Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-09

DooA IN our desks of this bill before
me. Has there been? If so, find 1t, l will
give YOU time
Mr.: DAVIES: What's the number
Of it?
Mr.. GILLIN. don't know.
Inc SECRETARY; The original draft
Is No. $50, but this new draft has not
oeen printed as q document. 1t Is SIM
ply in engrossed form.
Mr.. DAVIES It Is No. $50.
Mr.. GILL1N. know the other one,
out this one never has been printed.
and this bill in this draft, as l am in
formed credibly now-I have establish
eo one fact. that this bill has never
been printed except in that copy up
there and this Is a copy from that. /
nave also established another fact bv
inquiry that this bill as it now is has
never been printed SO that we could
read 1t In our books. but it has never
mad hearing before committee in it's
present form. And I also took the
trouble to have members of the Leg
islatnre look that fact up today.
Mr.. DAVIES: Good for you.
Mr.. GILLIN: Now let us take Section
second. In the first place this bill
makes any motor vehicle, including a
car that carries ten persons anywhere
subject to Section second, as look at
II. and 1t is most drastic measure,
and it is no laughing matter.
furthermore, than that, l wish to
say that the gentlemen who own lit
heys L have no interest in, but they
are also citizens Of the State of Maine.
They are also citizens Of Portland and
citizens Of Yarmouth, and while they
DO not pay excise tax they pay poll
tax and the pay individual tax and
they pay tax upon their jitneys If you
are going to put them under Section
second why not put the other common
carriers under Section second so that
they will have to put UP a s250O bond
in order to carry people in our cities or
our stateso
! The act is marked on it's face as in
the interest of electric roads in Port
land from whence the bill originated,
and no other place; and nobody in the
| State of Maine has asked for it. and
nobody in the State Of Maine has ask
ed for it, and nobody in the State of
Maine is interested in it except as
enunciated by the distinguished sena-
tor, the electric roads Of Portland, who
are in exact opposition to these 1itney
carriers i'll Portland, and about whom
do not care jot or little. But | do
care about the other citizens in the
State of Maine who may run automo-
biles and who may want to carry ten
people as they do up through our diff
ferent section of the State to circuses
down to our fairs and other places.
Now here is Section .. Whenever
said commission shall decide to allow
the operation of said motor vehicle
that means simply car. a motor car
1t means even a Ford automobile
for any such purposes"-thati is, of
carrying anybody, passengers, any
where. here is what they are going to
Go with them--"they shall also deter
mine and fix upon bond with good
and sufficient sureties or surety to be
approved by them. and deposited with
the State treasurer, conditioned that
the person or corporation issuing the
same shall be directly liable for and
shall pay all damages, not exceeding
$500 to any one person, that may be
recovered against the operator or
owner of the motor vehicle" They fix
the amount Of damages in the bill.
wonder how one of their electric roads
in Portland would like to have us put
! in a bill requiring that their damages
! be fiXed--"by reason of the negligent
use and operation of such motor vehi-
Gle. All such bonds shall be numbered
and all vehicles covered by such bond
shall have the corresponding numbers
with the words bonded carrier affiX-
ed to both sides of such vehicle
! Now the purpose Of that bill Is to put
the jtneys in the State of Maine en-
! tirely out of action. But it does not
stop there. Ali through the northern
sections Of my county there are men
who own automobiles, and they are
carrying passengers just as l have
said down to our fairs, down to our
cities and being paid for it, men who
have bought their automobiles and
paid for their automobiles. and pay
taxes on their automobiles and now
under this bill they are to become COM
mon carriers, they are to be put I'M
der your Public Utilities Commission
and go through all this red tape.
Look at the amount of litigation that
second section might breed, if anyone
gets tho slightest injury or hurt, and
the measure Of damages is $500. / say
to you my fellow senators, that am
not interested in the jitney, neither am
| 7 interested in the electric road
enough to vote on such a drastic meas
ure as that which will kill-and that Is
the purpose of the bill-every single
jitney buss in the State of Maine.
| I wish to go or record as absolutely
against it and l repeat that the bill
| has never been heard before any COM
mittee in this Legislature as now
drafted and before me. I repeat 1t, that
copy of it has never been printed as
Il is now being passed. Mr.. President
except the original print from which