Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-02
AFTER RECESS

AFTER RECESS
The SPEAKER: On the disagree
! ing action of the two branches of
the legislature on Bill, An Act to
provide for the jurisdiction of the
Public Utilities Commission over
certain motor vehicles, the Chair
| will appoint as conferees on the
part of the House, Messrs. Cole of
| Eliot, Hinckley of South Portland
and Crabtree of Island Falls.
| Mr.. MAHER of Augusta: Mr..
speaker, I~move that the House re-
consider it's vote whereby it indefi-
nitely postponed Bill, An Act rela-
tive to pensioning of employees of
the State of Maine. and I make the
motion for the purpose of being
able to make very brief remarks.
May. 1 speak to the motion now?
The SPEAKER: The Chair will
inquire if the gentleman from Au-
gusta, Mr.. Maher, has the papers
relative to this measure?
+ Mr.. MAHER: I will state that I
/ have the papers here. Mr.. Speaker.
The SPEAKER: The Chair will
state that at this mornings session
the House voted to indefinitely post
| pone, Bill, An Act to provide for
retiring and pensioning employees
of the State of Maine. The gentle
man from Augusta, Mr.. Maher, now
moves reconsideration of the vote
to indefinitely postpone.
Mr.. MURCHIE: Mr.. Speaker, L no.
| tice that the gentleman from Auburn
Mr.. Wing, is not in his seat, and L
suggest that the motion to recon-
slider be tabled temporarily until he
returns.
! The SPEAKER: The Chair will
state that the gentleman from Auburn
Mr.. Wing, has just arrived in the
House. The question is on the mo-
ton to reconsider the vote of the
| House whereby it voted to indefinitely
postpone this measure.
| Mr.. MAHER: Mr.. Speaker, the House
| has recently heard the remarks of my
colleague and associate from Auburn,
! Mr.. Wing, relative to rule number IA
anent an act to provide for retiring
and pensioning employees of the State
of Maine, and L desire at this time to
make the following remarks inv order
to show that the remarks of the gen
tleman from Auburn, Mr.. Wing, are
aside from the conclusion which he
draws. l may state that / am unin-
terested in the fate of the measure,
and l care nothing whatever about it.
The gentleman calls attention of the
House to rule number fourteen which
says that any measure which has
been finally rejected shall not be re-
vived except by reconsideration, and no
measure pertaining to the same sub
ject matter Shall be introduced during
| the session unless three days notice
is given to the House of which the
mover is a member. That rule as he
: stated, is correct. He states that upon
certain day in January, l believe it
was January 81, there was introduced
by me bill for retiring and pension
ing employees of the State of Maine
which was referred to the committee
on judiciary, and upon March IL there
was introduced a measure in regard
to which reference was recommended
to the same subject matter The gen.
tleman is in error. The same sub
ject matter, gentlemen, is not from the
title; the same subject matter is the
gist and the heart of what the act is.
, We will all agree with that, / think.
1t is not in the name of a thing, it is in
what the thing really is.
Now, let us see. Chapter SO of the
Laws of 1919 provides as follows, and
| will try and make this clear so that
any layman can understand and he
need not be a lawyer-Chapter SO of
the Laws of 1919 says that the SUPER
intendent and board of trustees of any
| State institution and the head of any
state department may recommend. +"
Note the words, it says may recon-
mend the retirement from active SER
wee ana placing upon the pension roll
OF any employee, amy employee" who
! has been employed in any State insti-
tuition or department in this State
with good record for the term of 25
consecutive years. The rest of the
provision is immaterial; the important
part BENG the words may recon-
mend and the words ANY employee"
Now, this subject arises out of the
condition at the insane hospital in the
city of Augusta. There are over there
two groups of employees who are eff
fected by this pension act, and wheth
er 1t is due to their particular location
or to the particular makeup of the in
dividual or TO the general variance in
human nature, | do not know Bu,
those two groups differ among them
selves except in the fact that thew
both want pensions, and they differ
IN this, that they have different attor
neys. One of the attorneys for one
group presented one bill. and he an
peared before the judiciary committee
ana frankly stated that he represented
one client, and his bill was as follows.
The superintendent and board of
trustees of any State institution and
the head of any State department shall
recommend the retirement from active
service and placing upon the pension
roll any employee" Note the words
any employee" and shall recon-
mend
Inc trouble originated over there
from the words may recommend tho
superintendent under the dissertation
permitted in the words may recon-
mend refusing in several instances TO
recommend, and some of these mon