Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-20
STATE HOUSE
Referendum May Be Invoked
on Several Acts Passed by
the Last Legislature
Much Interest in the
Evidence

Inquiry by persons interested at the
State House during the past week would
indicate that an effort might be made TO
cause the suspension of two acts passed
at the recent session of the Legislature,
the act TO divide the town OF Bristol and
and incorporate the town of South Bris-
to and the 54-hour bill, so called, which
provides that no male minor under 10
years OF age and no female shall be
employed in any workshop. factory.
manufacturing or mechanical establish
ment or laundry more than nine hours
in any one day except when a different
apportionment of the hours of labor is
made for the sole purpose of making a
shorter days work for one day of the
week, and in no case shall the hours of
labor exceed 81 in any one week.
Under the provisions of the referendum
law in order that the operation of al
act may he suspended. it will be neces-
sary TO file 10000 names, all of whom
must he duly qualified voters in the
office of the secretary of State before
midnight of July ?. Under the law, if
the petitioners request it, the governor
must call a special election for the vot-
the Legislature. In these particular
cases. it would not seem if the Pc
titioners would be liable to ask for a
special election, so the matters will go
over to the next regular. ELECTION in
September, 1916. go.
If special election waste be held in
the coming September, AS for instance,
in September, 1911, whan The voters pass
ed on the prohibition amendment to the
Constitution, 1t would be necessary to
put these cases up to the voters at that
time. II the voters at the,pext regular
election. if one is called. should accept
the two bills-the act to divide the town
of Bristol and the 54-hourla law the COVER
nor must issue his proclamation to that
effect within 80 days after the votes have
been canvassed and determined.
The divisionso of the town of Bristol has
been before the last few legislatures and
each time Nathaniel ]. HaItna, we'll
known FISH and game warfen. has been
a. the capitol working aeEast a division
ct the town. At the .3eN session the
committee on towns reported fought to
PASS on bill to dividethe town, and All
effort to submit the question to all the
voters of the town was overwhelmingly
defeated.
OF course the 54-hour law measure has
been before the Legislature in past ses-
sions. in fact planks were inserted in
the platforms of the Republican. Demo-
cratic ana Progressive parties in the
last campaign favoring the enactment
of this form of legislation. The bill was
defeated by a narrow margin at the
session of 1919. Manufacturers. particu-
larly those engaged in the textile in
dustry, have always fought the 54-hour
law. 1t is said that it would not cost
more than 500 Or so to get the requisite
1890 names te a petition for referen-
dunn and that unless a special election
was asked for which would not be like
ly. even if the people accepted the act.
it would not go into effect until some
time in October, 1916. In the meantime
the operatives n the mills would be
working on the p-esen: schedule which