Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01
Reports of Committees

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Reports of Committees
Mr.. O'Connell from the Commit
tee on Inland Fisheries and Game
on circumstances of certain parties
against Sunday hunting in Kennebec
and Washington counties reported
that the same be placed on file,,
The report was accepted.
Mr.. Brewster from the Committee
on Legal Affairs reported Ought not
to pass on Bill, An Act limiting the
salaries and fees of certain city and
town officers.
(Tabled by Mr.. Rounds of Port
land, pending acceptance report)
Mr.. Brewster from the Committee
on Legal Affairs reported fought
mot to pass 'on Bill, An Act to repeal
Chapter 152 of the Public Laws OF
1919. requiring a permit from NUM-
cipal officers for the removal OF cleo
trio wires and poles when necessary
for the repair of streets or removal
of buildings and to re-enact the pro-
visions of Section 81 Of Chapter ou
of the Revised Statutes with refer
ence to the same subject matter.
Mr.. ROUNDS of Portland: Mr.,
Speaker. move that the bill be sub
stituted for the report.
The SPEAKER: The report of the
committee on Legal Affairs is ought
not to pass The gentleman from
Portland, Mr.. Rounds, moves to SUD-
stitute the bill for the report. The
Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Portland.
Mr.. ROUNDS: Mr.. Speaker, this
was a bill that was explained here In
the House a few days ago when 1t
was put in. 1t is just to put it back
where it was in 1916. In 1917 or 1919
there was an act put in here giving
the right so that if you want to go
into your own driveway and there is
a pole in the way, you have got to
pay them to remove that pole; ana
while the committee on Legal Az
fairs say that they have all the rights
now there are. in the city of Portland
! know it has been tried by the city
electrician and the pole still stands
there and the man has been out for
over a year, and not able to move
that pole. Now it is time we had
some rights in our own streets from
foreign corporations. AS i under
stand, the people that transport the
electric wires, their. stock is rising
all the time, and it seems to me we
should have some rights in the State
of Maine. These are foreign corpor-
atoms, they are not Maine corpora
tions. They are getting out Of all the
taxes they can, and 1t is for that rea-
son want the bill substituted for the
report.
Mr.. H1NCKLEY of So. Portland:
Mr.. Speaker. having this law clearly
in mind, l must disagree with the
gentleman from Portland (Mr.
Rounds) as to what the law is. I'm
der the law at the present time. the
municipal officers are authorized 10
apportion the cost; and in the city
of South Portland, on two occasions
that / am very familiar with, they
apportioned the public service cor
poration to pay the full amount-the
only two matters that came before
1.-THE city government of which 1 am
aware since this law was passed; so
that the burden is not upon the per-
son who seeks to have the wires
that it is a very fair matter, leaving
If entirely in the hands of the NUM-
cipal officers to say who shall pay
and how much each shall pay. That
is the law at the present time.
Mr.. WILLARD of Sanford: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen, this matter
came before our committee. Mr..
Rounds appeared and the city cleo
trician of Portland appeared. Now
the law which Is before this House at
this time is not the law pertaining
to the particular case to which Mr..
Rounds refers. There is another
section of the Statute which provides
that any public service corporation
when 1t proposes to locate it's pole
through the streets may make appli-
cation to the municipal officers. who
shall grant them a license. They
shall state the location, and those
poles are located in accordance with
that decision of the municipal Off
GERS. That same section provides
that at any time when that location
is an inconvenience to the public
service or the people, on application
to those same municipal officers
those poles may be removed and re-
located. There is another section Of
the Statute which provides with ref
erence to the location of telephone
telegraph and electric light poles.
Now it appears to me that the par
ticular instance mentioned by Mr..
Rounds in Portland would come I'M
der that other section. This section
in question before this House has to
do with the removal Of wires and
poles temporarily. When any per-
son desires to move a building. or
other large object, through the
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