The Republican journal., 1915-03-18
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.


LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
In the house Wednesday morning. March 10th
the members declared in favor Of the pres
ent method of distributing the State school
fund by vote of 50 to 63 on the motion of
Kicker of Castine to accept the majority report
of the educational committee, ought not to pass,
on the grange bill. The grange bill provided
that the school fund OF the State should be dis
tributed according to the aggregate attendance
of pupils instead Of as by the present law, one
third upon valuation and two thirds upon school
census.
| The COMMITTEE on towns reported favorably
on the bill asking that the Northport camp
| ground be given charter for village corpora.
| ton.
rhe Senate, Thursday. after comparatively
little discussion. by vote of 81 to 8. adopted
the majority report the committee on educa-
ton which rejected the grange proposition to
change the method of distributing the common
school fund. Senators Walker of Somerset and
Murphy of Cumberland were the only ones
| who discussed the report and their remarks
IN general, we're to the effect that, while the
present method may not be the best. it is best
that has yet been devised and change would
be dangerous.
Two vigorous, evenly matched, militant fac
tions appeared in the committee on agriculture
March 10th, when the bill providing that the
State live stock sanitary commissioner shall be
| graduate veterinarian came up for its second
| hearing. The committee voted ought not to
| pass after the first hearing, but decided to re-
| open the case and the second session proved
decidedly lively. Those who opposed the bill
were led by Cyrus N Blanchard of Wilton and
| the cause of the veterinarians was looked after
| by DR. William L. West of Belfast. Farmers
| were lined up mostly in opposition to the
measure and had as their allies the non gradu-
ate veterinarians, who are legally qualified to
do business in the State.
By vote of almost three to one, and with
only one speech delivered on the whole propo-
sition. the Maine senate March 18th voted to
adopt the Massachusetts ballot for this State.
1t was the business of the day for the upper
house. The actual vote was 81 in favor and
against, with two members absent. Singularly
enough. there was really no debate on the p,o-
position. Two reports on the Massachusetts
ballot had been received from the judiciary
committee; the majority was ought not to pass
and the minority was ought to pass.
Two acts relating to the enforcement of the
prohibtory liquor law were presented in the
House March 18th by Representative Hill of
Corinth. One of the bills provides that all en-
forcement deputy sheriffs appointed by the
sheriffs of the several counties shall be con-
frmedlby the several boards of county commits =
sioners of the counties before entering upon
their duties. The other measure provides that
all contraband liquors seized in violation of the
prohibitory law shall be turned over to the
several boards of county commissioners of the
several counties and disposed of as the law
provides.
Representative Jameson of Friendship pre-
ot TO ,rouido for nlooiDp 1ohsIerS
The act provides that every lobster caught or
brought within the jurisdiction of this State
fore placed within any car, pound or other
place for keeping the same or being sold or Of
fered for sale shall be plugged. violation
shall be punished by fine of one dollar for each
lobster not plugged.
= An amendment to the constitution that would
allow all cities to increase their debt limit, to
seven and half per kcent, came before
the judiciary committee Thursday afternoon.
This would be provided by increase of one
quarter of one per cent, year until the max
imum of seven and half per cent, was reach
ed The particular resolve under discussion
had been proposed by Atty Gen. Pattangall,
who spoke in favor of it. He said that in his
own city and in other cities too, the debt limit
had been reached and there would be no OPP
portunity under the present five per cent, law
to make any big imp ovement if it were need.
ed. He wanted all cities to be placed in the
same class as Portland Judge Fred Emery
Bean of Hallowell, and DR.. Plummer of Lisbon.
spoke in favor of the amendment. DR.. Plum
mer thought some measure should be passed
that would exempt from municipal debt,
public utility owned by the city or town.
Mill men of the State made their biennial
fight before the labor committee Thursday af-
ternoon against the repeal of the law which
provides that employees shall give weeks
notice or forfeit weeks pay when leaving
their employment and that employers in turn
shall give similar notice or pay similar for
felt when discharging an employe without
cause.
In the house Friday morning the bill making
81 hours of labor week legal time of employ
me ut in Maine establishments. mills, factories
and mechanical establishments was passed to
be engrossed after lively, if short, debate.
Resolves appropriating money carrying overa
million dollars have already been signed by
Gov Curtis, This is but very small portion
of the resolves that have been presented for
approval by the members OF the Legislature.
The total of requests would go into the mil
lions OF the resolves already signed by the
chief executive, the following might be mem
toned as the most important: For salaries,
S154, $50; preservation OF the fish in the hatch
cries of the State, $25,C00; Bangor State hos
pital, 1915 800; public instruction in forestry,
SIT 900; State pensions, S250000; for the Pen
obscot and Passamaquoddy tribes of Indians,
S72679; improvement in the method of market
ing farm products, s99. 600; co operative agricu-
tural work. $l2.436; normal schools, $97,0
Other resolves and acts of local interest are as
follows:
An Act addition al to the charter of the PERI
obscot Bay Electric Company.
An Act to exempt neat stock thirty months
old and under and all sheep and swine from
taxation.
An Act to extend the charter of the Waldo
Street Railway Company.
An Act to change the name of Mark Island
lying in Penobscot bay, in the county Of
Hancock, to Resolution Island
Resolve reimbursing James J. Clement for
expenses incurred during the contest of his
seat in the House of Representatives of the
Seventy-seventh Legislature, $4,000.
Resolve reimbursing Peter Harmon for ex-
penses incurred in contesting the seat of James
J. Clement in the House of Representatives of
the Seventy seventh Legislature, 5000 90.
In the House Saturday Mr. Clifford from the
judiciary committee reported fought to pass"
on bill, An Act to amend Chapter 272 of the
Private and Special Laws of 1909, entitled
AN Act to amend the charter of the city Of
Belfast"
The bill providing for a close time on bull
moose was passed by the Senate Tuesday after
an amendment exempting Washington county