The Republican journal., 1913-03-20
MEN AND THINGS AT AUGUSTA,
HOUSE AND SENATE DISAGREE.


The Massachusetts ballot law was killed in
the House March 18th by vote of rs to &C.
1t had passed the Senate. The vote was on a
motion to indefinitely postpone, and Messrs.
Estes, Pitcher and Sprague voted yea, and
Messrs. Dunton and Pendleton, nay The
House voted yes on the proposition to change
the date of the State election from September
to November. The senate had adopted the
report ought not to pass and went on record
as opposed to any change. The House, how
ever, substituted the minority report ought to
pass for the majority report ought not to pass
by vote of SO to 46. The four Democrats
from Waldo county voted in the affirmative
and Representative Pendleton of Searsport,
Republican, in the negative.
INVESTIGATIONS OF VICE.
Thursday, Representative Bowler of Bethel,
presented an act to amend the Revised Sta
tutes as amended by the laws of 1905 relating
to nonfeasance of duty by sheriffs, deputy
sherltfs and county attorneys. The Bowler
bill provides that it shall be the duty of the
attorney general to take charge of all investi-
cations before grand juries. and particularly
the violations of the laws against the sale of
intoxicating liquors, the keeping of drinking
houses and tippling shops. gambling houses
and houses of i'll fame, in of alleged re-
fusal or neglect of any sheriff, deputy sheriff
or county attorney TO perform any of the
duties incumbent upon them. In case of find
ing an Indictment. the attorney general shall
conduct ali subsequent proceedings in court in
behalf of the State as prosecuting attorney.
except, however that a justice may appoint
some other person to act as prosecuting attor-
ney under the direction or the attorney gen
eral The attorney general of the prosecuting
officer are invested with all the rights, powers
and privileges Of county attorney.
AMENDING DEER LAW
Mr. Clark of Portland from the committee
on inland fisheries and game, which was in
structed by order of the Legislature to inquire
into the expediency of amending the deer law
in the counties of Androscoggin, kennebec,
Waldo, Knox, York, Lincoln, Cumberland and
Sagadahoc, and on the islands of Mount Desert
and on the islands within the limits of the
town of Isle au Haut, and in the town of
Swans Island and on Cross and Scotch Islands,
reported that the subject matter of said order
is covered by general revision bill to be re-
ported and that the order be placed on file.
THE COAL INVESTIGATION
The special joint committee that has been
investigating the price of coal in the State has
completed its work and Chairman Morey SUBJ
m1tted Its report in the senate March 18th
The report is very long, and is accompanied by
big bundle of the stenographic record of the
hearings which have been held and at which
dealers from all over the State have been ex-
amined After reviewing briefly the condi-
tions at the Mines the committee comes to the
conclusion that the public has been exploited
but 1t IS unable to fix the blame exactly al
though it believes that wholesalers and retail
ers have shared to some extent in the peculiar
handling Of the situation. The committee also
suspects, although it is admitted that evidence
was not secured to prove the suspicion, that
large dealers outside the State saw fit to place
large amount OF coal products in the hands
of brokers to be sold at a premium AS to
Maine, the committee reports that it discover
ed an association among the dealers whereby
territory is allotted and members protected
The dealers are also blamed for making the
consumers bear all the added expense of coal
while taking whatever reduction in price there
may be for their own benefit. In other words
the committee thinks that when the price goes
up the consumer pays ard when it goes down
he pays just the same. Finding that the Maine
law at present is Inadequate for preventing
combinations or monopoles, the committee
has recommended a dill which is submitted
with the report and which is the Sherman and
trust law modified to meet local conditions
THE CoNANr ROAD BILL
The new draft of the good roads bill intro
duced by Senator Conant Of Waldo provides
for the establishment OF State highway COM
mission and for an issue of State highway
bonds The new draft was drawn by Senator
Conant of Waldo and Representatives Scates of
Westbrook and Butler of Pennington, sub
committee appointed for that purpose, ,and en-
bodies many of the features of both the
Scates and the Butler bills.
In the House Monday Mr.. Dunton of Belfast
presented An Act to authorize N. F. Huston
and others to build a wharf 10 tide waters of
the city of Belfast, and it referred to the
Judiciary Committee. 1t was received out Of
order. The time limit on such bills expired
Feb 20.
The new draft of the act to repeal the law
making the Roman Catholic Bishop Corpora
ton sole and to provide for the Incorporation
OF parishes reported by the Judiciary COM
nittee, passed to be engrossed in the
House Tuesday by a vote of 81 to six. 1t now
goes to the Senate. The new draft gives the
right to the bishop. the vicar general and the
parish priests TO elect two laymen as trustees
to act with them. 1t also gives the parishes
the right to incorporate at any time under
certain restrictions.