Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-09
Daily KENNEBEc JOURNAL MONDAY, APRIL 9, isl7.

this is copy, and you cannot find it
In these books. A measure OF that KIND
and of that magnitude to be passed In
our State. I know Of man after man
who has a right, licensed by our city
Under our city law and regulation to
run their jitney BUSES through our
| cities and out into our districts, and it
may be SO in every other town and
city, and not one Of them knows OF
| this bill, and didn't know Of it. until
someone called by attention to 1t,
some representative in the House.
l think, fellow senators, that no such
law as that should be put upon the
statutes Of the State of Maine and /
hope and trust you will not do it.
| Mr.. LORD of York: Mr.. President.
| Just wish to make a statement or two
in regard to this bill, to correct some
erroneous impression that the senator
| from Penobscot seems to have in his
mind.
This was a bill that was heard be-
fore the public utilities committee
There were a number of people appear
ed in favor Of 1t and representatives
from Sanford, some from York, some
4 L
torney. Judge SWEET Of Sanford, who
appeared in opposition. This was the
difficulty that it was intende dto rem
edy: In a number of instances, l think
one occurred nthe town Of Sanford
a party came in from Massachusetts
and run a Ford car for 90 days, taking
the passengers Of the Atlantic Shore
Line between Sanford and Springvale
and running on a schedule similar to
| the one which was referred TO by the
gentleman from Yarmouth stopping be-
fore the waiting room Of the Atlantic
! Shore Line. starting minute before
the cars and so taking the cream of the
business. This continued for % days,
and then they returned to MaSsa chu-
sets. The State of Maine received
nothing in the way of license Gees,
tax or anything else. 1t appeared in
the hearing that it was a common
practice in York to parallel the most
crowded sections of the railroad IN the
same way. People came in that were
irresponsible. Nobody know where tnaJ
were from or anything about it. There
are also residents in some of the sec
tons that are conducting this bust
less. The opponents did not object 70
the provisions of giving bonds for Sc
curity in case of accident. There had
been some cases where in case of an
| accident there appeared to be nothing
the automobiles were mortgaged and
there was simply, no responsibility bs-
hind them.
Now this bill was drawn in a new
craft with the iGea of meeting the OBJ
of he s,>fr 40 iciy ~
bill and there was a very full hearing
that occupied something like two
hours on the matter. AS far as the
damages being fixed. l think that if
the bill is read carefully that we sim
ply have security for any damages UP
to an amount of $500. 1t is also pro-
vided that any in cases where ten
persons, corporal tons. or firms, az
grieved petition the public utilities are
the regulat tons ablished. 1t was in
! tended to take care of this unfair com
petition.
Mr.. MERRILL Of Somerset: Mr..
President and fellow senators, taking
into consideration the laws of the State
of Maine, we are not allowed to run
another line or parallel another arilroad
within a certain number of miles.
Now what is that for? Why don't the
State Of Maine grant to anybody and
every body license to run trolley
line within 40 rods of each other right
through the same country? It is be
cause when they grant the one party
the right of franchise for a road run
nirg through a section that the grant
ing of another paralleling it will de
Iutr 1,tn z I,,tl e
them.
! Now this measure seems to me to be
something of that character. Are the
railroads. the trolley lines, the cleo
trio roads from Portland to Yarmouth
and many other places-they have got
ten their franchises from the State,
they have built their roads, they have
put out their money and now comes
what? Comes the jitney car and fol-
lows right along to the very station
of these trolley lines whose money has
been invested whose bonds are own
ed by the widows and orphans of the
State Of Maine, by the savings banks
of the State of Maine, and they come
along and start as has been related
here, a minute before the trolley car
leaves the station. They take the
cream of the work through the hot
season. through the busy season of the
travellers along these lines.
It seems to me that it IS not fail
to the corporation which owns the
trolley line. The learned senator says
this originates with the owners of the
trolley lines | should be inclined tC
think as he does, that it was that way
for their protection. Why shouldn't
they come to this Legislature and ash
for something that is in their favor
They would not ask for it if it was moi
in their favor and ] assume that tht
trolley line did that, I assume tha
they ore the ores that are behind The
bill But isn't it right that they should