Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-25

as much about it as do. but the
federal law assumed to take over the
waters and the powers will be con-
Quoted under federal control" re-
Piled the attorney general.
Don't you think that Maine ought
to look after her water powers!
asked Mr. Davies.
IT do" replied Mr.. Shaw.
do you favor keeping the power
at homer asked Mr.. Davies.
II do, up to the present time, re-
piled Mr.. Shaw.
Franklin d. Cummings of Portland
spoke in favor of the resolve at some
length. He said that he certainly be-
lieved that water powers are quite
the proper thing to be under public
control. He could not imagine pri-
vate interests opposing this resolve,
unless they feared that the people
might adopt it.
THE time will come" said Mr.
Cummings, when the supply of coal
will be exhausted and electric energy
will take it's place. L do not share in
the alarm of some that if this amend
ment becomes a part of the Constitu-
! ton, / believe that people from out
side the State would be more apt to
| locate industries here if the State con-
! trolled the water powersNthan if they
were conducted by private enterprise
Monopolis are getting more numer-
Gus and more prosperous If any
thing is done to protect the rights of
/ ho he
u believe that the rights of the peo-
! pie should be protected and that the
predatory rights should not prey on
the people"
! Mr.. Cummings offered an amend
ment making the act stronger as re-
CARDS the State dealing in hydro
electric energy.
II want to see this country, not red,
but white" said Mr.. Cummings.
| Ex-senator Howard Davies of Var
mouth spoke in favor of the re-
solve. He said that the resolve pre-
sents the first constructive plan for
the development of the water powers
I of the State and he believed that the
resolve was ABSOLUTELY vital consider
! ing the national legislation which has
been passed regarding water powers.
Would there be any objection to
inserting in the bill a clause that the
! State should deal in hydro-electric
energy?" asked Mr.. Cummings of At
torney General Shaw.
Il can see no objection to that"
replied the attorney general.
! DO you think that the property of
/ ~ l.
State and, then sold to some other
private concern for a profit" asked
Speaker Barnes of Mr.. Davies.
q II do if the property is for a pub
lie use" replied MIR. Davies.
Then you would vote for such an
amendment, would you?" asked
/ Speaker Barnes.
Il would most heartily" replied Mr.
/ Davies,
The Opposition
I Judge Benz. +. Cleaves of Bidde-
ford, chairman of the Public Utilities
Commission, explained that he APP
peared in opposition to the resolve on
behalf of the recently organized asso-
( citation of Maine Manufacturers. In
this organization there was not in
Guided a public utility or a company
exercising public rights within the
State of Maine. 1t represented about
800 concerns. Their opposition was
! due to doubts along a different line
from those of public utility companies
and concerns having large water
power interests.
II He did not want either the commit
tee or the Legislature to get the idea
that he was trying to instruct them
what should be their action or what
was their duty in the matter. He as
sures them that he did not know, al
though he had studied the subject for
months and for the past week had
been giving it very intensive thought.
II ask you," said he, "if you have
that knowledge and information
which warrants you in taking action
to submit this matter"
After reading the Constitutional
provision for the Legislature to sub
init amendments tothe voters he as
sured the committee that unless it
had secured information from q
source of which he did not know he
/! did not feel it had the reason re-
uuired for such a course. The fact
that the Governor had favored it was
not enough: that was his opinion and
the committee must be guided by its
own convictions.
He asked if the committee knew
where il could go in the time which
was at it's disposal before deciding
on this matter, and ascertain what it
was going to cost to carry out the pro-
posed plan. There was no man in
| Maine who could tell them, and yet
that was the important problem. Who
could tell them where there was mar
ket for this power after it had been
developed; and that, too, was of con-
sequence. 1t was alright to say that
there was a million horsepower unde-
veloped in Maine, but what benefit was
! there in it's development if there was
no market to use it?
He pointed out the fact that neither
the Public Utilities Commission nor
the Water Power Commission, after
| investigation. had deemed it advis-
able to recommend a step of this kind.
| The last named commission, he said.
| had had the benefit of the best engi-
neering counsel in the country. all of
which had urged against such rec
| concentration.
II don't know" said Judge Cleaves,
| who is going to be put in charge OF
| this If the States goes into this bust
ness. l don't know if it is going TO