Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-06

| IA BILE il, but l would like to have -
little discussion on i. this morning aid
! find out whether there is any support
i to this measure in this House, and if
there is not I want to bid it goodbye
| this morning. This bill has been re.
po-ted ought not to pass by the corz-
mi,tee on salaries and fees. At the
hearing before the committee Oh SAL
aries and fees there was not much EVIL
dence introduced. There was one other
gentleman besides myself appeared for
it and two gentlemen appeared ssains.
it. the reasons given IN opposition 20
i, seemed to be rather meaSre and I
thought perhaps the committee might
not have considered that there was any
| great demand for this. and while o.
course they discussed it and ccnsid-
cred it, yet they might not have consic
cred it important or that there was
any great demand for this change. l
! do not know as there ID, but want to
find out II there IL any opinion in this
House in favor Of it. ! want to 90 or
record mysel. as favoring II. because
l consider it a piece of constructive
| legislation. 1t Is something that i real
" needed, and can give two reasons
why / think that q true. In the first
place the present eystem Of regulat-
ing clerk hire in county ofaces 10 very
awkward and cumbersome. 1t IS deal
ing at long distance with local affairs.
Every girl stenographer and clerk in
any register Of deeds or clerk Of courts
Office in this State has got to be repre-
sented here in this Legislature in order
! - IN
can be done only cnce in two years.
If. for any reason in an emergency
such as we have teen through N tn"
last two years. it was necessary to in ..
crease the salary of clerks in county,
off1ces, four. Ave. six or ten dollars. il
could not be done until this Legislature
assembled; and at this session there
have been bills here from all over the
State to increase clerk hire in county
Offices. 1t is an awkward way to get
at it. The county commissioners are
the financial representatives of the
county. They are en- the job ak the
time They know the county Offices
they know the clerks personally IT
those Offices: they know what they are
doing; know what they are capable o.;
know how lcng they have been on tn ::
ioo; and they are competent surely to
say how much clerk shall receive. II
seems to me that this is a step :oward
home ruiz. We get away from cortroll-
ing the local affairs Of people in the
state. and put 1t back into the hands
Of the county commissioners who are
elected by the People. and are .espo.-
sitls to the people for their acts and
for the financial management Of the
county. / consider it absurd. prepcs-
ferrous. for the State Legislature to trr
to manage the purely local affair ef anv
community; to say how much the chief
of police of Lewiston shall receive 9.
year for his services: to say how much
some humble stenographer down m
Cumberland county SHALL receive yea:
for her services. Those are purely local
matters. it seems to me. ana matters
that the county commissioners. elected
by the people as they are. right en- the
ground as they are, are competent to
judge. This is my position in this mat
ter. and il there is anybody who feels
as I do about this / wish they would
get Up and say SO; and if there ar.
not such. as I say. I want to see the
matter disposed OF finally this morning.
move. Mr.. Speaker. that the bill be
substituted for the report of the COM
mittee.
Mr.. BCZZELL Of Belfast: Mr. Speak
er. / want to be one Of those members
OF this House that will take the gen.
tleman from Sebec (Mr. Lanpher) at
his word and bid the bill goodbye. Here
is a bill that has had hearing before
the committees committee of good
men. OF course it vas referred to this
committee because they were peculiar.
ly qualified to pass Upon the merits AMI
the dement's Of the proposition. Now
this bill provides for a law thu. will
be Statewide: that the county commits
Maine shall look after the adjcstmer.
and regulation of the salarie, in the
Offices OF the county. The gentleman
from Sebec (Mr. LanrheD has given
you the correct information in -elatio,
to the number Of people that appeared
fefore that committee. He said that
there were two that appeared Cor thu
bill and two against the bill Gentle
men, / want 10 80 on record aere AZ
this time that I am opposed to any law
that there is not 4 general demand for.
Is it fair to assume that two men an
pearing before that committee is fair
representation and gives US the idea
that the whole State Of Maine demands
such a law? Is it the wish OF this House
that we want to turn down the report
OF this committee and substitute fov
that report the bill? We peorle down
in Waldo county feel that we know
about Waldo county conditions bette:
than anyone else. It was suggested b.:
some that some of the salaries of some
Of the clerks down there ousht to De
increased. and as fSir-minded men, as
we think we are. cur delegation was
called toeether and the proposition was
put up to that entire delegation We
said let VA vote as a unit. and we con-
sidere1 those propositions and all OF
US agreed upon what we thought was
just and right.
There was not dissenting voice
in the entire delegation. Gentlemen.
there is another bad feature about
this bill. I believe that 1t might be
made. and probably would. in some
instances. one of the worst little
footballs in politics that we could
conceive Of Is it our purpose to in
augurate a thing of that kind in the
face and eyes Of a majority report Of
this committed? hope that the gen.
tIeman's motion will not prevail.
The SPEAKER: The question be-
/ - hn