Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-17

utilities measure will be held in tbs
hall of The House OF Representatives
at 10 on the evening of Thursday
Feb 90 The same joint committee viii
have charge as at the hearing, las
week. 1t will be the last opportunity
any one will have to say anything
about the bill, except in the opc1 SEES
SIGN of the Legislature. The sub-com.
mittee will hold meetings. OF course
but no one except the members of the
subcommittee will be present
Woman Suffrage Assignment.
Senator Hersey Of Aroostook, leader
for a long time of the equal suffrage
forces in the Maine Legislature, IS con
lident the amendment will be submit
ted To tire people by the necessary
two thirds vote at this session. Tho
time seems TO be ripe with four states
having granted the vote To women If
the past year and II is the genera
feeling that the Maine Legislature cam
not afford to longer interpret the viii
Of the people as opposed to these
rights, without giving them chance
to register their preferences. The COM
mittee has submitted the unanimous
report that the acI providing for a.
mendment ought to pass.
BY this amendment the word male
is merely extracted from the Constitu-
ton, leaving the definition of electors
as adult citizens" To do this 1t is
necessary TO submit the proposed
amendment to the people by Two
thirds vote of the Legislature. This
would leave it to the male electorate
for a majority vote at special cleo
ton next September. If the vote were
carried women would he allowed &c
vote att all elections thereafter
Ten states have hitherto given wo-
men the right to vote, Kansas being
the eastermost state. All the others are
on the Pacific slope or in the far
Southwest. Ohio and Wisconsin re-
jected the amendment, last year, but
it is conceded that in no state in the
union are the women as we'll qualified
TO vote as in Maine. Many states have
partial school suffrage.
The question is up for special as
Segment in the Senate, next Wednes-
day morning Senator Hersey having
tabled the committee report and the
amendatory act, last Thursday. Tho
senator is speaker of notable quail
ifcations and undoubtedly will open
the discussion with an address worth
going miles to hear.
House Assignments.
Two matters are on the calendar Of
the House for consideration. next
do tt-I,s ,I, saf. he -
most Importance, the so-called 54houI
bill.
The 54-hour bill is a measure which
is endorsed by the Maine Federation
of Labor and at the hearing Roscoe
A. Eddy of Bar Harbor, a member of
the federation's legislative committee,
spoke in favor of it. The bill was OPP
posed by cotton, WOODEN and shoe
manufacturers. A majority of the
committee reported ought not to pass
while a minority reported ought IL
pass in a new draft" the new draft
fixing the maximum number of hours
in q week at Sc. MIR. Descoteaux OF
Biddeford will lead the forces on the
floor of the House in favor of the new
draft, that is the 56-hour bill
The act to divide the town of San
ford and incorporate the town OF
Springvale will be heard in the House
next Wednesday, as special assign
ment. Two reports came from the
committee, the majority Ought not IL
pass" and the minority ought 70
pass
Important Hearings.
One of the most important hearings
of the whole session will be held
Thursday afternoon. Feb. 20, when the
corporation sole matter comes up be-
fore the judiciary committee. The
hearing will be held in the House OF
Representatives.
Up TO the present time, the commit
tee on public health has had little to
DO, but its labors will begin in earnest
next week. A number of important
bills are assigned for hearing. Friday
afternoon. Feb. u. That act in re-
sard to the inspection of hotels and
fixing the standard size of sheets and
towels will come up at that time Ho-
tel keepers, inn holders and managers
OF rooming houses will be on hand &c
have their say while the members OF
the United Commercial Travellers OF
Maine will also be on hand to advo-
cate the bill, which practically had
its origin in their body. Dr. Hunt
lngton's famous measure to establish
public abbattoirs in the, State of Maine
VIII also come UP, and, it is under
stood there is to be opposition to it.
AS has been the case ever since tbs
Legislature started, the committee or
education will have busy week. On
Tuesday. they will hold hearing OF
the act to prevent the organization O
secret societies in the public schools
measure that has been talked a grea
deal about. On Wednesday, a resolv,
in favor of the Normal school at Cor
nam and an act authorizing that in
stitution to take land will also be dis
cussed by the committee. Thursda.
viii see resolve in favor of Mort!
Yarmouth Academy before the com
mlttee and an act to exempt certain