Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-04-01
Notes from the Legislature.

Notes from the Legislature.
Two measures which have attracted
considerable attention seem 10 have been
disposed of as far as this session is con
cerned by the vote Of the house on Tues
day. The slaughter house bill, which
provided for the licensing of all slaugh-
ter houses, was referred to the next
legislature. This bill was prepared by
the department Of agriculture, as a meas
ure designed to simplify the work OF the
department in inspecting slaughter
houses to see that they are sanitary and
conducted in accordance with the pure
food law. 1t was not supposed By the
department that .he bill would encoun-
ter much opposition, but it certainly
went up against bunch OF Ii, not only
from the larger concerns but from the
uuorgsnized small butchers. One strong
argument against it was there is already
sufficient law to provide for necessary
inspection.
The house on Wednesday passed q
second measure over the governors veto.
This was a resolve awarding John u.
Fleming g, 093.90 for the building OF
road in Wiscasset in 1914. The Fleming
job was one OF the first contracts award
ed by the highway commission after II
was organized. Some changes IN the
specifications were found necessary after
work was begun, and an adjustment OF
the payments was never reached.
Two bearings were held by the COM
mittee on claims, and when it appeared
that a substantial sum would be awarded
Fleming by the committee, word was
received from Governor Milliken that
he would approve resolve for a sum
not exceeding $1,000, but that IL the
amount was larger than that, the resolve
would be vetoed. The veto was accord
ingly received, the governor stating that
the amount awarded was nearly three
times what was due.
Members of the committee on claims
strenuously coDtended that the claim OF
Mr.. Fleming was just one, for st least
as much as was given in the resolve.
The house accepted the view of the COM
mittee, and voted to pass the bill over
the veto, 1877 to 4.
Immediately sfterward the house sus-
an almost unanimous vote. This was q
special resolve in favor OF Hartlsnd
Academy, for agricultural instruction
during the past two years. Only one
man voted in favor of passage over the
veto, while 1873 voted no.
On Friday the senate also passed the
resolve over the veto, only three mem
bers voting TO sustain the veto.
The primary law came in for attention
In the house Wednesday, on bill for its
repeal introduced by Representative
Dutton Of Bingham. The legal affairs
committee reported fought not to pass"
and after some debate this report was
accepted very decisivsly on a RIGA roce
vote.
The resident hunters registration act
passed the senate Thursday, and will
probably become law. In its final form
it provides q registration fee of twenty
FIVE cents, and the registration certificate
continues valid as long as the person
registered continues a resident OF the
state. 1t also allows any person TO hunt
on bis own farm without being regis
tered. No certificate can be issued to q
person under sixteen years Of age with
out the written consent of parents or
guardian.
The special road and bridge resolves
were reported Thursday and passed at
once. Included is the resolve appro-
priating $1,000 for the Improvement of
Stowell Hill in Paris, provided the town
raises $500 for the same purpose. From
the history of this matter, 1t Is readily
forecssted that the resolves will not
have the approval Of the governor, but
will nevertheless become law.
One measure which wss vigorously
contested was the amendment to the law
which provides for the con6scssion of
vessels or vehicles in which liquor is
transported intended for illegal sale. As
il now stands tue law provides that q
claimant Of vehicle must prove that it
Is being used for illegal purposes with
out his knowledge and consent. Under
this provision methods have easily been
devised of evading the confiscatlon of
automobiles used for transportation of
liquor. The bill proposed to take of
the last sentence of the law, which
confscation under any circumstances.
The bill was indefinitely postponed in
the house, and the law stands as ii has
been for the past two years.
One measure which has attracted much
attention compared with the magnitude
of the amount involved was the resolve
sppropriatiDg &c. to aid in building
high school building in the town OF
Porter. This is a case which has no
parallel in the history of the state. The
late George w. Towle of PsrsOnsfield
left 20 the town of Porter the sum of
$50, 900 in trust, the income to be used
for the maintenance of high school at
Kezsr Falls. Also Elijah Fox of Haver
hill, Mass, left $40, 1000 under prac-
ticslly the same conditions. The only
building which the town of Porter has
Is unsuitable, and the state department
of education has notified the town of
Porter that q suitable building must be
provided II a school is to be maintained.
The town of Porter is poor, and near its
debt limit, and sees no way Of raising
the money necessary for high school
building. To enable Kezar Falls to get
the benefit Of the legscies named, the
sum of $4,000 was asked from the state.
Although sympathizing with the
desires of the town Of Porter, the edu-
cation committee, on account OF the
door opened by the resolve, reported
unanimously that it ought not to pass.
The report was accepted in the house,
though not unanimously. 1t then went
to the senate, where after it had been
extensively discussed, the resolve was
for the report and was
passed. It came back to the house,
which on Thursday, voted to insist on
its previous action. Notice was given,
however, that Q motion for reconsider
alton would be made the next day. On
Friday the vote was reconsidered, and
after the matter had been more fully
set out by those interested, the house
passed the resolve giving Porter the
Latest estimates of the date OF adjourn
ment by the experts fix it at Thursday
Of this week. This is early II anything.
The w. G, r. U. Drive.
The drive 10 going on we'll. The South
Paris Union is the largest in Oxford
County AID should be the first to get its
luOta.