Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-02

$50. entitled IAN Act to create board
of prison commissioners"
Mr.. Rounds of Portland offered
House Amendment "a" to amend nv
inserting after the word prison" in the
second line of Section 2, the following
words Exclusive of any other board
created by statute" so that said sec
ton as amended shall read as follows:
section 2. The commission shall
have the genral direction and SUPER
! vision of the State prison exclusive of
any other board created by statute.
1t shall make and establish such rules
and regulations. not inconsistent with
law, as it may deem expedient. for the
direction of the officers of the prison
in the performance of their duties, for
the government, discipline, instruction
and employment of inmates, for the
supply of food, clothing and bedding
therein. and for the custody and
preservation of the property connected
herewith
The amendment was adopted
Mr.. ROUNI>s: Mr.. Speaker, as / UNI
derstand it, the bill is now before the
House.
The SPEAKER: AS / understand it,
the bill is now before the House pend
ing it's third reading.
/ Mr.. ROUNDS: Mr.. Speaker I would
like to say something in regard to that
bill. In the third and fourth lines of
Section l, 1t says that the commission
shall consist of three members. One
serves six years, one four years, and
one two years. l think that length of
time is too long for them to serve. l
am not going to make any amendment
to it, but it looks to me as if the long
terms of office take it from the hands
of the people. 1t looks to me as if the
terms are too long and that we should
look at it in a different light The
nearer you keep to the people. the bet
;er it is fol-. the people.
Now. in the fourth and fifth lines of
Section 4, it refers to the Governor,
and says, 1T shall make to him in
writing. without publicity" etc. l
think, if there is anything that should
be public, it is the record of man
convicted of any crime. l do not
think it should be so that would be
covered up; therefore, l do not think
that should be so.
In the eighth line, it says that the
commission should have exclusive
jurisdiction in cases of granting parole.
1t has been the custom for the COM
mittee on parole, the Governor and
Council. to be the last ones to handle
this thing; and / think that it is right
that they should be the ones to handle
it and to continue to handle it. | do
not think it should be vested in other
commissions. 1t looks to me as though
it were pling commissions on top of
commissions. The Governor and
Council are the last ones to handle
this thing and they should look after
it altogether. l would like to have the
bill lie on the table.
The SPEAKER: The gentleman
from Portland, Mr.. Rounds, moves that
the bill lie on the table pending its
third reading.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. LAWRENCE of Fairfield: Mr..
Speaker. | move to take from the table
Senate Document No. 20S, bill, AN
Act to secure information relating to
the yearly cut of timber from the wild
land townships" and l yield the floor
to Mr.. Allan OF Portland.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr.. ALLAN of Portland: Mr.. Speak
err, since the consideration of that
measure by the committee on taxation,
a number of bills have come in involv-
ing that same measure, and | think 1t
would be for the interest of all if that
could be recommitted to the commit
tee on taxation.
The pending question being on the
motion of the gentleman from Port
land, Mr.. Allan, to recommit the bill,
Senate Document No. EOS, to the COM
mittee on taxation,
The motion was agreed to.