Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-04-01
Saturday, April I, 1911.
Has the Legislature "Made Good?"

Has the Legislature "Made Good?"
On another page of this issue will
be found resume of the work of the
session. After making a careful study
of this summary we are led to inquire
whether or not 1t shall be designated
as a do nothing" session. Yet, when
We consider that more than 100 meas
ures have been referred to the next
Legislature we cannot declare that the
lawmakers have not been active along
some lines-namely? storing up trouble
for the 18th session. AS large num-
Der of the measures referred are re-
solves for pauper claims and for aid
in small towns for maintaining bridges.
il is easy to see where the Democratic
economy Legislature made its strong
est bid towards making good There
were of course several measures of
State wide Importance. among them
being what was announced to be the
Governors pet, the public utilities bill,
Also there were two bills for the dis
tribution of the school fund, the bill
to incorporate the kennebec Dam &
Reservoir Co. touching which Mr.. Pat
tangall objected to the humorous ref
erence of the press as THE Beast"
There were many others of Importance,
a full list of which will be found in the
news columns.
But the partys promises in regard
to liquor legislation were neither for
gotten nor referred. The Legislature
not only passed the resolve resuARit-
ting the fifth amendment to the state
Constitution which forbids the manu-
facture and sale of intoxicating liquors
within the State to the people, but it
also repealed the so-called Sturgis law
and abolished the liquor agency system, |
as well as the law giving the Cover
nor the power to remove delinquent
county attorneys. 1t also defeated a |
bill providing for Jail sentences in all |
convictions of infractions of prohibit !
tory law. i
The majority party has carried outI
its promises regarding economy in
State expenditures along certain lines,
selves to the conviction that the PEG
pie of Maine will be highly pleased !
with the course these economies have
assumed. The most notable cutting
down has been in the appropriations
for institutions in which the State has
reason to take pride and desire to
appropriations have been so small as to
seriously impair the usefulness of the
institutions. At the same time claims
which mean a great deal to many
country towns have been referred to
the next Legislature. In striking con-
trast to these economies have been the
provisions for offices to be filled by the
Democratic administration.
II the 18th Legislature has made
good it has been along the line of
refusing to do lot of things in the
way of constructive legislation which
Democratic leaders had promised and
They have not readiusted the tax sys-
tenn as they had pledged to do, but
they have fixed the mill rate so cum
ningly as to avail themselves of IL
mills taxation in the two years OF
Democratic incumbency. Taxes COM
ing one year behind the rate named
the benefit of the five-mill rate pro-
vided by the Republicans. They have
provided for a six-mill rate which they |
are pleased to explain is for the year
1911 but which will be available in the |
year 1912. They have provided for a |
fourmill rate for 1912 which will be |
next Republican administration, thus
giving themselves the advantage of 5 |
and mills respectively for the two |
years of Democratic administration, |
and leaving but four mills and prom |
ised Democratic surplus at the end
OF their incumbency.
With this record at the end of the
unlucky 18th week. the first Democratic
Legislature in half a century goes to
the people for judgment as to whether
it has made made good"
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