Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-12

rnent 1854, bill An Act to eaualize
salaries OF county treasurers. tabled by
, the gentleman from Westbrook. Mr.
Gilmour. pending its third reading, and
| specially assigned for today
| Mr.. GLAMOUR: M. Speaker. as to
Cumberland County, / wish to say that
| there has been q misunderstanding Sst
the mover o. the amendment In tas
Senate in regard to the salary Of the
treasurer. That salary has not been
changed for long time, and, when our
| ccmmitfea met at the once ,of the
Treasurer Of Cumberland County, / was
greatly surprised At the small salary
which he was getting, rs wen as at the
increase OF business Last year he
handler over $3.50 ar and he 10 response
Bile for every dollar that he handles
This year he will handle much more
because we are building a large bridge
there--over e million dollar bridge The
committee found that the salary was on
" $500, and had been so for a long
while--for tue last 20 years-and out o.
that salary he must pay his clerk and
stenosrapher. II is very necessary that
he should have one because he has to
leave the Office quite often, and the
Office has TO be kept open. Now il ne
MAD 10 buy his bond. If he were respon-
sl5le for his boDd-althouSh ! believe
the committee reported that Cunaber-
land County should pay for his bond
II he had TO pay for that bond. il would
COST him s3tf. Now deducting the
clerks salary and the $50 for the bond
from the $3.50. ryould leave HIM but a
yer! small amount for handling thst
great amount Of money. SO, you see
they recommended a salary or s2lJo. he
10 pay his clerk out Of that That is
moi a great amount. Other county
clerks in the same building are yener-
ally paid by the county, and the mover
CT tEis amendment understood that the
county paid fer his clerk: but IL does
not That is why the amendment wa.
made in the Senate: and. If they had
understood il correctly. they never would
glaVe made that amend,mnt ! viii read
the amendment
ia
Amend hue :, Section ! OF I'LL. An
Act TO equa.ize the salaries Of tsanty
treasurers' by striking out &aid lire
ana substituting therefor the following
Cumberland. sixteen hundred dollars
We all know that Cumberland Coun-
valuation is over $40 oaooo The treas
urer coming from my town We ell fel,
a great interest in the matter: ami.
waen this amendment Was proposed and
went through the Senate, we were very
much surprised, and some Of us felt
tha. il was rather a sbeAt upon our
city OF Westbrook. ! do not want TO ne
rnIserly, and ! do not ask YOU 10 be lin
eral even, because We have the county
debt 10 reduce. and we llave this large
bridge costing ovr one million dollars.
and The county treasurer has got TO
handle every cent of that money and
be responsible dor Il; but / do ask Won
TO be just. You KNOW. and every gen.
ternan here knows, that bis salary
ought 10 be raised TO what the commit
tee recommended. and that is small
enough Not only that. but there is an
element az danger IN handling chat
amount OF money. He has got to go 10
and from the bank 10 the county build
ing. carrying quite large sums Of money.
s few years ago we had a county treas-
urer whose Office was burglarized. He
was knocked IN the head and the bur
d glar went through his Office. The safe
happened 10 be left open and the bur
glar robbed the safe of something over
5000. The window was open, and ne
few out OF the window, over a large
wall and flew away. They never have
heard from him since and have never
recovered any OF the money. II re-
Quires d man fer the position Of county
treasurer III whom We all have conf
tence I will say that when the present
incumbent consented 10 take the office,
TWO Of the heaviest tax payers In the
County Of Cumberland came forward
ana offered to go his bond. He is a
man who has been mayor Of Westbrook.
also post master a man we have I'M
BOUNDED confidence in. Such a man as
that has got 10 be paid fer his services.
ana ] last ask you 10 ron-concur in
this amendment, which. as l say, was
made by reason of misunderstanding.
M Gjlmour moved that Senate
Amendment A be not adopted in con-
turrence with tile Senate.
! The motion was agreed TO
f, O.! further motion by Mr.. Gilnour,
the bin was given its third reading and
passed to DC engrcssed
The STEAMER. pro ten: The Chair
lays before the House House Doc. 81.
bill An .ACt to fix the salary Of the
Governor. same Beng tabled by Inc
gentleman from t1oulron, Mir. Pierce,
\ the pending question being the third
| reading Of the bill.
Mir. Pierce offered House Amend
ment \. to amend by striking out the
words: He shall have his official
residence at Augusta during his term
Of office and shall devote mis- entire
/ time 10 his official duties
! The question being on the adoption
Of the amendment.
\ Mr.. PIERCE: Mr.. Speaker, dis
4 Ike very much TO offer an amendment
I 10 a bill that has the unanimous sup
/ port Of the committee on salaries and
fees. do however, feel that thu
first part Of this section which | ask
, to have stricken ont. is unnecessary.
! These words do not have any real le
! gal meaning as far as ! can see.
/ The question OF a mans official resi-
dence may be in one place ana II may
! be in another place; ] don't know that
/ il makes any particular difference to
any one where his official residence