Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-10
IN THE SENATE
New Legislation
The following measures we're in
rrndlicad In the Senatn Thursday.

lS ONlllS ~cle All
t troduced in the Senate Thursday:
BY Senator Peacock OF Washing
tcn-An act 70 amend the charter Of
the Lubrc Watar Co.. which author
ICES the town Of Lubec TO make, buy,
generate. sell and distribute cleo
tricity for supplying the Inhabitants
" the town with light and heat for
factories. hotels. dwellings,. streets.
roads and any and all places where
elimination may be desired. and for
this purpose % acquire. construct,
own and maintain an electric lighting
ana power plant.
Bv Senator Peacock Of Washington
An act authorizing James Abrene-
thy Of Pembroke 10 build and
maintain weir in the tide waters of
Pembroke river,
By Senator Folsom Of Somerset
An act increasing the salary of the
register Of probate Of Somerset cOun-
- from $1,000 TO $500 per annum.
in the House
4 report vas received in the House
Thursday from Hon. Forces, II. Col
commissioner, in accordance with
| House Order dated March %. 1917,
instructing the land agent and forest
commissioner to make Investigations.
search out and and townships and
parts Of townships Of the wild lands
n Maine suited for settlement Cor
purposes of husba1dry. Commission
! Coiby's report said in part:
Wild Lands and 4usbandry
The so-called Wild land counties
Of our State are Aroostook. Franklin.
Hancock Penobscot. Piscataquis,
Oxford. Somerset and Washington.
We correspondent ar interviewed all
of the Wild land owners in these eight
counties. A large majority of the
owners expressed the willingness to
sell sucn Of their lands as would be
suitable for agricultural purposes az
4 reasonable price TO be agreed upon.
a small part Of the owners expressed
4 decided unwillingness TO sell any
part Of their lands for farming pur-
poses. The greater part OF the wild
land sections Of Franklin. Hancock
Penobscot. P;scataGuis. Oxford. SOM
erset AMI washington are not suit
able FOR farming, but are mountain
GUS. rocky and poor soil. This does
not mean that there is no good farm
land whatever n the wooded sections
Of these seven counties, for there are
small territories along the streams
that are fertile and level, but most Of
these small sections are remote from
the railroads and public highways.
1T may be that we have not car
red out the full spirit Of the order in
NOT taking options from any OF the
land owners. but We had no FUNDS
with which 10 bind options. We had
not one dollar TO work with in this
investigation. and it all had to be
done IN connection with the every
day work Of the department. In view
Of the fact that there is so much agi-
tation with reference to taking up
abandoned farms by the State for
settlement the Commissioner does not
feel competent to recommend suitable
legislation for this important under
taking Of buying wild lands for set
Element purposes.
with suitable funds at the COM
mand OF the Forestry depa-tma emf.
Agricultural department or a suitable
committee lands can be purchased in
the farming section Of Aroostook
County at a reasonable price for pur-
poses Of husbandry. Especially
would We recommend that section in
the vicinity Of New Sweden IN Aroos-
took County. You Ill are more or
less familiar with the settlement OF
the town OF New Sweden in which
Hon. ". w. Thomas did so much
good work To carry out wort If