The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-03-13
BRIEF LEGISLATIVE
NEWS
Tersely Told in Short
Paragraphs
Charter for Great Moose Lake Power
Go. Met With Opposition at Augusta
Hearing, Thursday

located In Hartland, in Somerset coun-
ty. This has been the prevailing Gus
tom through this Legislature at all
hearings over such bills.
John w. Manson, Esq, an attor-
ney of Pittsfield, representing the citi-
zens of Hartland, appeared In opposi-
ton to the charter. Mr.. Mansfield told
the committee that, after having tried
two weeks, he had learned, Thursday
afternoon that the Linn Wooden Co.
of Hartland, the largest industry in
the town, was behind the project, but
that he wanted to hear from the COM
pany direct about the project which
he termed "a pig in bag
George II. Morse presented the side
of the proponents, whose original bill
provides for supplying electricity to
towns of HartIand Palmyra, Pittsheld,
st. Adams. Cornville and Skowhegan,
with the right of eminent domain and
the capitalization is fixed at 100000.
He said that If the Linn Wooden Co.,
which was back of the project, did not
get the charter to develop its water
powers on Great Moose Lake 1t would
become bankrupt. He was willing to
agree to cut out the other towns and
confine operations to Hartland and not
to furnish power where local COM
panies exist.
In reply to question, Mr.. Morse
said they could develop 1000 horse
power on the lake which is ten miles
long on the shores of which are cot
tages and sporting camps.
Opposition developed from the Hart
land Electric Light Co. and the Cen
trail Maine Power Co. to the charter.
Warren c. Philbrook presented DR.. c.
A. Moulton, president of the Hartland
Electric Light Co., who showed the
committee a receipt for $4,000 paid the
Linn Wooden Co. last year for water
power privileges and said that 20 citi-
zens of the town had spent $4,000 on
their plant. He thought it unfair for
this company to be granted rights to
compete with them. Half a dozen
other Hartland citizens who are stock
holders in the company, sustained the
contention.
Atty. ]. w Manson of Pittsfield OPP
posed the charter, saying that while
the citizens of Hartland, whom he
did not wish to oppose
whatever might be beneficial to the
Linn Wooden Co. the principal indus
try of the town, he never knew they
were interested until Thursday, and
thought that before action should be
taken, the company should be directly
He could not under
stand how Mr. Morse could state in
one breath that the life of the Hart
land Wooden Co. depended on the
granting of this charter, when II they
developed what was asked in the
charter, it would cost many thousand
$150,000. He
thought that it was a sort of a pig
In a bag.
A new draft of the bill relating to
the financial management of the af-
fairs of the Catholic churches in
Maine was unanimously reported by
the judiciary committee in the House
Monday. 1t was understood to be
4 compromise measure. Bishop
Walsh approves it.
The resolve providing for an
to the constitution to give
women the right to vote was killed in
the House Wednesday. 1t had been
passed in the Senate but the House
failed to give the bill the two-thirds
vote necessary for a constitutional
The vote was SO in ia
vor and 50 against the measure, or
six votes lacking.
An income tax bill to raise revenue
for the support of the State govern
ment was introduced in the Maine
House of Representatives Wednesday
by Rep. VIM II. Sargant of Portland.
1t provides that after next January
there shall be annually assessed, levi
ed and collected upon the gains. gross
profits and income, tax of one per
cent over and above $4,000 and up to
So 900; one and one-half per cent on
So 900 up to $500; two per cent on
81 500 up to 10000; two and half
per cent on $4,000 up to $4,000, and
three per cent on $4,000 and over
The Irving bill for compulsory ar
bitration of strikes. lock-outs, and dis
putes between employers and en-
ployees of public utilities. Ought not
to pass" according to the judiciary
committee The committee reported
failure to find any decision of the
court holding lawful any attempt to
bring about compulsory arbitration
and held that the right OF the public
service corporation to hire Its strik-
ing servants and to discharge them
cannot be taken away by any act OF
the legislature, also that the striking
employees could not be compelled to
return to WORK
Franz I Ham of Augusta. a former