Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-19


taken from the table, and ON further
motion by Mr.. GreenIeaf the report
was recommitted to the committee on
legal affairs.
On motion by Mr.. Peacock of Read
field, Senate Document No. 10, bill, An
Act to repeal chapter $40 of the
Private and Special Laws of 1907, re-
lating to highways in Readfield closed
to automobiles, was taken from the
table.
Mr.. Peacock moved that this matter
he again laid upon the table until
February 25th, and specially assigned
for that day
Mr.. SCATES of Westbrook: Mr..
Speaker, it seems as though that bill
has been before the House long
enough, and there is no reason why it
should not be disposed of in one way
or another today.
Mr. PEACOCK: Mr., Speaker, / want
to say to the gentlemen of the House
that this is not an important bill to
large part of the body of this House,
but it is a matter which is of deep
concern to the town which / repre-
sent; and as Indicated the other day.
there is another matter which is also
of interest to my town and upon
which | have been awaiting a report,
and for that reason this bill has been
laid by me or at my suggestion upon
the table. / have not been able to
ascertain in regard to that other mat
ter as yet, and for that reason, as n
~ Of t1t.faG IN. nd (
it were my brother Scates | should
expect the same courtesy to be ex
tended to him--I desire that this bill
be again tabled until February 25th,
and / feel sure that | can obtain the
necessary information between now
and that time which viii enable this
bill to be disposed of finally; and l
make that as a request of the MEM
bers of this House, as matter of
courtesy.
Mr.. AUSTIN of Phillips: Mr..
Speaker. this is a matter which came
before this Legislature two years ago,
and at that time met with peculiar
and untimely death. The history of
the bill in regard to the road in Read
field, as shown by the Legislative
Record of 1911, is this: The commit
tee on ways and bridges heard the
matter and made favorable report,
ought to pass" to this House; on
February list the bill was passed to
be engrossed carrying an amendment
which the gentleman from Lisbon, Mr..
Plummer, made providing that the
of the legal voters present
and voting of the town of Mt. Vernon
and Readfield, at a special meeting
journment of this Legislature for that
purpose shall vote to accept the pro-
visions of this Act That amendment
was adopted. and as / say, on Febru-
airy 21st the bill was passed to be. en-
on February 27th, upon mo-
ton of myself and at the suggestion
Of one of the members of the House,
1t was recommitted to the committee
on ways and bridges. You under
stand, it came into this House with a
favorable report and upon request of
another member of the House it was
to the committee on
ways and bridges after it had been
passed to be engrossed on February
23d. on March eth, without further
hearing. it was reported back to this
House ought not to pass. That.
in a few words is the his
tory of this bill TO open a road which
IS now closed to automobiles in the
town of Readfield.
/ do not propose to take. up much
Of the time of this House today, but l
want to say for the information of the
members of this House., what you
probably all know, that it is the policy
Of this administration to keep in the
as long as possible pending
The enactment of the general good
roads bill, all matters and all re-
solves appropriating money to towns
for sthe betterment of their, roads.
This is the reason, as | understand it,
why the gentleman from Readfield
Mr.. Peacock) insists ON further
-abling this bill until he can get re-
port from the committee on ways and
bridges, either favorably or otherwise,
upon resolve asking for an appro-
priation for the purpose of making
his road passable for automobiles.
Now, gentlemen, if this matter is
tabled until February 25th we shall
gain no time whatever, because /
-hink / can say for the committee
although ] am not a member of the
no further road bins
or resolves carrying appropriations
will be reported out of that commit 4
tee until after the passage of some
general road bill If | am wrong in
hat statement, / think the chairman
IF the committee on ways and bridges
will correct me.
This bill is of Importance to a large
section of the State of Maine, and also
to large number of people who tray
al our roads during the summer: it is
the main theroughfare from Augusta
and all of the Kennebec district to
Franklin and Northern oxford county
and the Rangeley Lake region. All
automobiles to-day have to go up over
kent'S Hill instead of taking, as we
call ii, the pond road around the hill
which is the natural and old road from
the valley of the Sandy River to the
valley of the Kennebec. 1t is of inn
portance that this road be opened to
the public. 1t is the only road except
one which is closed to the public. clos
ed to the automobile in the interior of
this State; and Were it not for the va
ried existence this bill had two wears