Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-20

of organization on the 1tfl day of
February. 1911. The law also says
Revised Statutes, page 81. paragraph
29--the substance of ii is, that if these
companies do not begin actual bust
ness within the two years time that
their charter is null and void. There
fore, these people coming to you and
claiming the right of existence when
they have not done anything, / claim
they have no right to existence unless
they can come down to YOU and show
they were in good faith. During one
Whole year after their organization
our village had not seen fit to organ
| ize into village corporation. and these
! people had the entire territory open
| for construction. If they wanted to
create an electric power company there
| was absolutely no opposition from any
| source whatever. They had the entire
! field to themselves. But, in my mind
| they had absolutely no intention of Gre
ating any power in that territory and
| I will submit to you some evidence to
| prove it. Their only reason for hold
| ing this franchise was to bar out other
! people. SO long as our village corpo-
| ration did not see fit to organize into
! q village corporation and take advan-
| tase of our rights granted us, in 1907,
| so long did these people lay idle, and
| did not turn a shovel of dirt for its
| electric system; but as soon as we had
| organized into a village corporation
| What did they do2 When our assess
ors began to look around for power
| purposes, to create and generate cleo
| tricity, which we had a right to do
| they found power on the stream
known as the Wallagras stream. Our
| assessors not having any authority
! from the people to purchase this power,
could not do ii, and simply made the
! verbal agreement with the parties that
we should call meeting, and then the
| chances We're we would purchase this
| old saw mill. and develop a system for
! our village. The prepayment of this
| measure getting wise to this little pow
/ er being idle and not held by anybody
/ else, he at that time started out with
500 and went down there and got an
| option on that property there Nobody
else but himself can develop it. This
is absolutely the only Identical thing
| which he has done in these two years.
Now my contentious are that these
gentlemen do not intend to put in even
a power; but they simply want to hold
it over us or somebody else. You have
probably heard in the papers of the
State where that great power at Grand
| Falls, New Brunswick, was to be de-
veloped in the near future. There.
gentlemen, is the Niagara of New
England; one of the largest powers in
New England. In the near future this
| 10 ontno tn nn w
as village corporation, l am willing
to admit have got no power in our vii
lage: but we have the right TO create,
sell and distribute electricity Why is
it not fair to presume that if we are
not interfered with by this act that
We can contract with that company
now existing on those falls, and known
as the New Brunswick Power Com
pany. such as our neighboring town
of Van Buren, is doing, todayLbuy-
ing it at fixed price per kilowatt. and
retailing it to its inhabitants
This company, in my mind, does not
intend te.put in any power; but simply
wants to hold the charter until they can
contract with this big proposition which
will be developed in tile near future
at Grand Falls, and thereby compel the
inhabitants of Fort Kent to buy cleo
tricity forevermqre from them and pay
them a bonus Itproposed to these fell
4 lows | would not make any objection
TO this charter being extended, provided
they left out the village of Fort Kent:
and l stated further that they insert
clause granting us the privilege to
contract with fthem for power pur-
| poses at d maximum cost per kilowatt
That would he some deal. But when
! these people come down here saving
the majority Of the people favor this
proposition do you think they can con-
vince me that these people that signed
| these documents knew what they were
signing Do you think when people
will sign document that has clause
in it such as in line p of page 2 of
this document.-"The award of said
| commissioners that is in case we
want to buy this and we cannot agree
as TO price, and God knows we won't
be able to agree on price-"The award
of said commissioners, at not less than
cost" What does that mean, gentle-
men? Isn't this handing us down a
! lemon. Don't this occur to you some
/ thing like head l win; tail you lose?'
| Suppose we want to take this over in
| side of eight or nine years, isn't it pos
sibie that they will have a lot of dis
| carded machinery, old betting, and
/ dynamos laying idle that we have got
to buy, and which we absolutely have
no use for? And what about the wear
and tear of the pole lines.
I want to tell you. gentlemen, that
there is a good deal of difference be-
tween that Bill and the contract now
| existing between the village of Fort
| Kent and the water company For the
benefit of the House, if you will bear
| with me moment, / will explain that
We have a contract with the water
| company which gives us the right to
purchase the system any time within
20 years ut a fixed price of $55, 600. If
we do not choose to buy this over i'm
| the meantime, and want to use the
water for the 40 hydrants we shall pay.
a rental of $500 year for 40 hydrants,
| three watering troughs, and the use of
water for our public schools. If we
should decide to purchase it, and could
not then agree on the price--that is,
| if we thought the price of $4,000 for
the system, including it's reservoirs,
lxtrsa TO- I, s.,f, 4