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

From the Senate: Report Of the
Committee on Sea and Shore Fisheries.
reporting ought to pass" under same
title on Resolve in favor of the print
ing of the biennial report Of the Maine
State Sea Food Commission. came from
the Senate recommitted to the Commit
tee on Sea and Shore Fisheries. in non
concurrence.
On motion by Mr.. Williams of Au-
burn, the House voted to reconsider its
vote whereby the resolve on January
80 was read the second time and passed
to be engrossed
On further motion by the same gen.
tieman, the House voted to reconsider
it's vote whereby the resolve was read
once on January 26.
On further motion by the same gen.
tleman. the House voted to reconsider
| its vote whereby on January 70. 1t vot-
ed to accept the report of the commit
/ tee.
On further motion by the same gen.
tIeman, the House voted to concur with
the Senate in recommitting the report
to the Committee on Sea and Shore
Fisheries.
| From the Senate: House Doc. No. Is.
bill. An Act additional to and amenda-
tory of Chapter EOS Of the Private and
Special Laws of 1907. relating to the
west Branch Driving and Reservoir
Dam Company.
! The Senate voted to insist on its for
mer action in referring this bill to the
Committee on Interior Waters.
Mr.. MURRAY of Bangor: Mr.. Speak
! The SPEAKER: Before the Chair
recognizes the gentleman from Bangor.
Mr.. Murray, it wishes to give the sta
tus of this bill to the House. perhaps
| a little more clearly. for the benefit Of
some of the members. This act was
referred by your Committee of Refer
ence to the Committee on Interior Wat
ers. it being Senate bill The Senate
referred it TO the Committee ON 1nte-
rior Waters. 1t came to the House. and
on motion the House non-concurred, and
referred the bill to the Committee on
Judiciary. 1t went back to the Senate.
the Senate insisted and now the bill
comes back to the House.
Mr.. MURRAY Of Bangor: Mr.. Speak
or, I move that we reccde and concur
with the Senate.
Mr.. BANTER of Portland: Mr..
Speaker. / would like to explain to the
House just the status Of this bill, and
further give the reasons why ! consid-
er it of sufficient importance for this
House to insist on it's former motion
that this bill he referred to the Com
mittec on judiciary. Sometimes, great
questions arc settled by what seem at
the time to he very trifing incidents,
and l believe that this is one of those
occasions. The Senator from Pcnobscot
(Mr. Gillin) yesterday. in the Senate,
told of the long and costly fight that
was made in 1908 to secure the charter
of this West Branch Log Driving Res
crvoir and Dam Company. He said that
there were millions involved in it, that
private interests came down here and
| fought throughout that session. l have
been told privately, on excellent au
thority and it is not mere gossip. that
the lobby at that time cost those in
I terests $4,000. Now what were they
working for? They surely were not
working for the interests of the State
of Maine. Those men did not spend
that large sum Of money having in mind
the protection of the water powers and
| reservoirs that belong to the State OF
Maine; and through that large cXpcn-
dIture they took from the State Of
Maine what is. perhaps, the most valu
able reservoir system in our State. l
have talked with those Interested in
water powers and they will confirm
what ] say. Now when l took up this
matter about this amendment, which
seems to be almost formal matter, I
was only acting in the public interest.
| [ wanted to make sure that this COM
pany was not asking for something
which still remains with the people Of
the State of Maine. Rather an inter-
esting situation has developed since
then. | find that there are large pri-
vate interests opposed to this bill. and
! they will be down here next week and
take UP this question from their point
of view ! am not Interested in that at
/ all except in this way: When there are
private interests involved on both Sides
those of US who are to protect the in
! tercsts of the State of Maine are given
good deal Of information we would
| not otherwise receive Now ! think the
time has come when this House should
stand up and face the situation square
| ly. If We are going to pass any con-
structive water power legislation in the
interests OF the State of Maine, we want
to serve notice on the Senate and ev-
erybody else. this morning that we are
going to stand right up and take our
medicine.
The Senator from Penobscot yes
terday rather took exceptions to
statement that l made that the West
Branch Reservoir Co. was given the
right of eminent DOMAIN. Now | believe
that the right of eminent domain which
remains in the State of Maine should
only on the rarest occasions be grant
ed to any private corporation. The
State of Maine certainly did give this
West Branch Reservoir Co. the right
of eminent domain. 1t gave them the
right to food any land around Chesun-
cook lake, and the other chains of lakes
in that vicinity: it gave them the right
to take any camp sites. whether the
men who owned them wanted to sell or
not. They simply had to give them UP,
take the money paid them, or else go