The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-06-19
THE REASON WHY
There Are No 500-mile Mileage Books
this Year

| 1JOo "uiCn WOu-d pioslue tIdl SlSdlH
railroads shall sell 500-mile books at
the same uniform rate as 1000 mile
books was not signed by Governor
Haines, during the closing days of the
Legislature and that 1t will not be-
come a law until after the days have
elapsed of the session of 1915. The act
reached the governors office, on the
Friday, before the legislature ad-
journed, on Saturday night, and Gov
ernor Haines tucked the bill in a
pigeon hole. In the excitement of the
I ~.2sing days of the session everyone
forgot about the mileage bill. all
supposing that it had been signed by
the Chief Executive.
The act to provide for a uniform
mileage rate had quite a tempestous
career in the 18th Legislature, The
committee on railroads and expresses
reported Ought to pass" on the bill
compelling the railroads to sell 800
mile book at the same uniform rate as
1000 mile book. If the bill mad been
enacted into a law = 5G0-Iile book on
-.e Meiae Central would cost $40
while a 500-mile book on the Bangor
G. Aroostook would cost $40. The
act passed both branches without
opposition but Governor Haines vetoed
it, contending that the proposed Public
Utilities Commission would have the
power and right to regulate the rates
of fare to be charged by the railroad
corporations. The House by a wide
margin passed the bill over the Gov
ernors veto, Representative J. Fred
OConnell of Milford, the present sher-
if of Penobscot county, and Repre-
sentative Horace Mitchell of Kittery
speaking in favor of the measure. The
bill came within one vote of being
passed in the Senate over the Cover
nor's veto. 1t so happened that the
action on the Governors veto came up
for consideration in the upper branch
that Senator Leslie Boynton of Lin
coin, who was in favor of the bill, was
absent. Senator Boynton had not
missed a roll call during the three
terms that he had served in the upper
chamber and everyone around the
State House wondered where the sena-
tor had gone. That afternoon he sim
ply left the capitol and quietly and
without the least bit of furry hied
himself to the residence of a local
clergyman and took unto himself a
bride And that is the reason why the
Senate did not pass the mileage bill
over the Governors veto. Senator
Hersey of Aroostook championed the
side of the Governor in the matter
Later in the session Representative
Horace Mitchell of Kittery presented
an act amendatory of and additional
to Chapter 81 of the Public Laws of
1909 relating to the issuance of mile
age books of railroad corporations.
The act was as follows:
Section 1Chapter 81 of the Public
Laws of 1909 is hereby amended byb
adding Section 2 as follows:
Section 2. All railroad corpora
tons or companies doing business in
this State and conveying passengers
over any road or roads owned or OPP
Grated by any motive power, whether
owned or operated by them in their
own or other names. under lease or
otherwise which now, or hereafter
may issue mileage ticket of one
thousand one-mile coupons for the
use of the travelling public and keep
the same on sale at their regular pas
sengar stations, shall also issue a
mileage ticket of five hundred one
mile coupons, and sell the same at all
stations where the one thousand one
mile ticket is now or hereafter may
+ be sold, at the same rate per mile as
the one thousand mile ticket may be
sold The holder of any such mileage
ticket shall be entitled to travel by
any regular passenger train over the
road issuing the same and all lines of
railroad owned, operated or leased by
| it, as many miles as there are cou-
| toin in
provided, however, that the mini
mum mileage to be detached shall be
regulated by the printed contract con-
| tanned in such ticket.
Part third of Article " of Section
9 of the Constitution relating to Leg
islative power reads as follows:
Every bill or resolution having the
| force of law, to which the concur
renee of both Houses may be neces-
sary. except on a question of adjourn
ment, which shall have passed both
| Houses, shall be presented to the
Governor, and if he approves he shal
sign it; if not. to the House to when
he shall return it with the objections
originated which shall enter the OBJ
jections at large on its journals, and
proceed to reconsider 1t.
III after such reconsideration, two
thirds of that House shall agree to
pass it, it shall be sent together with
the objections, to the other House, by
which it shall be re-considered, and
if approved by two-thirds of that
House. it shall have the same effect
as if it had been signed by the Gov
ernor; but in all such cases, the vote
of both Houses shall be taken by yeas
and nays, and the names of the per-
sons, voting for and against the bill
or resolution, shall be entered on the
journals of both Houses respectively
If the bill or resolution shall not be
returned by the Governor within five
days (Sundays excepted) after 1t shall
have been presented to him, 1t Shall
have the same force and effect, as If
he had signed it, unless the Legisla-
ture, by their adjournment prevent its
return, in which case it shall have
such force and effect, unless returned
within three days after their meet
ing"
Now the question arises will this
bill become a law, on July II, With
out the Governors signature or will
it go over to the next Legislature. The
last sentence in Article of the Con
stitution says very plainly that IF
the bill or resolution shall not be re-
turned by the Governor within five
days Sundays eXcepted) after 1t snail
have been presented to him, it shall
have the same force and effect, as ii
he had signed it, unless the Legisla-