Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-09
STATE HOUSE
Continued from Page One)

tCcntInued from rage One)
. creed at places Of public accommoda
. ton. resort or amusement. act to re-
. peal the so-called peonage law eliminat-
4. ing the Jail sentence for these who
: quit their jobs in numbering operations
after having received advances. act re-
. lating to vacancies in public Office
. which makes the death or inability to
= serve Of a person elected to office be-
, fore assuming office a vacancy for the
purpose of filling the Office, resolve to
. reimburse certain cities and towns for
. the support of dependent families of
. members Of the National Guard who
. served on the Mexican border. a resolve
providing for steel lockers for Nation
. al Guard armories and a commission
Of sea and shore fisheries and a direc-
, tor Of sea and shore fisheries
: Electricity and Water
Z The Legislature was signalized by a
bitter fight over the transmission of
electricity beyond the confines of the
. State and the conservation Of the wat
! or powers Of the State. Three water
power commission bills were intro
duced, the called Tracy bill. leg
acy from q previous session. the Dut-
. ton BILL which provided for State own
ership and development of water pow
ers and the Baxter bill, which pro-
vided for State regulation all of which
. failed OF passage. The Cole bill which
provided for the transmission of cleo
tricity under certain restrictions be-
yond the confines of the State was de-
feated and the only measure along
this line that looked like passage was
q resolution introduced by Rep.
Barnes Of Houlton which provided that
the Public Utilities Commission pro-
coed with an investigation Of the wat
er powers of the State and to deter
mine what rights. If any. the State
has in storage reservoirs and basins
and In water powers. but it was killed
at the last moment In the House.
Numerous water power charters died
between the Houses because of the re-
fusal of the Senate to adopt amend
ments offered to them by Rep. Baxter
, OF Portland and adopted In the House
which would forbid them to trans
init electricity beyond the confines of
the State or to unite with any other
company doing SO.
These Measures Failed
Included in the measures which fall
ed Of passage by the Legislature were
an act to provide for the double guage
measurement OF Holsters, fixing the
lower limit at and the upper limit
. at 10 inches, q State wide 9-inch bill,
a 9-inch bill for York and Cumber-
, land counties and a uniform 10-inch
bill to become effective when adopted
f., by the other New England states; the
apportionment resolve. which would
. increase the representation of the city
OF Portland; an act to provide for the
distribution of the common school
fund on the basis of aggregate attend
: ance: an act to create State Board
: of Osteopathy: act repeating the law
: which provides for the distribution of
. the telegraph. telephone and railroad
lax to cities and towns where the
stock is located. an act to establish
district almshouses or infirmarles;
resolve amending the Constitution so
rs 10 provide for absent voting: re-
solve providing an additional bond is
sue for state highway purposes; an
act to provide for military training IN
the public schools: resolve providing
for an income tax.
Two Vetoes
Governor Millikcn. vetoed two meas
,,res. one en- the act to establish the
Belfast police court and the other on
tho act opening the mouth of the
Sheepscot ana pamariscotta rivers to
smclt fishing.
Private and Special
Included in the bills OF private
and special nature which We're passed
hy the LEGISLATURE were AN act to es-
t,blish q Police Commission for the
CITY of Lewiston and an act to pro-
vide for n volunteer police force Tor
the city of Portland. the last named
neing in the nature of a war measure.
The Legislature appropriated in the
two main appropriation bills money to
the amount of Sl3.SSS.446.42, $6,719.-
1876 for the year 1917 and S7,1l4.-
aO476 for 1918. The Legislature fixed
the tax rate at six mills for each or
the years 1917 and 1918.
Ballot Law Surprise
Rep, Baxter of Portland introduced
cut Of order a bill which was under
SUSPENSION Of rules given its three
several readings and passed to be en-
crossed. amending the present law re-
lating 10 the printing Of the ballots SO
as to conform to the new ballot law
PASSED at this session.