Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-26

House living outside of that county.
In order that there may be no mis-
taking the condition about the legal
status of the bridge ut the present
time / wish to read just a paragraph
from the S5th Maine Report that has
been referred to by the gentleman from
Milford He has stated it correctly;
but | wish you to hear the language
opinion they say in summing up: I'VE
of the court. After a very exhaustive
are of the opinion, therefore, that the
bridge, together with the fixtures. APP
purtenances and approaches necessari-
ly incident thereto, reverted to the
State in 1872 when the legal right of
the respondent-the bridge company
therein ceased; also that the respond
ent's right To levy tolls against the
public for passing over the bridge
ceased al the same time; such was the
contract between the respondent and
the State in 1929
Now. gentlemen, there is Il great deal
that might be said about this matter
and | presume it appeals in different
phase perhaps to each one Of US. This
particular thing / would call your at
tention to, and that alone. as being
the particular phase which appeals to
me. In the ordinary bridge matter
coming before this Legislature a town,
or two towns, or possibly the county,
comes in and asks the Legislature for
gratuity to help them in building
a bridge which they must build IN
some way or other. Generally, II | am
correct, those are towns that have TO
bear the whole expense themselves Dit
the Legislature feeling that on account
of their being small towns, or poor, or
an extremely large bridge, that they
are deserving of help, and consequent
ly in great many cases give them
something. Now, gentlemen, Wnen you
come TO vote on this matter bear TINS
in mind,-the county of Penobscot, the
CITY of Old Town, and the town OF MIL
ford. have never had a single thing To
say about this bridge. They had hoth-
ing to say about it's building; 1t was
built by a private corporation; they
had nothing to say about Its BENG
taken over by the State, and now IL
view of all that is this Legislature go
ing to say to them that you must bear
the proportion of the expenses for re-
pairing this State bridge that tins COM
mittee on ways and bridges recon-
mended?
Gentlemen, | hope you will not say
that to the people OF Penobscot eouh-
~ and the citizens of Old Town ana
Milford
Mr.. O'CONNELL: Mr.. Speaker, l
want to add to what ! have ALREADY
said that in the year 1908 the highway
commissioner of Maine, Mr.. Sargent
condemned these approaches anu post
ed notices ON the end OF the prlasc
saving that this bridge was dangerous
and that anyone who passed over 1t
ma ssed at their own risk. "A pfldSe
built in 1929, Mr.. Speaker, ought TO De
considered dangerous in 1909.
In September of last year the bridge
was considered dangerous, and the offi-
Gals of Old Town notified the Cover
nor and Council and they immedlaeeis
came TO Old Town, ON the supposleioh
of having looked up the law ana hiloW-
ing that il was State bridge. lhey
ordered the westerly span of the pIldse
10 ne reconstructed, and surveys lol
tho easterlv span of the bridge TO DE
made. and today they are putting inc
etael IN. The result has been that we
have not been consulted in Old Town
or Milford from the fact that II Is
known TO be State bridge. 1t Is true
that it may be Quilt cheaper IN an
other location by about S6oOo, put III
going above the railroad bridge II elm
mates two dangerous grade cross
ings. Now. if the State of Maine can
eliminate two dangerous grade cross
ings hv expending $4,000, | don't know
why it is not benefit to do 50, be-
cause later on if we have to do that
it will cost them perhaps five times as
much.
Mr.. ROLFE of Portland: Mr..
Speaker, this question resolves itself
in my mind into two questions First,
either the State of Maine owns tho
bridge or it does not. Upon hearing
the evidence presented here and the
facts, | feel quite confident that the
State of Maine alone owns this bridge,
and | believe that the members of
this House today knowing those facts
will not go on record otherwise than
to let the State support its own.
Mr. O'Connell called for a division
VI tHe Rouse,
The SPEAKER: The question be-
fore the House is on the motion by
the gentleman from Milford, Mr.. O.
Council, that the original resolve he
substituted for the report of the COM
mittee, the report of the committee, as
the Chair understands it, reporting IN
a new draft for less amount. The
gentleman from Milford, Mr. O'Con-
nell, calls for a division of the House.
A division being had,
The motion prevailed by a vote of
116 to none.
The resolve was then substituted for
the report of the committee.
The resolve then received its first
reading and was assigned for tomor-
, row morning for its second reading.
On motion by Mr. Cook of Vassal-
boro, BILL An Act to amend Section
! So of Chapter IS of the Revised Stat
utes. as amended relating to school
holidays, was taken from the table,
and on further motion by Mr.. Cook
the resolve was again laid upon the
table and specially assigned for con-