Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-25

! by the senator from Kennebee, Mr..
Allen.
Mr. BUTTON of Kennebec: Mr..
President. it is not my purpose at this
time to oppose the motion of the
senator from Kennebec, but this
matter has been in various forms be-
| fore several Legislatures. and it has
been the feeling of the people in this
county that they have not received
just sucn legislation as they wanted
in reference to ice fishing in these
particular waters. Now | have all
| confidence in the committee on inland
fisheries and game, but | want, in
connection with this reference. to ex-
press my position and the position
of my constituents. and my brothers
constituents, that if this Legislature
in the enactment of fish and game
laws is to recognize various localities,
a policy which l do not for a moment
believe in-personatly | believe in a
law in relation to fishing that shall
apply To all parts of the State The
majority party does not believe, and
does not profess to believe, in a local
option law, and why, pray, should
they and should the Legislatures for
decades past, believe in and enact
local option laws in regard to every
frog pond there may be in the coun-
ty of Aroostook or the county of
oxford
Personally, again let me say, that |
believe this Legislature should enact n
law in reference to salmon, black bass
and white perch that should apply to ev-
cry body of water within every organized
township of this State. They should APP
ply the same law in reference to ice fish
ing.
Now. representing my constituents,
if this Legislature is to pass law in
reference to ice fishing which shall treat
everybody alike throughout the State,
am in favor of it and in favor of referring
it to this committee but if we are to
divide up these privileges, if every man
who happens to be on a pond is coming
to the Legislature or to the fish and
game commissioners, under the authority
given to them to enact laws-a very
doubtful authority-is coming to them to
get a pond closed, because he happens to
want it closed why then. standing here
| representing the county of kennebec,
ask the special privilege of ice fishing in
these ponds, and in regard to reference,
| there is no better committee to which this
| bill should be referred than the Kenne-
bee county delegation.
| | for one am in lavor of general law,
and if the chairman of the committee
| on inland fisheries and game will dig out
and report to this Legislature bill which
| shall treat every man alike in this state,
and every pond and every body of water
alike, am in favor of it, but l am not in
| favor of law that treats one locality
| one way and another one another way,
| and II that is to be the policy of this
! Legislature. representing my constituents.
! why, we want to get our part of the priv
/ ieges.
| The PRESIDENT: The pending aues-
ton is on the motion of the senator from
Kennebec, Mr.. Allen.
| Mr.. ALLEN: Mr. President there is
not much [ can say on this point because
the senator from Kennebec has said it
| all. He has taken Just the ground that
| I would have taken. He comes up here
and wants laws enacted that will be equal
all round. 1 would like to ask the gentle
man. in case we put this before the hon.
| orable Kennebec county delegation, and
something else comes up and we put it
before the Aroostook county delegation,
etc, how can we get laws to apply all
| around? l am a small part of Ilennebec
| county, but | do not propose to treat
| kennebec county any better than any
| other. I do not propose to offer Kenne-
| bee county any special favors because
| am a resident of the county. What are
we trying to do with the fish and game
committee-back up the fish and game
] commissioners? We are trying to get a
i code of general laws to simplify them
| You could fill your whole pocket with
! them now, and that is why we DO not
want special laws on these lakes. We
/ have turned down some, and we propose
| to turn down more. We will use Kenne-
bee county Just as well as other counties
| and no better. If that is not satisfactory
| to my constituents, let them keep me at
| home.
| Mr.. STEARNS of oxford: Mr. PresI-
dent, ] do not rise to make speech, but
simply to suggest, perhaps. that the re-
marks of Senator Dutton would certainly
| be very appropriate before the committee
on inland fisheries and game AS it pre-
| sents itself to me, I think perhaps we
| ought to have copy of that speech sent
1 ~ lildt IL Nouiu De before tHe committee
when they act upon such matters. ! wish
to make it plain that ii would be my be-
lief that to take such matters as this,
which are clearly before particular
committee, 1t would be to my mind, 81
very dangerous precedent to establish
thus early in this session. l hope that
the motion of Senator Allen will prevail.
| and second the motion.
Mr. BUTTON: Mr.. President. I do not
wish to be understood at all as opposed
to the motion of the senator. simply
wished to express my views on the sub
iect and it happened to give me an OPP
portunity and / did so.
Mr.. ALLEN: Mr.. President, | will say
to the senator from Augusta that if this
comes before our committee, we will take
due care that all the inhabitants of the
county have plenty of notice, and if the
committee room is not large enough we