Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-04

PRESIDENT ana lSllOW SeuatoESs ! Secoiu
the motion of Senator Higgins that this
amendment be indefinitely postponed. In
explanation Of the same will say that
this bill was submitted to the committee
on sea and shore fisheries, and very
careful hearing was given, a public hear
ing, and also in executive session your
committee considered this proposition
very carefully.
We realized in considering this prop
osition that there were two interests
there. there were two lines of fishermen.
There were people that were interested
in the line fishermen. fishing through
the ice. and there were people that were
interested in the seiners.
The bill as originally presented to us
asked the repeal of the whole law. We
felt that the line fishermen and the SEM
ers had common interest there, and the
bill as We presented it we believed pro
tects the interests of the line fishermen
and their seiners. and the line as we rec
commended it is below any possible point
that the line fishermen through the ice
could possibly use. because the ice does
not go down the bay that far, and we
cannot see why the report of the COM
mittee should not be accepted.
move that the report of the commit
tee be accepted.
Mr.. BOyNTON of Lincoln Mr.. Pres
ident. 1 rise to sustain the amendment
I will say that the handliners view
this repeal of the law with a good deal
of CONSERVATION and alarm. and they
have written and telephoned and sent
petitions and they have been here in
person. They do not wish their chance
of livelihood be taken from them. on
the other hand have not received from
the seiners one unsolicited demand that
the law be repealed The handliners
and the sympathizers of the hand
liners, something over two hundred,
they protest on the ground that there
was a new draft submitted in ;Se place
of the original bill, and they have had
no chance to appear for that; and they
further say that between the time Of
1887 and 1901. when the law was re-
pealed that the fisheries at the head
waters of both rivers were destroyed
and the smelts become scarce that
fishing was necessarily abandoned. They
cannot see why these two rivers were
singled out, The original bill called for
a repeal of the law from Casco Bay to
the Penobscot.
The smelts are migratory fish and re-
turn to the same river in which they
We're Matched and where they are ac-
customed to spawn. and when they are
once taken from the river it takes a
good while TO propagate them again.
A,,I
consistent that at this session we have
enacted three laws. House bills. 15S, 96,
and us, and all of those restricting the
seiners and giving the hand-lners more
liberties and more fishing grounds.
1t seems to me that the place where
they can fish with hand lines. where the
ice is. does not have much bearing on
this question, for it is the fish that they
are after, and If the fish are taken at
the mouth it does not matter whether
there is ice clear down to the sea or
not.
Mr.. DAVIES OF Cumberland: Mr.
President, will the Chair be kind enough
to read the amendment.
The PRESIDENT (reading): Senate
amendment A to II. y. $50.
House Document $40 entitled An Act
to amend Section &c OF Chapter As of
the Revised Statutes, relating to smelts.
is hereby amended by striking out the
words "Merrill's Lodges" in the twelfth
line of Section IS on page two of said
act and inserting in place thereof the
words Spectacle Island and Brooks
Point" and striking out in the thir-
teenth line of said section the words
'Merry's Island" and inserting in place
thereof the words "Farnum's Point" in
Lincoln county so that said section as
amended shall read as follows:
Section &c. No smelts shall be taken
or fished for in the tidal waters along
the coast Of Maine within one-half mile
of the coast line at mean high-water
starting from Cape Small Point on the
west bank of the kennebec river and
continuing eastcrly along the coast of
Maine to Owls Head in Penobscot bay,
except by hook and line or weirs or set
not less than ten. nor more than fifty
dollars for each offensc. to be recovered
by complaint or Indictment This sec
ton shall not apply to the waters along
the coast of Maine between Martini
lolnt ana Nnlle tiead IN the county of
Knox. or in the Shcepscot river to Spec
taclc Island and Brooks Point, nor in
the Damariscotta river to 1'crnum's
Point in Lincoln county"
Mr. BOYNTON of Lincoln: Mr. Pres
ident, | move that when the vote be
taken it be taken by q division.
The pending question being on the
motion of the senator from Penobscot,
Senator Higgins, that Senate Amend
rnent a to III. D. 500 be Indefinitely
postponed, a rising vote was had, and
13 senators Voting in the affirmative
and six in the negative. the motion pre-
vailed and the amendment was indefi-
nitely postponed.
On further nCtion by the same SEN
ator the bill was passed to be engross-
ed in concurrence.
On motion b." Mr.. Peacock OF Wash
ingtCn, S. n. 333, An Act to require Ger
tain vehicles tC carry lights at night
and to control the glare of headlight
WAS taken from the table.
The same senator then offered Sen
ate Amendment to II. d. 1893 and
moved its passage:
Amendment ''B" to Senate Docu-
ment 1913.
Senate Document 3$5 entitled AN