Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-15


NIT electricity without the limits Of
khe State. 1t was testified before the
Judiciary committee the other day that
khe State Of Maine has larger horse
bower potentially for the development
bf electricity than any other state in
Rhe Union. that by the use of less than
half Of what we are capable OF de-
Seloping we can light every house,
heat every home and turn over every
anill in the State Of Maine. Our wild
lands have all gone from us: this is
practically the last thing we have. and
st 10 a heritage that this State and
this Legislature must guard very jeal-
ously.
Now to come down to the immediate
question. gentlemen, the ruling OF the
Chair is, I understand, that this amend
ment is not geImane to the particular
question involved.
We all feel a hesitancy about taking
any step that might be interpreted as
disccurtesy towards our Speaker; but
do not think that that is the neces-
sary Interpretation that must be CIV
en- to the thing. It is a question wheth-
er or not we are big enough ourselves
to attempt temporarily to wipe that
pend it in the face of an exigency that
We NAV regret all of our lives.
Now what would happen if we al
lowed this corporation to have this
right to transmit electricity outside the
State and our general statute was ulti-
mately found to he unconstitutional?
Other corporations will Immediately
transmit their power, it is within the
Of n
central station and over their lines
send the power outside of the State OF
Maine in unlimited quantities.
submit it is not an act of dis
courtesy to our Speaker. but a ques-
ton of whether or not we are big
enough temporarily to suspend that
rule and sustain the point that we will
control our own electricity until it is
determined definitely whether this law
on our statute books is sufficient for
the purpose
Air WILSON of Portland: Mr.
Speaker I think if any gentleman will
read this proposed bin he cannot help
agreeing with the ruling the Chair
The bill itself simply provides that
this oxford Electric Company shall
have the right to purchase property
Hebron. and if any man. in this body
Or any where else. can explain to me
how bill confined to the purchase of
property in the town of Hebron allows
the transmission of electricity outside
the State, l would like to have it done
right now. If you read the bill care
fully. it simply says that the Oxford
Electric Co. shall be authorized to take
Over the rical appIiopceS now in
the town Of Hebron and operate them
in the town OF Hebron. How are you
going to make it any stronger? Why
doesn't that satisfy the gentleman
from Portland?
1t does not seem to me that we are
here to amend the charter of the OK
ford Electric Co. on another matter
The only matter for consideration, es-
pecially under the ruling of the Chair
is whether the Oxford Electric Co.
shall be allowed to do business within
the town of Hebron: that is, whether
they shall be allowed to do legally just
what they have been doing for some
time.
AS the gentleman from Mechanic
Falls has said, this is a situation with
which he is especially familiar, and
happen to be a member of the COM
mittee before which this bill was heard,
ana there was no opposition to it, No
one appeared at that hearing to sug-
gest that any amendment such as is
now offered be attached to that bill;
and 1t was then stated, and it has
never been contradicted anywhere that
! know of, that the only purpose of
this bill was to relieve the trustees of
Hebron Academy from the expense of
rebuilding pole line from Mechanic
Fall3 TO the academy. 1t was stated
that this line was put in several years
ago by the academy trustees for the
purpose of furnishing light to the
buildings there, that now the poles of
the town have decayed and they need
replacement. and the trustees do not
feel able to do 1t. 1t is simply ques-
ton. gentlemen. whether YOU want this
academy. one of the oldest, most re-
putabe schools in the State of Maine,
to have favorable opportunity to
furnish light for the students to work
with. If YOU do | submit you should
support the ruling of the Speaker. If
you do not, vote the other way.
Mr.. BANTER of Portland: / believe
II is in order for member to speak
twice and not more than twice on the
same question If il were a question
merely of the oxford Electric Co.
transmitting electric current outside
the State of Maine, l should not Of
fer this proposed amendment, but the
vital part of this amendment is this,
that the Oxford Electric Co. shall not
Mt any time in the future consolidate
or unite or contract with any other
company; that is, the right to trans
NIT electric current beyond the con-
fines of this State is the gist of this
amendment
None OF us believe that the Oxford
Electric Co. itself will ever do this, but
TO show you what the plan is and
what is in the air l want to review
House Document No. 254. which is an
act to amend the charter Of the Cen
trail Maine Power Co.
Now the Central Maine Power Company
controls the situation in the heart of this
State and covers territory from 200 to
800 miles north and south, and perhaps
half or two-thirds of that east and west
Now at the hearing last week before the
judiciary committee on the gentleman
from Bingham. Mr.. buttons bill, asked
the vice president Of the Central Maine
,hot