Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-25
Editors Letter Box
Traey's Water Power Ownership
Claim.
Editor kennebec journal:

Editor kennebec Journal:
Kindly allow me space in your valu-
able paper in which | wish 70 address
the people of Maine in regard to their
ownership of all water powers in the
State and the development of the same
for the benefit of all the inhabitants of
the State alike And the only true and
legal way that all the water powers can
be developed and conserved for the use
of only those who are inhabitants OF
the State is through a commission
! created to act as the agent of the peo-
pie with power to develop all powers
as soon as they are needed and sup
ply the power to those who wish 20
contract for the use of the same for a
proper revenue that shall average $50
for each horsepower used. AS the
peoples right of ownership is absolute
over ali waters and rivers forever that
right can never be taken from them,
even by the State or even by the
United States, for the United States,
by its treaty after the war OF the
American Revolution agreed to pro-
tect the people in their rights of own
erShip.
Under the old laws of the European
empires all lands discovered by sub
! ject of any, nation or taken by con-
quest become the property Of the
crown and the kings or queens had abb
soute right to dispose of the lands as
they saw fit. And under this ancient
law that had been in force for thou
sands Of years, charters were granted
hy different rulers of various portions
u America to comprise Of lords and
mobiles, and others, one by Henry III Of
France in 1906 of Acadia, and by King
James Of England to the London col
ony and the Plymouth colony given
1906 also Afterwards these charters
Of the Plymouth We're changed to the
Massachusetts Bay colony, later after
the conquest Of Acadia from the
! French and a charter by Charles Casa
to Sir Ferdinando Georges or the
Province Of Maine under specified
agreements and considerations when
was later declared null and void by
the kings high court of London. inso-
much as the parties named i'll the char
ter had not fulfilled the contracts and
! that no consideration had been met
Therefore all the previous charter
deeds We're set aside and IN order to
protect the inhabitants of the Province
Of Maine and Acadia and Massacnu-
sets BAY colony in their rights. Will
I liam and Mary. King and Queen of
England in 1891 gave new charter
deed consolidating the Province of
4 Maine and Acadia with the Province
Of massachusetts, Bay colony and
calling it the Massachusetts Bay col
ony in New England" And this deed
Of ownership was given directly to
their good subjects the inhabitants
and their successors for their only use
and behoof forever more" And war
ranted by the grantor Of the deed and
their heirs ana Successors. And their
successor today is the United States
Government which is bound to war
rant and defend the people in the
ownership on appeal to the United
States court.
\ 1t can at once be seen that the in
habitantS and their successors are the
only absolute owners in perpetual
and entailed deed that can never be
disputed, and j defy any one to dispute
my statement herein made ror I can
produce absolute documentary proof
that what | say is true. I was fortu-
nate enough to discover this deed to
the people and al the session Of the
Maine legislature in 1913, after an ad-
dress by request before the committee
Of interior waters the committee
through their chairman, Senator Clark
of York, very emphatically demanded
me to write a bill and send it 70 the
legislature for the development Of the
water powers Of the State which / did
after receiving the approval of the late
Judge Enoc Foster. The bill was not
enacted and in 1915 presented the bill
again. And in 1917 l also presented
another bill which was somewhat
amended. This bill | showed to Chief
Justice Savage of the supreme judicial
court who pronounced the bill all
right and also said my claim OF the
peoples ownership of all waters and
rivers was correct, after he had read
the peoples deed
Now, before l had put in my bill at
the last Legislature, two other bills
were also presented, one known as the
Baxter bill and the other us the Du,-
ton bill AS neither of tnees bills was
Of any use or good, as soon as my bill
was presented both of these bills were
Withdrawn and Mr.. Baxter prepared
new bill skeletoned after my bill.
but all it amounted to was to trig the
wheels Of the real point at issue, and
only amounted to an investigation of
how much power we had in the State
which had already been given under
the auspices Of the Maine Storage
Commission. And the Dutton bill was