Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-06

people will receive your careful consd
Grafton. l hope that your action in these
self to\ali thoughtful. sober-ininded citi-
zcns. The state of Maine has before 1t
"A rich and splendid future Wonderfully
nasSss ours oesve that
the near future is full of promise for
Maine and that during the next 10 years
wealth and population than has ever
taken place during like period In our
history.
perity, but legislation can do much to
encourage thrift and enterprise equalize
opportunities. SAFEGUARD investments and
protect legitimate business. Maine ought
to he and eventually will be a great man.
ufacturing state. Our water powers
must he developed and our transrorta-
ton facilities Increased. Maine needs
more miles of railroads. steam and cleo
trio. Every facility should be afforded
for their building. Development Of our
water powers should be encouraged The
advance of science has made it possible
to utilize many water powers hitherto
| inaccessible by transmitting them, over
electe nE, Pne p9n aove fayorasle to
tracing the attention of industrial and
financial interests. Undeveloped they are
| worthless, developed thew will support
population many times as large as that
now within our borders.
Much has been said with regard to the
| conservation of these powers. Ihey
l
| ton lies in using them. not in letting
them lie idle Our water powers can on,
| ly be made valuable by being developed
| by private enterprise and capital me
State will never. as a State. develop a
single water power. build a single Stof-
age dam or erect single power station;
We welcome those who come in good
| faith 10 invest capital in making these
powers an aid to industry. sfhe specula-
| tor who asks privileges of the State sim
ply that he may dispose OF snem ot az an
desire to conduct business enterprises
| should receive no consideration at our
hands. but the estimate i business ma. man
| r'ent. In granting charters. however. 70
companies desiring to develop " water ter
| powers. you should insist on certain re-
| strictionS. The power should not be car
| ried out of the state. Maine should be
great manufacturing State. not merely
power station.
Rights of existing companies must be
i considered in granting charters TO com
panies engaged in new Development.
Vested rights should not stand In the
| complished without injury to present In
vestments, \ state which does not pro.
| tect the property of its citizens fails OF
| one of its important purposes.
| Manv Of the contests between new com,
panies desiring to do business and old
| companies occupying in whole or IN part
| the field which attracts the newcomer
might be settled outside of the Legisla-
| ture if We had in Maine nuhlic utilities
commission. and ! suggest that you con-
slider the advisa biltv of establishing one
| The present railroad commission could
| be abolished and its powers conferred
| upon the new board in addition to such
other powers as would be granted it.
| Valuable Business Assets.
| While new resources are being devel-
| opod and new avenues of business ac-
tivity opened up we should not forget the
| value of the older and mora fully deNet-
oped resources of our State nor neglect
to increase their value. Our tm6etianas
| are of immense and growing value. not
| only to the owners but to the general
public. Our State system OF fire protec-
| ton should he perfected and extended.
Fire has destroyed more timber In Maine
| than has ever been removed by the AK
| and the saw. and while it is not possible
| to entire-- prevent forest fire 1t Is posi-
| BILE to reduce the fire risk to minimum.
Our coast fisheries are If enormous
| value. They constitute a business asset
which, properly conserved. need not be
| diminished in thousand years They
| have attracted entirely too little atten-
| ton in the past. statutes designed to
| protect them have been loosely drawn
| and still more earelessly enforced.
The State agricultural department. will
justify its existence If it can succeed in
| interesting our farmers in conserving
their lands and in developing this great
and important industry to the limit of its
possibilities. There can be waste in agri-
| culture as well as in forestry. and while
| Horticulture is the corner stone of the
present prosperity of our state. when
compared with what 1t might be, 1t is in
| its infancy.
| Maine ought not to depend upon the
| beef trust for a pound of meat. We
| ought to raise enough for our own con-
| sumption. We should be Independent of
| the whole world so far as any product of
| the soil which our climate permits us to
grow IS concerned and every encourage
| ment possible TO make US so should be
| extended to the farmer.
| Legislation of especial interest to tho 20
who labor in our mills and factories
shonld be undertaken by you. Our laws
| relating to child labor need revision and
| after being revised should be enforced
The present employers liability law needs
| radical amendment. The law concerning
| the attachment of wages by trustee pro-
/ cess should be changed IN the hands
of interruptions attorneys this law, as it
now stands. Is source of hardship to
| the Door and is of little real use to
| creditors.