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

the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville
railroad out here in Augusta just
minute before the car started for
Waterville and pick up all the passen-
gers there were there to go to Hallowell
and go down there, and before the next
car came back go to the depot down
there and bring all their passengers
back again. it is easy to see that that
automobile is coming into unfair COM
petition with people that pay SO much
taxes.
This is just as good a bill for Bangor
and Bar Harbor as it is for York Har-
Dor. Portland or any other place. There
is no particular hardship placed upon
anybody. The fact that the man files a
bond with the Secretary or State, or
the State Treasurer, gives him the
right to have on his car, bonded car
,rier." and that is q good advertisement
for any man to have on his car. He
can get business if he is n bonded car
rier Because I do not know anybody
who rides in those particular machines
some Of them f1abby and Gilapidated
that are going to swap a leg for the
price of one of them, and that is very
often all that the fellow has that runs
them. So I say the fact that he has "a
right to carry those words on the side
of his car, that he is "a bonded carrier"
is a good thing for his business, be
cause people will ride with him when
they would not ride with man who
was not a bonded carrier. 1t is not go
| ing to be hard work for a man who
runs an automobile from Bar Harbor to
| Bangor if he is a good. respectable man
to get bond for $500. He has got to
get it and file it with the Secretary OF
State If the Public Utilities Commission
saw so and then he can run his car
back and forth from Bangor to Bar
| Harbor all ne wants to. and the people
who ride with him have confidence that.
he is a bonded carrier, that he is att
thorized to do business. and that he is
a safe man to travel with. Nowadays
somebody comes along in dilapidated
machine. and you get in with them, and
you don't know whether if they hurt
you you can get any pay or not. ! see
no harm in this bill passing, and I be-
| leve that the bill ought to pass.
But there is one particular inconsist-
title. between this bill and the bill we
have passed in regard to the seizure Of
automobiles which convey intoxicating
liquors. In that particular bill which
we have already passed, I think, l am
not sure where 1t is, bills have an ex-
traordinary way Of disappearing,-b
in that particular bill where we author
lie the seizure Of automobiles for car
rying intoxicating liquors we have ex
empted common carriers, and so when
we make these automobiles common
carriers we exempt them from seizure
for carrying liquors. Perhaps if the
title Of this bill were changed. it would
cure that, but do not know, because I
find down IN section two that the man
shall have the words bonded carrier"
upon his car. and he does things that
common carriers do, and I should fear
that the courts might interpret this
bill in way that might make these
people common carriers. 1t seems to
me that we ought to harmonic the
provisions Of these two bills if we are
going to pass them both, because we
will certainly get into trouble with
them If we do not. I suggest the mat
ter lay in abeyance for few minutes
until some discovery can be made of
the bill by which we confiscate auto
mobiles for carrying liquor.
Tabled on motion Of Mr.. Deering.
Mr.. GILLIN: Mr.. President, I want
a word Of explanation