Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-28

/ These storage reservoirs are the real
source of our water supply, ana what
ever we do now to protect tnenn' VIII
make il Just so much easier Tor those
who come after us and VINO VIII De
brought face 70 face with this sltua-
ton.
There are several new charters be-
fore US for reservoir purposes, as wei
as several amendments to existing
charters.
Now, some may say that perhaps 1t
is unfair to insist upon this proposed
amendment, which l shall read to you,
being placed upon charters which
come here for amendment only. but it
seems to me that this is the answer to
make: We can say to these companies.
f"You have enjoyed these privileges
throughout these years: doubtless they
fave been for your advantage and for
your profit, and we want to encourage
I'you and we will give you these addi-
tional rights, but on this one condi-
ton that when the time comes. If ever
lit does come, that the State wants to
take over the franchises which it has
granted to you, it shall have the right
ITO do so, and il will pay YOU for all the
property which is represented, but it
will not pay YOU for the franchises
which it gave you-it will not pay you
for the franchises which you have re-
ceiyed for notnine-when the State
takes them over, it ought not to be OBJ
lieed to pay YOU for them. l do not see
how any company can honestly refuse
to accept such an amendment.
Now tho amendment WnlCh L suggest
be placed on the reservoir companies
reads as follows:
"All the property rightS and fran
chises within the state of Maine, ac-
quired. directed owned, held or controll-
ed by this corporation or its success
sors or assigns. at any time after this
act shall take effect, shall be subject
to be taken over and become the prop
erty of the State. whenever said state
shah determine by proper legislation
that the public interests require the
same to be done. Upon the taking eff
!. feet of such legislation, the ownership
of said property. rights and franchises
shall Immediately be transferred to and
vested in said State, and said State
shall make just compensation to the
owner or owners thereof for the proper
ty rights and franchises so taken, ex-
scapt the franchise conferred by the
State of Maine upon this corporation
which said franchise shall be wholly ex-
cluded in the determination Of the
amount to be paid to said corporation
by the State The fair value Of the
property. rights and privileges so TAX
en- by the State subject to the exemp-
ton hereinbefore mentioned, shall be
determined by agreement between this
corporation and such offers and agents
of the State as shall be thereunto au-
thorized 70 act in its behalf by the act
which authorized the taking of said
property. rights and privilegeS and fail
ing Of such agreement within SIX
after said act takes effect, the supreme
judicial court in any county where any
of the property, rights and privileges
, so taken are situated, may upon petit
ton Of either party appoint three dis
interested persons as appraisers to fix
and determine the amount of money to
be paid for the fair value of the prop
erty. rights and privileges SO taken,
subject to the exemption aforesaid. The
method of procedure and duties and
powers Of the appraisers to be deter
mined by the act authorizing such TAX
ing"
Now, the third class of companies to
, which ! have referred. is the log-driv-
ing and dam and boom companies. This
class Of companies resembles that of
the reservoir companies, for most of
them have the right to condemn prop
, erty and to erect piers dams. and even
booms Now, as electric power devel-
ops and as the science of electricity de-
. Ve!opS in the years to come, it does not
i require q stretch of the ina gination to
ToTesee the time when, perhaps. even
these log-driving dams may become val
liable Tor water power purposes, they
may become parts of great storage res
i ervolr systems, and on that account
suggest that on all new charters even
Tor loE-driving dams. this same clause
be applied II may not be necessary
to apply it to amendments to log-driy-
ing charters, for in dealing with this
matter we do not want to go into trivial
or unln9ortant matters, but | do be
lieve that on new charers we should
insist upon this clause in order to pro-
tect whatever interest the State of
Maine may later want to have in these
log-driving companies. We should grant
these charters and at the same time
protect the States interest in them.
Now | do not intend to make q
speech on the general water power
question at the present time, but we are
approaching the end Of this session.
we are already in the ninth week, and
something must be done with these IS
bills that are before us. / hope that
this LEGISLATURE will adopt some pol
icy, either that which | suggest or
that which may be suggested by some
other member, 50 that in the future we
may have something definite upon
which to base our plans and SO that
! the door will rot be left wide open as
it has been too often in the past. Once
established everybody will understand
just what thcir rights are.
The people of Maine pride themselves
on their independence and upon their
freedom, hut when it comes to the
question Of water powers. do not
think we realize how little freedom we
have.
Take it in The United States, for in
stance. the United States government
reports that of all the developed wa
ter horsepower in the United States
used by public service corporations
! is COmDani or ntrol over Ore-half of