Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-03-12
STATE soLoNs.
Legislative News of Interest to Han
cock County Readers

Ine MOUSE rELuAS Auueu the emergency
clause to the Bar Harbor automobile bill.
The bill was assigned for Wednesday in
the Senate.
The bill for close season for fishing in
Douglass or Williams pond, Bucksport,
was reported fought not to psss". The
report was accepted by the House.
The bill to change the name of the town
OF Eden to Bar Hsrbor has been reported
favorably by committee.
The resolve in favor OF new Verona
bridge was reported favorably Friday.
The bill TO amend law granting certain
powers t } the Hancock trustees of public
reservations, was reported adversely by
committee Monday.
The bill to incorporate the Sullivan
Sorrento Light & Power Co. was reported
favorably Monday.
The bill to amend the revised statutes
relating to boards of registration was re-
ported favorably, in new draft, Monday.
COMMITTEE HEARINGS.
The act giving the residents OF Stoning-
ton. Isle su Haut and Deer Isle the right
to have their legal business done in Rock
land. rather than in Ellsworth, was given
hearing before the legal affairs commit
tee Wednesday. Joseph Williamson, of
Augusta, appeared for the proponents of
the measure, and explained that while it
was very easy to reach Rockland from the
towns named by steamer, II is very difficult
and often dangerous to get to Ellsworth.
Rep. Harmon and DIR. B. l.. Noyes, OF S;on-
ington. also appeared in favor of the bill.
L. B. Deasy, OF Bar Harbor, County At
torney Graham, of Hancock county, and
Judge jerome Knowles, of Northeast Har-
Dor, opposed the bill.
MATTERS OF GENERAL INTEREST.
The resolve providing for the amend
ment to the constitution giving women OF
Maine the right to vote, failed to muster
the necessary two-thirds in the House
Wednesday morning, and was defeated by
total vote of SO to So, nine members be-
ing absent. In order to pass the resolve
had to have IS votes, and therefore lacked
six votes of the required number. The
Senare yesterday passed the bill by a vote
of % to 6. IL the House insists upon its
previous action, the bill will be killed, but
it is reported that some of the members
who opposed it on the first vote, have had
a change Of heart.
The first veto message which Governor
Haines has sent to the legislature went
into the Senate Thursday morning. The
act which met the governors disapprovaI
was that which makes it unlawful to pub
lish untrue and misleading advertise
ments. In returning the unapproved
measure, the governor says: while in
full sympathy with legislation against all
forms OF fraud upon the purchasing pub
lie, am convinced that the bill as enacted
is too drastic-a departure from the usual
type of criminal statutes against fraudu-
lent practices, in that neither fraudulent
intent nor actual injury to anyone is re-
garded as an element of the crime which
is created" The veto was sustained by
the Senate yesterday.
In the House Thursday, the majority
committee report fsvoring close time of
four years ON bull moose was turned
down, and the minority report, favoring
one month of open time (November) was
adopted.
The hat-pin bill has been reported
favorabiy.
The teachers penion bill passed the
House Friday and the Senate Tuesday.
The compulsory arbitration bill has
been killed.
The new ballot law bill, modelled after
the Massachusetts ballot law, has passed
both branches of the legislature.
PUBLIC UTILITIES BILL.
The new public utilities commission
bill, drafted by the Subcommittee of the
legal and judicial committees, was pre-
sented IN the Senate Friday. The new
draft is substantially Rep. Wheeler's draft
of the Wisconsin law, introduced at the
very commencement of this session. Def
nitions of the various public utilities are
inserted from the Jersey bill, and in ac-
cordance with Justice Emery's suggestion,
the appeal to the supreme court from
findings OF the commission on questions
of fact, has been eliminated, but the APP
peal on questions of law follows the
practice of the supreme judicial court.
In accordance with the latest amendments
Of public utility laws in various states, a
few changes have been made in relation to
the control of issues of stocks and bonds.
This bill provides for the appointment
OF three commissioners by the governor,
one Of whom shall be designated as chair
man. The chairman's salary is to be
5000; that of each OF the other two "a 500.
Provision is made for a clerk of the board
at $500, and an assistant clerk at q 800.