Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-04

it may be better that the road commits
soner should be chosen by the seiectmen
rather than by the voters of the town. |
That point | do not discuss, because [ I,
consider that each town in itself is bet
ter competent to decide whether it wants
u road commissioner and how he shall
he chosen than the members of this Leg
islature
In my town OF Lisbon we have had for
number of years Il road commissioner
and / apprchend that every other town
is just as competent as my town to de-
eide how it will choose its road commits
sioners. / object to any other town or
any other people coming into my town to
say how we shall choose ours: and for
the same reason l object to taking any
hand III how any other town shall choose
Its commissioners or conduct IT. road
business. l think there is too much inter
ference on the part of the Legislature
with the internal affairs of the towns
III any man chooses to ride over poor
roads, or wishes to choose an incompe-
tent man to look after it's roads, that
concerns 1t to n large extent and does
not concern other towns: so that for
these reasons | trust the motion will pre-
vail.
MI. BUTLER of Farmington: Mr.
Speaker, think the gentleman from Lis
bon INIT Piummer) is correct in his rea-
sonlas, although this proposition does
not seem TO work out in detail accord
ing to the plans. 1t Seems well that the
towns may elect their road commission
ers. as far as the theory goes, but it is
a fact that in a great majority of towns
there Is more or less friction between
the seleetmen and the road agent L
think we would eliminate that difficulty
| by having the road agent appointed bv
| the seleetmen, and if they couldn't get
! along together they would then have
( the power to remove him. | hope the bill
| will PISS. 't& = ~ ;.
! Mr.. JENKINS of Wales: Mr.. Speaker,
| Z am greatly Interested in the road u,ies-
ton, and l rise to say that / endorse
fully the remarks of the gentleman from
Westhrook (Mr. Scates1 and also those
of the gentleman from Farmington tAIr.
Butler1. l have had more or less expert
enee in this matter, and | lind that | am
up against the road commissioners chosen
by the people of the town. there is al
ways friction between the road commits
sioners and the seectmen believe if is
proper 10 place the election or appoint
ment of the road commissioners with the
seiectmen, and l hope the bill Will be
passed.
Inc question being on the motion that
the bill be Indefinitely postponed.
a viva voce vote being taken,
The motion was lost
Mr. Jones of China offered House
Amendment A, to amend by adding after
the word duties in the 18th line the
following words: "seleetmen may act as
road commissioners The question being
on the adoption of the amendment,
The amendment was adopted
The bill then received its third read
ing ana was passed to be engrossed, as
amendment by House Amendment A.
An Act to require certain vehicles to
carry lights at night on public high
ways and bridges.
Mr.. Eastman of Benton moved that
the bill be indefinitely postponed.
Mr.. SCATES of Westbrook: Mr..
Speaker. ! wish simply to say word
for the purpose OF setting myself right
with the gsnsleinan from Benton tMr.
Eastmanl we hid an understanding
that tiis bill shetah net be taken up
unless both of usaWere present Yester-
day, rhe gentleman was not here and
neither was | at the time the bill was
taken UP, and as l understand, it came
off of the calendar automatically, and
! simply wish to say this in order to
place myself right with the gentleman
from Benton (Mr. Eastman).
/ do really hope that this bill will
have passage through this body; it
is one of the most important matters
SO far as the safety of the public is
concerned that has been presented to
this Legislature. l cannot see how it
imposes any hardship upon anybody;
it is not a bill designed for the safety
particularly of automobilists; it is a
bill for the safety of those who ride
IN carriages. 1t has been amended so
that teams carrying farm products and
iumoer are exempted, and it does not
apply to them. When an automobile
runs into "a lumber team who is going
to get hurt? Is it the man on the lum-
her team or is it the man in the auto
mobile? But when all automobile and
Il carriage come together, who is go
ing to get hurt them 1t is not the man
in the automobile, but the man in the
carriage. This bill provides that there
| shall be one light on the lefthand side
Of the carriage costing two or three
dollars, that is all.
Nov, gentlemen. there is no trouble
caused from carriages and automobiles
| running in opposite directions, because
the lights are thrown upon the car
riage and the people in the carriage
are able To see the automobile. The
trouble comes when they are going
both i'll the same direction. If cur roads
were perfectly straight and ii there
were no turns in them, there would
not then be so much danger; but here
Il carriage coming around Il turn in Il
road and an automobile coming up
behind. OF course the lights of the au-
tomobile do not turn until the automo-
bile Itself has begun TO turn, and the
lights from the automobile shine right
directly across the road; and SO you
cannot in the automobile see the ear
riage until he turns and at that time
he may be within 10 feet of the car
riage before he sees it; then OF course,
there is likely to be an accident.
We had the same thing between