Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-27
OIL Blu aNING LOCOMOTIVES
AND SCREENING WINDOWS
OF THE SMOKING CARS.

An act TO compel the railroads operating
through timberlands to use oil burning To-
comotives from May LIST to November 10
and an act to compel railroads to screen
the windows of smoking ears through
timber land districts, We're considered by
the committee on State lands and forest
preservation. the hearing being held in
the Senate chamber late in the afternoon,
Wednesday,. and being largely attended
The proponents of these bills were the
timber land owners and particularly the
Kennebec Valley Protective Association,
which is AN organization of the timber
land owners along the Kennebee river.
Bernard Gibbs of Madison appeared for
this association and for timberland own
ers not connected with it and made 4
strong argument in favor of the favor able
report on these two acts. He stated in
the course of his argument that although
the state has a law which requires the
p&trong of roads during the dry season
at the expense of the roads, that even
this precaution did not prevent fires due
to coa-burning locomotives. The COM
plant was made especially against the
Canadian Pacific Railway which accord
ing to Mr.. Gibbs, has been an offender In
failing to live up to the requirements
of the state law and has absolutely re-
fused to cooperate with the state Off
Gals and the land owners in taking proper
precaution against the occurrence of these
fires. Mr. Gibbs stated that the Cana
dian Pacific during its entire right of way
of 1l5 miles, was bordered by valuable
timber lands and that this road alone
had been responsible in Maine for dis
astrous timberland fires The Canadian
Pacific had refused to pay the State for
the patrol service and timber land own
ers had found that it was more costly to
collect damages from this road for fires
for which it was responsible, than from
any other. In one instance the road had
refused the right to State patroImen to
walk on its railroad track. threatening to
prosecute them for trespassng if they did
so, and had in other ways shown itself
TO be utterly regardless OF the rights OF
property owners along the right of way.
He said that the Maine Central and rs
far as he knew. tile other roads in Maine
had co-opcrated with cumberland owners
ana taken all necessary precautions but
TO reach the Canadian actic a general
law was necessary. lie dwelt at some
sulting from these fires and cited in
stances TO show that the fires which have
been disastrous from coal-burning loco
motives.
Mr.. Gibbs said that the Maine Central
was now operating oI-burning locomo-
tiVes on the Somerset road between Bing-
ham and Kneo and that the fire hazard
on that division had largely decreased
since this system had gone into effect.
a. X. Butler of Skowhegan also APP
peared for the bill and covered the same
ground as that covered by Mr.. Gibbs, but
went into details especially with relation
to the Canadian Pacific's relation with
cumberland owners.
Among the other large timberland own
crs present at the hearing was Mrs. j..
Manchester Haynes. who in interrogating
those who appeared before the committee
brought out some strong points In favor
of the bill. She said among other things
that the property she owned along the
Canadian Pacific and Maine Central was
being operated in scientific way with an
annual cut of less than per cent. OF the
standing timber Mrs. Haynes said that
the property could not be insured and
was in constant danger of destruction by
ffe and for this reason tfmpefiahd own