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

] l0n0, MI. 6A3tcE, ~ A4Ot OlSGuSSAho 49,
matter under consideration.
The SPEAKER: The Chair regards the
point of order as well taken. The Ques-
ton is on the ruling, and the ruling was
that the amendment under consideration
is not germane to the subject of the DILL
Mr.. BAXTER: Mr.. Speaker. pardon
me one moment. The gentleman from
Mechanic Falls, Mr.. burlington. told US
about the oxford Electric Company. as
did also the gentleman from Houlton'
Mr.. Barnes, and 1 simply want to sho"
why I feel that this company is IN the
same situation as the other companies
even though 1t is small company, and
Il YOU will allow me two minutes more
! I will finish. unless you are going 10 RUE
very strictly on the question.
The SPEAKER: The gentleman from
Portland is granted two minutes.
Mr.. BAXTER: The Central Maine
Power Company wants to purchase tins
Bath and Brunswick Light and POWER
| Company, the Penobscot Bay Electric
Company, the Waldoboro Water ana
Electric Company, the Hartland ELECTRIC
Light and Power Company, the union
Light and Power Company, the Newport
Light and Power Company and the WIS
casset Electric Light Company
| Mr. WILSON of Portland: Mr.. Speak
err l rise to point of order. II tne gen
tleman wishes to discuss the OXFORD hiec-
trio Light Company do not opJect. Il
he wishes to discuss the Central Maine
Power Company do object.
The SPEAKER: The Chair grants the
gentleman two minutes.
Mr.. BAXTER: l hope he Will take
ont the time of the interruption. CAP
plause.)
| Now gentlemen, here is this little COM
many. It amount to very little when you
consider the whole situation in Name
h,t that little company might block the
scheme and plan of the great big Cen
trail Maine Power Company II II ever
wanted to pass through that sectlot VI
the State and take power out or the STATE
That is why I proposed this amendinent
70 this small apparently insignificant
franchise.
The gentleman from Houlton, MI
Barnes. referred to this as my policy ana
not the policy of the State OF Maine. IL
is not my policy; / am not croWaihe t'iis
,olicv on the State of Maine, but l simply
offer il TO the members of this Legisia-
ture hoping that they in their judgment
will look at the question as 90. oo
not nretend to. have any greater light
or any more information than the other
members of this House, but simply
present it to you, and l want you TO IN
derstand it, and l know if you UNDER
stand it YOU will act upon it intellisentiy.
7 want the issue clear This Is not an
issue between the Chair and myself IN
any way at all. The question Is simply
whether this amendment to this little
franchise is germane to the question De-
fore the House.
Mr.. RARNES of Houlton: Mr. Speak
or. lust one word more lest we be con-
fused. Lawyers are supposed TO kho"
a bit more about what the words in a
charter mean than those who have not
made a study of the law. That the
Sneakers ruling is correct and that the
motion Of the gentleman from Portlan
is not germare to the subject is plain to
a real lawyer: for so surely as can READ
and interpret the acts of the statutes OF
Maine Incorporating the Oxford Electric
Company and its two constituents. the
Paris and Norway Street Railway Com
panies so surely do we know that by
their charter rights they are limited to
an area that does not approach the con-
fines of the State.
If this were in a town lying against
the State lines and they had right to
go to the State lines. the motion would
be germane, but it lies there inside
Oxford county. far from the State line.
Before this company. or its successors
can ship a particle of electricity over
the boundary, they must come to a
future legislature and get the right
to lay their poles over other townships.
! hope little later to be able to agree
with my brother from Portland when
the policy of Maine demands some ham,
pering of a corporation in it's charter
rights. but | realize that this is not
the time and that this little corpora
ton does not need this amendment. 1
sincerely hope that the ruling of the
Chair will be upheld by the House
Mr.. ALLAN Of Portland: Mr.. Speak
err do not want to take but a moment,
but it does not seem fair to me to
force this issue on the appeal from the
ruling OF the Cha1r, that Is 10 IoTce
the issue on the question of carrying
electricity in or out of the State of
Maine. I. personally. would rather
vote upon the issue directly than vote
upon the issue as presented here. AS
l understand It, in cases of this kind
! in our Congress, it is customary in
many cases to take different action. and
I move that the appeal lie on the table.
which is really sustaining the Chair
in it's ruling.
Mr.. REDMAN of Ellsworth: Mr..
it is whether or not this amendment is
germane That is the precise question.
l do not want to take exceptions to
the ruling of the Chair: I would rather
that this matter would not come up
in this particular form. but 1t seems to
me that if you grant this corporation
the right to set up poles and put up
wires. that right may subsequently be-
come unit in complete system which
would carry our power outside the
State of Maine. To be sure. this corpor-
alton itself could not carry that power
outside the State of Maine, but If you
give them this extension of their char
ter right--if you allow them to set up
poles with wires on those poles to ex-
tend their system--it seem to me that
that at least has possibility of sub
| Seouepfly hecomiu1 mart unit