Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-28
AHE 18TH LEGISLATURE.


q He l31h Legislature
p (continsss frsss Pass u
sreat Britain, with all its wealth. has
Eonly about 5000. o0o. 100000 and yet
we are afraid Of running In debt.
Now the State of Maine. ! believe
the records say, that we have raised
C;rops equal to any other state ana
7etter than any other State in the
Union. The average yield OF corn per
ncre in Maine is 41.6 bushels: the
average yield in the whole country Is
&c bushels. The average yield IN
Maine of wheat is "a 1-2 bushels: the
average yield in the United States to
14.7 bushels. OF oats in Maine the
.averaxe yield is 37.2: in the United
States 31.2. The average yield OF bar
lev in Maine is 27.3 bushels: the av-
GRACE yield in the United States 25.l.
OF buckwheat the average yield In
Maine is 2S.2: in the United states
1916. The average yield OF potatoes
in Maine is 205 bushels; the average
Weld in the United States 95.9.
Maine yields more potatoes per acre
than any other state or country In
the world, with a possible exception
Of Germany.
Now what is the matter with
Maine! Why do we not progress!
We want more farmers; we want
more people in Maine. 1t Is because
the great factor is good roads thai
is going to make Maine a desirable
state to live in; and If we do not
have good roads. our young people are
going to leave and 80 to other states
where they can have more privileges.
hope this bill will so through.
IL will not do any harm II 1t does
no good. We are promised to nave
it and think they intend to make it:
but if this goes through it will give
US what we desire. ] hope this mo-
ton will prevail. Gentlemen, thank
you.
Mr.. CI.ASON of Lisbon: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen: The COM
mittee on ways and bridges fully
realized the need of work being done
on the road mentioned by the gen.
tleman from Westbrook (Mr. Gill
mour). We realized that the gentle
man from Westbrook (Mr. Gilmour)
was very much interested in this
proposition. and we desired to help
him in any way we could to obtain
money to put on this road: but we
found it would be impossible to pass
that resolve to provide the money for
this class Of road. The chairman OF
the Highway Commission requested
us to state if this bill was brought
I'd in the House that the work was
necessary on this road. and, if we
recommended immediate steps, he
would see that steps were taken by
the highway department to have the
work completed. That does not mean
in this instance that we were to ap-
propriate and use $4,000 as recon-
mended in the bill, but it means that
when they start on the road. they
will complete the whole trunk line
and put in hundred thousand dol
lars or more on the road. So it did
not seem reasonable to us that we
should recommend this resolve in
view of the fact that immediate work
was to be done on this road.
Mr.. CHAPLIN of Bridgton: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen Of the House:
I am vitality interested in this propo-
sition on behalf Of my constituents.
Tho road certainly is long suffering,
and its condition has been such as to
demand attention for some time. and
I think that that fact is at the pres
ent time fully realized by the high
way department and recognized by
the committee on ways and bridges:
\ h1$ IN, in
stance attend to the matter and that
our needs will be accomplished in
the way suggested by the committee
on ways and bridges. I have at this
time faith to believe that work will
be commenced and the matter worked
out by the Highway Commission: so,
while vitality interested in my section
in this matter with Westbrook and
the other towns, at the same time
have faith to believe that we will be
attended to il this resolve is not
passed. l do not want to be put in
the position of opposing anything
which might be of benefit to that
section. but have faith to believe
that we have other matters that will
take care of this.
Mr.. GLAMOUR: Mr.. Speaker. as
] said before. promises are sometimes
broken through circumstances over
which VIC have no control. have
just epoken-1 think 1t was two years
ago that he said that two commits
sioners went up through there and
told those towns that II they would
raise all the money they could raise,
The State would back them up dollar
for dollar. think that the gentle
man from Lisbon. Mr.. Clason, will
bear me out in this statement: that
they would put the money to it and
fix that road. Now circumstances over
which they had no control took the
money away from there and put it
somewhere else. and we did not get
it. I do not know as the commission
is to blame for anything like that
but you know we cannot tell much
about the future. Those 200 me.>
chants in Portland want something
done today. Now is it going to do
any harm II we pass this resolve:
they can so right on and fix it II they
will. This is merely going to en-
phasize our desire to have better
roads and it can do no harm
The SPEAKER: The question is the
motion to substitute the resolve for the
report. ought not to pass. All those
who are in favor of the motion will say
aye; those opposed no.
A viva voce vote being doubted.
A division of the House was had,
Thirty-one having voted In favor of
the motion and 81 against. the motion