Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-07

oADCNI. Inc CHAIR lays
lueiore the Senate An Act relating to
INC salary OF the secretary of State.
MI. PARENT of Androscoggin:
Mr. PRESIDENT, / am obliged to act as
! oio this morning for the same rea-
sun l nave previously given in this
| matter, that Their is now pending In
the other branch a matter that has
not yet been acted upon. And there
Iore, l move this matter be tabled, at
least temporarily.
Mr.. FOLSOM of Somerset: Mr..
PRESIDENT, 1t does not appear to me
tnat these other matters tend to In
crease the present duties of the Sec
| rotary of State, but l am not OBJ
Jecting to the motion if the matter
can be finally disposed of tomorrow
morning
| The bill was tabled.
The PRESIDENT. The Chair LAYS
before the Senate, H. D. 142, Resolve
In favor OF the Northern Oxford Fish
and Game Association, tabled by
Senator Sprague. The pending ques-
! ton is the adoption of Senate
Amendment "a"
! Mr.. SPRAGUE of Piscataouis: Mr..
President, 1 am compelled to ask for
further delay of this matter, because
this depends wholly upon the result
OF bill to repeal a law that we
passed this winter twice, in regard
to raising the fees of nonresident
| fishermen from two dollars to five
dollars
IT that is not changed there will
be ample funds. so that there will be
no opposition to Senate Amendment
! "a"
! The bill was tabled.
The presidents: The Chair lays
before the Senate S. d. 1871, Resolve
making appropriation in aid of navi-
cation on Sebago lake, Songo river,
Bay of Naples. Chute's river and
Long lake in Cumberland county
Mr.. PUTNAM of Washington: Mr..
President, this matter was tabled by
me in order that another resolve in
aid of navigation of certain waters
might receive a passage, or that we
could find out whether it was to re-
ceive passage or not, as the same
matter was embodied in the new re-
solve. And for that reason / shall
have to ask to have that matter. and
also the Resolve in aid of navigation
on Sebec lake Is. 1889 laid on the
| table until the other resolve is acted
upon. Then if acted upon shall ask
to have this indefinitely postponed.
The resolve was tabled, and on
further motion by the same senator
s. D. 1873 was tabled
The PRESIDENT: The Chair lays
before the Senate HI. u. 1852, An Act
relating to ballots in primary cleo
lions. tabled by the Senator from
kennebec. Senator Harrington, the
pending question being the first read
ing of the bill.
Mr.. HARRINGTON of Kennebec:
Mr. President. this is III. D. 1852,
which provides for placing the names
on primary ballots by lot I move
that the bill be indefinitely postpon-
ed.
Mr.. GILLIN of Penobscot: Mr..
President, I wish to second that mo-
ton.
Mr.. SPENCER of York: Mr.. Pres
ident and members of the Senate,
when anything is presented to the
Legislature which | think is fair and
in the interest of everyone within
the State, l feel that l should vote for
it. Now l believe that this is a step
in the right direction. For five years
we have been subject to law which
makes it possible for large majority
of those who are elected to public
office to he nominated from the first
half of the alphabet. l have here
some figures which were taken from
the records of the secretary of State
" hihc show conclusively that there is
an unfair advantage in the manner of
the arrangements of the names upon
primary ballots. For the five years
before the primary election law was
enacted, the proportion of names
from the first half of the alphabet
who were successful as candidates
was 4GS and from the last half of the
alphabet the number was 442, or a
percentage of 94.4R. During the five
years after the passage of the pri-
mary law in 1913, the proportion has
been from the first half Of the alpha
bet 531, and from the last half of the
alphabet 379. or 1880, a difference
of 23.1TS. AS I said before, I be-
lieve this is a step in the right direc-
ton and I feel that the motion of the f,
Senator from Kennebec should not |
prevail.
Mr.. THOMBS of Penobscot: Mr.. |
President and fellow senators, this act |
that we are now considering is no |
stranger to members of the Legisla-
ture who have been here prior to this |
session. The same act was before |
the previous Legislature, received IA |
vorable report from the committee on |
Legal Affairs and was finally beaten in |
the Senate. / believe, senators, that
the figures that the senator from York
has presented to you this morning tell
a story that requires action upon this
matter | do not believe there is a
senator in this room who believes that
any man on account of his surname |
should have any advantage or suffer
any disadvantage for that reason. If
the figures are correct and l have yet
to hear them disputed, it seems to me
that that is a sufficient argument in
favor of the passage of this bill, and
hope, senators, that the matter will
not be indefinitely postponed.
A viva voce vote being doubted, the
yeas and nays We're called for by Mr..