Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-08

commission but that an audit was now
in progress.
DO you mean by your questions that
the reports are not correct which Mr..
Yates has been giving us?" asked Sem
ator Davies Of Cumberland. the chair
man of the judiciary committee
THAT is what I am trying to devel-
OPP said Mr.. Carter land l think I
can show that the hydro-electri COM
missions reports have not been audit
ed by anyone except themselves and
that private auditors are now at work
upon Them
Has not the government continu-
ally been trying to get accurate fig
ures in regard to the commission ?"
continued Mr.. Carter, resuming his in
quiry of Mr.. Yates.
They are getting them every year"
replied Mr.. Yates. What do you pro-
pose to prove?" inquired Rep. Quincy
Of the committee of Attorney Carter
as the cross-exa mination went on.
Il think my inquiries will prove that
the statistics given are inaccurate and
that as a result Of conditions there
was hearing upon the matter before
the Provincial parliament and disin-
terested force of public accountants
had :een put on the books of the COM
mission
Game Of Politics
"In other words the Ontario commits
sion is doing business at a loss" inter-
posed Judge Dearth.
1T is all game of politics." went
on Mr. Yates and one of the water
20
paper man in an aside now we are
getting at it!'
Mr. Yates said that at the present
time the commission was a success but
the members in control Of the party in
power in the government were try
ing to get hold Of it. He declared that
the municipalities who We're served by
the commission were entirely satisfied
with IT..
Mr. Carter read from the report of
an investigation by the Ontario parlia-
ment stating that the Provincial treas
urer had held beck money for five
months because they could not get
proper vouchers. Mr.. Carter also made
inquiry of Mr.. Yates as to whether
the Provincial government had not
contributed in all sS24,0n0, which had
rot entered into the cost accounts of
the commission.
The Opponents Case
"This is the most vicious piece of
legislation ever considered in the
State" declared Attorney Edward F.
/ Merrill of Skowhegan, who, represent
ing various owners and distributors of
electric power, appeared for the oppo-
nents of the Dutton bill. ut is not
workable. not even constitutional I'M
der the laws of Maine today.
The agitation for this conservation
hill, Mr.. Merrill declared, comes from
three classes of persons: First. the
Socialist. who believes in municipal
ownership and cares nothing for the
rights of others: second, the political
agitator, who knows little and cares
less about the rights of capital or la
Dor. provided he may win the applause
of the unthinking and hence make
political capital; third, people who be-
lieve in it through mistaken informa-
ton and those who believe in the gen.
no information at all.
This bill, he continued was taken
almost bodily, typographical errors and
dA' HUH tle Oil creating tne nyQrO-
electric commission of Ontario. Hence
it is vitality necessary to compare
Maine and Ontario and determine if
Typographical conditions and legal en-
actments are in any degree the same
if. in short, what could be accomplish
ed by commission in Ontario could
in any degree be accomplished by
commission in Maine He was prepared
to show by competent expert testi-
mony, he said that the two are radi-
cally and fundamentally different
Discussing the underlying legal prin-
ciples, Mr.. Merrill pointed out that
there is no written constitution in On
tario-the Provincial Legislature is su-
preme, and may delegate to a. commits
sion any authority it chooses. In Maine
on the other hand there are the strict
and encompassing limitations Of the