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

personally Try to Keep l3ls resolve peloTe
the House.
1t has been the policy of the state in
past years to encourage literature and
art In the State of Maine. If you will
grant meS just a p}oment-back in the
years 1871 the Maine Year Boon was
started here in this State. On page IS
of the Acts and Resolves of me year
1871. the State, If | understand it, through
some Office or officer bought 600 copies
of the Maine State Year Book giving
the sum of 50 cents per copy, and tnat
has been carried down through until the
year 1911. In 1872 they bought $50 copies
giving $l.25 per copy, and continuing that
down to 1882, buying at that time 900
copies. In 1885 to 1892 they bought from
500 to 500 copies each year, paying the
sum of $l50. In 1895 they bought eco cop
les and extended the time to June list
paying S150 copy, and continued that
on until 1901, when they bought $50 copies
and gave 81 each. In 1902 they began
by buying for the two years 1ouJ copies
and paying 81 per copy, and continued
that until the year 1911, when there was
no resolve passed: but they contracted
with Mr. Donham for 200 copies in 1911
down the buying of this book from 16vV
copies from the years 1903 until 1910, down
to $50 copies, and they bought them for
$50 per copy, saving to the state $500
during those two years, by a little COM
petition. In 1911 the gentleman came be-
fore you with the Maine Official and
Classified Directory, Offering this book
for that sum. and offered to deliver that
book to the State of Maine on or before
the first day of June; and, gentlemen, let
me tell you that you have passed re-
solve at this present Legislature to pay
for a book that was not delivered until
the very last of September or the first
of October of last Year The time had
elapsed and the State refused to pay the
bill; nevertheless they accepted those
books, and ii is no more than just that
they pass the resolve and pay for them.
Again before your committee on 1ip.d-
ries the two gentlemen appeared, making
the offer that they will supply these
books One makes the offer that he will
supply them and deliver them for s1.Ze
per copy by June LIST; the other says that
they cannot possibly be reauy before
August LIST. Now l do not wish TO worry
simply say that you have encouraged
literature in times past, and turing the
time that this Maine Year Book has been
published you have bought $3.50 copies
and have been $44,354 to the publishers;
so if YOU have owed in the past any du-
ties to the publishers of this book you
have at the present time, gentlemen,
done all that you need to do you have
established a paying business for the
publishers of the Maine Year Book. The
resolve that I offer here today is simply
that you may buy 800 copies of the Maine
Official and Classified Directory, and also
800 copies of the Maine Year Book, for
the reason that Very many of you have
got used to the Maine Year Book. and
it is like your own home-you know ev-
you may find it, On the other hand
think that if you were accustomed to the
other book YOU would find that it excels
the Maine Year Book greatly.
l move the adoption of House Amend
ment \.
Mr.. CHICK of Monmouth: Mr.
Speaker, | would like to state briefly
the position of the committee on IL
brary in regard to this matter. Early
in the session an order was intro
duced in the Senate, and it came into
the House, directing the committee
on library To receive proposals for
the purchase of a sufficient number
of copies of the, Maine State Year
Book for the various departments of
the State. A little later an order was
introduced in the House directing the
committee on library to receive pro-
posals from the publisher of the
Maine Official Classified and Bust
ness Directory for a sufficient num-
Der of copies to meet the needs of
the various departments.
The committee gave proper notice
and a hearing was had on these two
orders After careful consideration it
was the unanimous opinion of the
committee that only one of these
books should be adopted and re-
solve was framed to that effect and
introduced into the House. The com
mittee also Thought it would be for
the best interests of the State to
adopt the Maine State Year Book, as
it had in past years. The resolve call
ed for the furnishing of coo copies
year. This would give a sufficient
number TO be distributed to the vari-
Gus libraries throughout the State.
As matter of economy it was
thought that if one of these books
was adopted that it would save dupli-
cation in many respects. The time IL
which this book is to be printed is
August list 1t was thought that
business directory containing infor-
nation such as the Maine State Year
Book contains, that it would be al
most impossible to get the book out
at an earlier date, because returns
have come III from the various towns
after they have held their annual
meetings, and it would take consider
able time to get the book in shape. AS
member of the committee on libra
~, l certainly hope that this amend
ment will not prevail.
Mr.. SMITH of Auburn: Mr..
Speaker / did not intend to say any
thing on this question; but there is
one thing that has been brought OUT
that appealed to me as one OF the
committee on library very strongly
It was in regard to the date the book