAS Il serious reeu
of economy. | want for Il few min
utes to outline what has been done
IN the departments at this session We
were told III the campaign that there
WIS serious nee'j of economy in tn
management OF the state departments.
That the election of the prest mt ma
Jority party to power would result
III the turning out OF Il vast hoard
of employees here in the State House
] believe myself. and | have said II
before - of
at this present session. that there is
an opportunity to economize IN the
State departments
l waited at the opening of this session
for several weeks for some definite move
to be made in that direction and nothing
being done | introduced an order. that
was passed. specifically directing the COM
mittee on appropriations and financial af-
fairs to consider that point and report To
this Legislature any economies that in
their judgment could be made | submit
from reading the appropriation bills, that
no very drastic economies have been
made along those lines You know what
changes have been made We CONSOLIDATE
ed the department of factory inspection
with the department of labor. If the bills
go through in the present form there will
be an additional expense. In any event
no considerable economy is promised.
The other propose an of consolidating
the fish and gar - artment and the
sea and shore ifs went over to the
next Legislature. -..ere was special
committee appointed at this session to in
vestigate the financial condition of the
State. That committee WAS not charged
with suggesting economies at this session.
and when the motion was made In the
House to have an amendment adopted
providing for report that could he made
at this session the majority leader in
the House objected They have had am
pie time to make such an investigation
and report it here. The investigation has
been delayed and the purpose is to pro-
tract it through the interim and have 1t
for the next campaign. | was anxious to
have the report that we might work upon
it.
If conditions exist which were alluded
to in the campaign before the opening of
this Legislature. | submit that the Legis-
lature should have been kept i'll session
until the first of June if necessary, to
correct those errors and make the neces-
sary economies. There was great deal
said before the opening of the Legisla-
ture, and in the campaign. about trustees
of institutions borrowing money without
authority 1t was said that the present
administration would require that to be
stopped. That is stopped, as understand
it, but not in the proper way 1t ought to
have been stopped and that is by chang
ing the fiscal year to end June GOTH
There is a hiatus between January l
and July 1 that should have been rene
died That has not been done, and no
suggestion has been made that VIII make
the borrowing of money unnecessary.
What has been done? 1t has simply
been arranged so that money cannot be
borrowed on notes, and institutions are
owing bills to tradesmen.
Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr. President,
I wish to ask what motion is before the
house at this time?
The PRESIDr.Nr: will state that
perhaps the senator is not talking direct
ly to the motion.
Mr.. STAPLES: Mr. President. rise to
a point of order, and it is that the senator
from Aroostook shall confne himself to
the question before the Senate. IL ne
wants to let down the bars l am willing.
Mr.. MlLLlk EN- MI ITeSiueh'- .iiii'N
I shall make this plain before get
!. through. l know 1t is distasteful to the
Senator from Knox. | wish to say here,
with the permission of the Senator from
Knox, that one of the arguments against
this Bill is the fact that the State is I'M
able to afford the establishment of this
commission.
Before coming to the Bill l want to ex-
anime into the expenditures OF the State,
II the Senator from Knox will permit me.
1t is claimed that a deficit of million
dollars was handed over to this administra-
ton by the last. 1t is said, and every
body knows IL is true, that part of this
was in unpaid bills. believe that the
actual deficit will be approximately $780,
| 900. made up of 100000 temporary loan
/ and something like 100000 of unpaid bills
that we have to care for. There
certain number Of unpaid bills on the first
of ;janary, and those having, been dis
covered a great hew and tfy has been made
about 1t.