Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-14

State that we are interested in their
welfare ] do feel and feel honestly
that this is a step in the right direc
ton, and trust that the gentlemen Of
this body will manifest hteir feeling
in the matter by saying that we will
adopt this measure and try and help
the working men. | trust the motion
of the gentleman from Biddeford tMr.
Decoteaux) will prevail.
The SPEAKER: The question be-
fore the House is on the acceptance Of
the conference committee, which re-
port is that the House concur with
the Senate in the passage of the bill
as amended by Senate Amendments
%, j. and @.
Mr.. INA RSTON of Skowhegan; Nj.
Speaker. 4 just want to sayFa word in
praise of this conference comaittee.
We have already had one conference
committee representing the majority
of the House who are the opponents
of this bill AT that time il was hoped
that the opponents in fairness would
agree upon some compromise that
they could report to the House that
would be acceptable. That commit
tee absolutely refused to entertain
any proposition looking Ia COM
promise, and they were Obliged TO re-
port that they We're unable To agree.
Then the second committee. started in
where they left off and by very care
full and serious and sincere work they
were able BY sacrificing a little here
and there to agree on report when
the members of the House and Senate
felt would represent the respective
maiorities that they represented.
Now. the three members oil the
House represented the opponents .,
the bill; they were selected as repre-
sentatives of the opponents OF the OIL
in the House. Those three repre-
sentatiyes have met three from inc
Senate and they have agreed upon \
bill which in a sense is compromlse
bill. It seems to me if there is any
virtue or any merit in any conference
committee, and if there is any Nlrths
in the rules for concurrent actloh
that this House should this mornlh
accent the report of the conference
committee.
Mr.. HIGGINS of Brewer: Mr.. Speaker
Il would like to know if an anendmen
is in order ut this time
The SPEAKER: The Chair thinks not
The question now is ON the acceptance
the report of the committee of confer
ence. and that report is that the Hous'
concur with the Senate in the passage
the bill. as amended by Senate Amend
ments O. p and @.
Mr. HIGGINS: If those amendment
prevail an amendment would De II
order2t
The SPEAKER: The Chair does no
see any way in which the bill can o'
amended in the House except by DIS
nensing with the rules. This bill hai
once been indefinitely postponed In TN
House. If the House takes action un
doubtedly ii would have to reeonslde
its vote. and il cannot do that on ac
count of the rules, having once votet
down motion TO reconsider: nut O
course if the rules are dispensed Will
the obstacle is removed; but certainly
the Chair sees no way in which II cdi
be amended in the House except by
suspension of the rules.
Mr. HIGGINS: ! want TO say that per
sonally I am in favor OF this bill, ana
have SO voted for il at each stage. haV'
discovered In the bill a clause whici
works to tile detriment of small cities
For instance. you take the cities of 4ial
lowell Brewer. Ellsworth and Calais
and this bill Includes those cities unae
its provisions. it exempts the town o
Sanford. the town of Houlton, Bar liar
bor and other towns. that are as larg
or larger than many of the cities which
/ have mentioned / wanted to offer al
amendment that this should not appl,
To cities of less than l0VU Inhabitants
unless they voted To come under the act
il seems To me only fair and reasonable
to these small cities. | presume thu
parties who drew the bill did not thinl
of that particular point. and, Mr.
Speaker, if il is in order / would moy'
that the rules be suspended. and tina
this amendment he received,
Mr. IRVING of Caribou: Mr. Speaker
just a word in defense of the first com
mittee of conference. In reply to the re
marks of the gentleman from Skowhe
gan (Mr Marstom l wish to state UNI
qualiiiedly that the committee from the
House did make propositions and die
propose to meet upon common leve
and do everything they could to meet
this Senate committee. and I submit
that it is a simple matter for the pro-
ponents of a measure from one House t6
the proponents of the measure from the
other House to meet as compared with
an attempt of the opponents of the
measure from one House and the propo-
nents of the measure from the other
House meeting upon the same measure
and trying to reach some common
ground.
Mr. MARSTON: AR. Speaker | want
to say in regard to the amendment of
fered by the gentleman from Brewer
tMr. Higgins representing the prepo-
nents of the bill, that we would be very
glad to have that amendment made, and
after the report of the committee has
been accepted we hope very much that
the House will allow that amendment to
be made.
The SPEAKER: If the report of the
committee is accepted and this concur
rent action with the Senate is adopted
in passing the bill. as amended by the
Senate, then the House by suspending
the rules of course could amend it or do
anything else they wanted to do with it.
Mr.. MARSTON: Mr.. Speaker. it is my
suggestion that tho raDort Of the com