Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-24

! During the session or yesterday, out
of order, bill was introduced which
is now printed and which is upon
the desks of the members as House
| Doc. No. $40. The Chair is informed,
however, that it has not. been dis
| tributed, although the Chair has a
copy. 1t is a printed bill, being
| House. Doc. No. $40. The question is
on the motion of the gentleman from
! Auburn. Mr.. Winter.
| Mr.. MAHER of Augusta: Mr..
! Speaker: may we have the bill read
by the Clerk?
Thereupon the Clerk read the en-
tire bill. the title of which is Bill,
An Act to amend Section 81 of Chap
ter of the Revised Statutes, as
amended by Chapter AZ of the Pub
lie Laws of 1917, relating to taxation
! of steam railroads.
Mr.. MAHER: Mr. Speaker, rise
for a question of information. May
/ I ask where the original bill is?
The SPEAKER: The original bill
which was referred by the House
yesterday to the committee on Tax
alton and 500 copies ordered printed
Until the delivery of those copies,
! the bill is in the possession of the
CLERK of the House.
Mr.. HlNCKLEY of South Port
land: Mr.. Speaker, rise to a point
of order, and would suggest that If
l understood the reading Of the bill
! The SPEAKER: The Chair will
request the gentleman from South
Portland, Mr.. Hinckley, to specify
his point of order.
Mr.. HINCKLEY: Mr.. Speaker, my
subject matter is covered in House
Doc. No. 81 that has already been
passed upon by this House.
I The SPEAKER: The Chair will DO
obliged to overrule the point of or
der and require a vote upon the
question A motion to table a bill is
not debatable
! Mr.. COLE of Eliot: May I ask the
gentleman TO assign a day for the
consideration of this matter?
The SPEAKER: If, the gentleman
from Eliot. Mr. Cole, will allow the
Chair to conclude his statement a
ter will more rapidly be arrived at.
The motion of the gentleman from
Auburn, Mr. Winter, was to lay the
matter upon the table, and that mo-
ton was declared by the Chair to be
lost, whereupon the gentleman from
Auburn, Mr.. Winter wholly within
his rights asks for a division, doubt
ing the decision of the Chair. All
those who are in favor of laying this
matter upon the table will rise and
stand in their place suntil counted.
A division being had, so voted in
the affirmative. and none opposed
/ So the motion prevailed and the
ill was tabled
The SPEAKER: The gentleman
from Auburn, Mr.. Winter, is inquired
CT. through the Chair, whether he
will assign a day for the considera-
ton of this measure.
I Mr.. WINTER: One week from t.
day. Mr.. Speaker.
The SPEAKER: The Chair win
state that the matter is upon the
table and can be taken from the
table by a majority vote of the
House at any time.
Mr.. COLE: Mr.. Speaker, I move
that we take from the table the bill
That we have just laid upon the
table, and 1 will say that 1 make
that motion in order that / may
speak upon it.
Them otion was agreed to-
Mr.. COLE: Mr.. Speaker, I simply
wan to make u statement of my DO
| sitlOn relative to this matter, not
that have any interest in the bill
| whatever 1t was handed to me YES
terday by one of the committee ap-
| pointed by the Governor at the re-
quest of the railroads to hear what
ever evidence they might have, and
submit it to the Legislature All the
governors of New England appoint
ed like committees, and those COM
mlttees have met at Boston, individ-
ually or collectively, and have held
their meeting, and that committee is
very anxious to lay their findings
before this Legislature. They come
before this Legislature. so ! am told
by the member who handed me the
bill, with no feeling one way or the
other except to put before the Legis-
lature certain facts in their posses
sion. This whole matter must be
finally disposed of by the Legisla-
ture, and if in its wisdom it sees fit
| to do it without a hearing, or with
out the receipt of those facts, they
had better do it now by indefinite
postponement: but if it honestly
wishes to learn anything concerning
| the question. there is absolutely no
reason why this bin should lay upon
the table until q week from now,
and the Legislature be in possession
Of no more facts. We have com
mittee appointed to receive those
facts and submit its report to this
| Legislature.
Now it seems to me unwisc, Mr..
Speaker, to lay any bill upon the
table for a week if we intend to do
anything with it. and if we do not
intend to do anything with it then
ponei t this morning.
Mr.. WINTER: Mr.. Speaker, IL
seems to me from the remarks of
the gentleman from Eliot, Mr.. Cole
that this bill is not sponsored by the
Governors committee; it also seems
to me, if my memory serves me
. right, that the Governors commit
tee was not created to consider the
matter Of taxation. have no OBJ
lection to the bill being taken from
! In III 1Ai lid Eri tAf,r oe-<