Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-13

ernOT duuIeSS at DoNei ulu hol AShSi
us the Kennebec Journal on Friday
published only a part furnished by a
live correspondent who happened to be
present. Because of the Importance of
the Governors utterances on the mile
age books question, We are herewith
giving his speech entire, and copies
of both bills passed by the last Legis-
lature together with the Governor S
veto message We hope every reader
of the Journal will read the Governors
plain statement of the facts; that the
law was useless as passed; that it did
not mention rates; that it was incon-
sistent; that it did not follow It's title;
that it was vetoed because of the public
utilities bill just passed; that the Sec
ond bill was consistent with it's title
but mentioned no price per mile, and
that reading of both bills now shows
the dishonesty of the Democratic cam
paign claims. Thus the Governor has
fattened out the Democratic mileage
book ISSUE" and made the Demo-
cratic claims look silly. He said:
The railroads of the State have seen
fit to increase the price of mileage
books from two cents a mile to two
and one-quarter cents mile, and to
issue only 500 mile mileage books,
withdrawing from sale the former 1000
mile mileage book, which has been
sold heretofore for two cents mile.
The Democratic press of this State is
trying to make the people think that
l am in some way responsible for this,
and there are certain Democratic office
seekers who are going about the State
telling the people that l am the man
who is responsible for this change. OF
course this is being done for political
purposes. It is untrue. l have been
lied about in every campaign l have
ever been in. but I have felt that po-
litical lies in the long run Gt me no
harm Before the campaign is through,
the intelligent voters always find out
the truth and the ignorant voters are
generally influenced by the intelligent
voters and both as a rule are honest
and when they know the truth about
| the matter, or about a man, they are
always inclined to give full credit for
it.
Now, the truth about this matter is
simply this: The Legislature passed
an act which is commonly known as
the Public Utilities Bill. This bill
provides for the regulation of not only
the rates and fares of railroads, but
the regulation and the price of all 9TH
err public service commodities, such as
water, gas and electricity 1t created
court by this act into which the
humblest citizen could come and find
out whether he was paying too much
| or not for all or any of these things.
For moro than 30 years We have been
| trying to get such law, and the last
Legislature passed it. 1t was a great
| economic measure and q great adVant-
| age to our state The Republican party
being in power, and as Governor hav-
| ing advocated such a measure for
| many years in the past, our Democrat
ic friends thought it would be popu-
lar, and they were afraid of it's effect
in the coming campaign. That is, they
were afraid the Republicans would
they awaited themselves of the Consti-
tutional provision which provides for
its reference to the voters in the COM
ing September election on the petition
of 10000 voters. The Democratic lead
ers OF the State took the matter in
charge. They advertised in their pa
pers that it was q bill in the interest
of monopoly, whereas, in fact, as any
one who can read, and will read it,
will see that it is against monopoly in
every section. A few public men con-
nected with public service companies,
who object to the average citizen hav-
ing anything to say about the price he
has to pay for electric lighting or 9TH
er public services, Joined with these
Democratic leaders in the reference of
this bill, and they are supported by
their newspapers simply IN the interest
CT their own selfishness.
Now, after this bill had passed the
Legislature and had been signed by
the Governor, in about week another
bill was passed by the Legislature en-
titled AN Act to Regulate and Estab-
fish Mileage Rates for The Conveyance
of Passengers over the Steam Rail-
ACebNS Wilhiii TIE hotal6s Out lnlS Dill
instead of following the purpose of it's
title, did not in any way provide for
the regulation of mileage rates as the
public generally thinks it did, and as
the Democratic newspapers are saying
it did-because they are calling it the
two-cent mileage ll,'-but on the
contrary, it simply provided by its
terms that all railroad corporations
doing business in the State which then
or thereafter should issue. a mileage
book of 1000 mile coupons for the use
of the travelling public. should also
keep on sale and issue 500 mile mile
age book at the same rate Per mile
that it sold the thousand mile mileage
book-and that is all there was to this
bill. No price per mile for either kind
Of a mileage book was mentioned in It.
In its terms the bill does not in any
way follow its title. 1t is a bill about
mileage books and not about mileage
rates.
l herewith give you an exact copy
of the bill which is as follows:
Bill as first introduced, passed and We
toed.
STATE OF MAINE
IL