Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-28

we have one of the finest harbors on the
coast. A breakwater costing about ST.
, 900 600
| We are | may say at a standstill The
population has not increased any foi
the last % years. The present company
in Rockland have given US no encour-
agement. although having the great
privilege of running through our streets
with their cars and getting good prices
for lighting our city
The Board OF Trade and the people al
| most unanimously have finally taken up
this matter of cheap power and light
=. and have come to YOU gentlemen to ask
for this charter of the Knox County
! Power Company.
/ Who are the men from Rockland that
are working for this charter? Now.
right here let me say. that they are such
men as David Talbot. Charles Bicknel
: and many of our business men OF Rock
! land, men who are doing Il large bust
ness.
| win say also that if any of you gem
| tlemen, went 10 Rockland and asked
| Nv no is David T.llbot?" the people would
| tell you that Mr.. Talbot is the most
| public spirited citizen that we have had
| for the last % years
He IS a man who has spent thousands
of dollars and induced others to con-
tribute for the purpose of making good
streets and roads in and about the city,
| He has worked night and day Tor that
purpose.
Now. he comes here with his fellow
citizens TO ask you 10 grant this char
ter 80 that we may have cheap power
To start new industries. He is ready
with his time and money to do it. When
! he SAYS that he means Just what he
saws. without any equivoeation. You
have before you Il folder placed on your
desk which will give you the facts
Now yzSentlemen. l want to warn you
that we hear. a great deal about the
conservation of the water power Of
Maine
You don't want TO get it into the hands
| Of monopoly and that is Just what YOU
will do when YOU stihe competition and
allow those corporations to prevent the
peple 70 say what they want.
Every corporation that is already in
Will prevent new companies coming in
and what will beathe end, all the re-
naming water power Of the State will
finally drop into the hands of those big
corporations and Maine will have lost
her water powers just the way we have
Lost the Wild lards Of the State.
The Rockland. Thomaston. Camden
Railway WAS organized about 20 years
ago. Up 10 1902 the total capital stock
Of $4,000 did not cost the originators
one cent. In 1905 stock dividend of
$4,000 was declared making siA0O9d.
total.
They have declared over s200,ee0 o.
dividends. and are paying per cent. or
so 900 annually on pure water. They
have a surplus of nearly 100000 They
have refused sl25 a share for their stock
or total grand value of about Ss00.0oo.
They have obtained from the pubic of
Rockland and vicinity that cost them
absolutely nothing.
We heard last week, a great deal
about trying to find out what the peo-
PIE wanted in Fort Kent. in dispute
about Power & Lighting Companies, and
the committee requested an expression
from the people and when the town
meeting was held and they voted TWO to
one in favor Of certain company that
seemed to settle il They voted to do
as the people wanted.
Now in our case it seems to me that
we should receive consideration, as in
Rockland almost every person Is in IA
vor of the Knox County Power Com
pany. We have here u petition signed
by 100 which should count for some
thing.
The gentleman from Augusta is 4
pretty good fellow and am glad he il
elected Mayor. However you ali know
that Kennebec people generally want
about everything i'll sight. They have
just captured the most important oiiiee
in Knox county against Il Knox county
man, Now, they want to sell US eiectri-
ci,y whether we want ii or not and at
their own price. ] think kennebec has
had about enough ! think the gentle
man Is on the wrong side, monopoly
versus the people (Applause)
Mr. DURGlN CT Milo: Mr.. Speaker. liv-
ing away up in the woods | Wouldn't
naturally be Interested in 4 controversy
way down in Rockland, and | can say to
the gentlemen of the House that / have
mo personal interest in this matter what
ever neither do ! rise for the purpose
of irving TO combat the report of the
legal affairs committee. | presume tina.
that committee heard the evidence, and
reported as they in their judgment
thought wise. and 1t is no discredit TO
/ 1.-THE committee more than to any other
| connnittee of this House, if their repor-
shou,d be reversed because the reports
| of other committees have been reversed
during this session.
Now have heard more or less about
| this Knox County Power tompahy Dis
| cussion, and | think nearly every men,
| Der of this legislature has heard some
! thing about 1t, because the controversy
| began early. ii has been pretty eontn-
| uously kept up, and is here with US in
| the close of this session. 1t has been
! claimed that the people of Rockland--
| the Board of Trade-went to the distrib-
uting power company down there for
certain rights and certain privileges
/ certain concessions-and were merely
! laughed at, and they We're denied; that
| later this man-Holls VI. Shaw-went
| down there and put his money into the
| town of Union and got certain pole
rights, and is now asking through this
| company to go into the city of Rock
| land.