Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-26

with the ways and bridges committees.
The SPEAKER: The Chair will be
obliged to rule that that would not
be in order at this time except by
unanimous consent.
MIR. DUTTON: would ask for unan-
imous consent.
The SPEAKER: 1t will be received
if there is no objection. There is no
objection and the gentleman from
Bingham CHR. Dutton) may proceed.
Mr.. DUTTON: Resolves reported
Ought to pass" s5S.S00; Ought not
to pass" $780, 200. There are now pend
ing siS6, $3.50. The resolves reported
Ought TO pass" and asked for, Slol,-
$50: resolves reported Ought not to
pass s9e. 200; acted upon. s2oo.S9o: re-
ported Ought to pass" $5S.300: amount
refused sl4o.59o. Total amount asked
for to date, $685.. S21.5a. Under this
same appropriation the COMMITTEES
would recommend about 100000. II
has been put up very plainly, ana per-
haps forcibly (and / might say 1airi3p
by the gentleman from Houlton, AR.
Pierce, that if these resolves are Kill
ed here in this Legislature, that the
responsibility rests upon the sentie-
man from Bingham. Gentlemen OF TINS
LEGISLATURE: l object to that respon-
sibility being placed upon me. These
resolves have come here and nave
been referred to the committee. Ihey
have already been scaled down more
than the proportion that would be ne
cessary between the difference Of sl-o,-
coo. as recommended by the Governor.
and the S200,0 as recommended py
the committee. They have already re-
reived their cut. They have passed
through both branches of this Legs
Iature without the least Objection
and without a word of protest from
any member. They have been SlSnen
by the Speaker OF the House ana ny
the President of the Senate and nave
gone up to the Governor for his action.
AS understand it, they have now re-
ceiled the Governors action. which IS
veto. / will admit that the PROPOSE
ton was put up to ME just before TINS
session. and also last night. that II l
would recall those bills now, they
would in the end receive. SO far as
consistent. influence from a Demo-
cratic source to ensure their MAJ
passage | contend, gentlemen. mat
the bills have already been acted on
in their natural course and in ialr'
square. omen and above-board manner
and if they must he killed because /
refuse to accept the terms OF peace
then | am willing TO go down WIN
them. ! appeal to the fairness anu
sense of Justice Of the members OF
this LEGISLATURE. regardless of party,
10 see that these meritocious meas
urcs receive their passage. (Appiause''
II pERHAM OF Woodstock: NJ
Speaker ard gentlemen o. the House
l wish in a small way to eau the az
tention Of the House TO one condi =
ton that seems TO have been OVERLOOK
ed in the course OF this discussion
The gentleman from Houlton, Nj.
Pierce. appealed to the business men,
the lawyers and doctors of this lesls-
lature. that it was a fair PROPOSE
ton as he put it forth: he did not
appeal TO the farmers whom l have
the honor 10 represent. This question
Of these appropriations embraces IN
broader sense more than Just sinpI!
the question Of whether this resolve
affecting this town Of Moscow shoul"
mass or not. There is CONDITION
throughout this State today that we
must meet. and l can see but one WY
in which 10 meet it. ! refer 10 til"
conditions of travel which hay,
changed greatly in the past few years
II these small towns we are sup
piled with roads and bridges that for
Years have been adequate for the tray
el over them. With the advent of the
automobile and the great income that
we claim to have in this State IRON
the tourists that come into this
State. as we'll as from the auto
mobiles in our own State. the condi-
tons have absolutely changed and are
these. they have gone through these
small towns and their heavy cars and
they have torn our roads to pieces.
they have weakened our bridges whlc'i
were entirely adequate for our uses.
and they have become dangerous and
in many cases have become impassi-
BILE Who is liable The town is liza
BILE TO an indictment if its roads are
not in a passab!e condition. How
can they do il? AS member of that
committee on ways and bridges. l NiSn
to say that We have considered these
matters and the merits of the cases
as they have appeared before US: We
have been compelled from a simple
idea of justice and actual necessity
to vote ought to pass on large
number OF these resolves already when
there has been a possibility that they
may have been passed as the record
shows; we have voted nearly twice rs
large an appropriation ought not %
pass Us we have voted ought to pass.
We have this condition in our Sta,e
today these sn Ill towns whose roads
have been thus destroyed by this bust
ness which is OF such value to the
State of Maine. and Ct that there
can be no doubt. These people are
not coming to the town of Wood
stock; they simply go through the
town of Woodstock to get to some
other place: we like 10 have them
come: we have gone deep into our
pockets to provide ways and bridges
and we are going to continue. doins
that very same thing because it is
all for the best interest of the State
of Maine.
But. Mr.. Speaker, I want to say to
you and to the gentlemen of this
House that these small towns must
have assistance to keep their ways
and bridges in condition to satisfy