Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-03-29
The Week IA TIE Lesislaturs.

The legislature has been ''speedinl
mp" according 10 the popular ooncep
ton. This means that sessions Of tht
two houses have been held every day
and have begun at 0 O'Clock instead Of
10. 1t does not strictly mean that there
has been speeding up" because some
OF the committees have already beer
working day and evening. 1t means
that the matters to be disposed Of are
now getting back In quantity for oonsid
Grafton and action in the two houses
and that the scene Of the greatest activ.
ity has been transferred from the com.
mittee rooms to the floors of the two
houses.
There 10 no reason to change the esti.
mated date of adjournment from that
formerly named-April 8. Certainly
there 10 nothing to indicate that It will
be earlier, and only . little danger that
1t will be later.
Supreme Court justices will receive q
salary OF $1,000 per year, instead OF the
$4,000 originally proposed, or the $500
reported by the committee and defeated
In the house. The matter went into
conference some two weeks ago, and the
conference committee reported In favor
Of fixing the salary at $4,000. This re-
port was accepted by the senate without
division on Wednesday, and by the
house on rather narrow vote on Thurs
day.
Lewiston held the stage in the house
Thursday, when a number of bills max
ing changes In the city charter of Lew
iston were under consideration. Repre-
sensatives from Lewiston presented .
referendum amendment to each of tho
bills, providing that the bill should not
take effect until approved by majority
vote at the city election. This amend
ment was the subject Of large amount
of oratory, but the amendment was
finally adopted In each case, and the
voters Of Lewiston will decide the fate
of the bills.
I once heard friend remark to q
member OF legislature which had just
adjourned, "The trouble with the legis-
lature Is that Ii passes 30 many fool
laws" To which the member replied,
"I'll grant you that. But there Is this
saving grace about the legislature, that
It generally turns down lot more fool
laws than 1t passes"
Those who have an idea that the prin-
cIpsl business of legislature Ia to pass
laws might get different impression II
they were present In either branch
In the house, where the larger
part of the business riginates-at about
the three. quarter stage of the session,
when the several committees are clear
Ing uR their dockets and getting ready
for the more important matters which
have inevitably been held up to q later
period in the session. So rapidly do the
reports sought not to pass" follow ono
another, that 1t almost seems as II the
important business was rather to pre-
vent than to promote legislation. There
is no doubt that our statutes are vastly
overgrown already, and the measure OF
the usefulness of legislature Is as
much what it doesn't do az what 1t does.
The bill to put under the jurisdiction
Of the public utilities commission jitney
buses carrying passengers for hire and
doing the kind of service afforded by
street railway was defeated in the house
after brief but spirited de-
bate, though 1t had been reported by
the committee.
There was q longer debate Wednesday
on the resolve to pay Austin w. Jones
Co. OF Veazie the sum OF $40, 900 for loss
Of barn and pure bred stock burned by
an insane man. The man had been in
the Bangor state hospital, and was re-
leased on parole, In the custody of bis
shortly before the barn was
burned. The claim is based on the
ground that the man was q dangerous
lunstic, and that he should not have
been allowed at large. The judiciary
committee made q divided report, six
members being in favor of passing the
resolve, and four In favor of allowing
the losers to bring suit against the state.
The majority report was accepted, and
as the same action had already been
taken In the senate, the claim will be
paid.
One of the lively contests in the legis-
lsture of 1919 was over what was known
as the "skim milk BILL" which would
permit the sale as of milk from which
some of the butterfat had been removed,
provided 1t still contained the amount
Of fat and solids fixed by the law as the
minimum standard. This bill was
defeated In that legislature. A
substitute has been reported by the CON-
mittee on agriculture within few days.
It permits the sale of standardized
milk" but It can be sold only in con-
tanners distinctly labeled with the name
of the producer or manufacturer and the
character of the product. 1t Is thought
that If this bill is passed 1t will be OF
considerable benefit to the cresmeries
and incidentally to the farmers who
furnish milk to the creameries.