Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-17

railroad men we're vel p4t4 heeAYSe
SO many lives yere in th4k keeping
He also said that he believed some
thought should be givsn 70 soysrp.
ment ownership Of railroads. Air,
that II the railseeAs did not ut ~
money to Ak NJ their roadbeds m
rolling stock there - nothing pa!
government evpsyship. aAA thst = one
wished for that. II vopld De ur.
economical in eperatios. In closing
, Mr.. Gulnac said Maine il couFtins
prosperity, although we hear I'VE
can't do it" and what's the use"
Governor PsrciyaI p. Baxter, ths
final speaker, sid that Maine people
are loyal to their respective counties
but in being 50 they Should not forget
above all TO be loyal to the State OF
Maine. In spesking of bow be be.
, came governor, he said he did no,
seek the burdens Of the ONCE but
should carry them out. He said he
was going to d. his work in the GOV
ernor's oAlce day by day in the in
terests of al the people; that ne want.
ed to meet the problems of the State
and that he proposes to meet the PEG.
pie personally.
The first thing to be considered
for the State IS economy and in order
10 set an example of economy and
save state taxes, he said he vetoed
IL aiHerent measures and although ii
disappointed several groups of men
he was prepared to stand behind his
acts.
He spoke of the rise in taxation
giving as one reason that the state
mas taken on many burdens. of The
cities and towns. At the last LeSis
lature the State tax was reduced A.
| per cent.
! In Tegard TO water powers, Cover
nor Baxter said that in the State OF
maine We are using about one-ouar-
Ter OF the water power and the prob
, lem is how to develop the other three
quarters. He said the water powe,
question would never be settled RICH,
unfii it went to the people; that he
did not believe that the water power
shouid either be wholly private nor
under State control. He said he would
! hesin by saving that the people ii
the State own the lakes and they
. should say to the parties who wish te
/ use Inc power that they shall buy i,
= from them when they need it.
I Under the Constitution, in 1920. he
SAID the people were not given the
right to develop the water powers
which they themselves own. and i,
anything is to be done the Constitu
ton should be amended.
| Governor Baxter said he asked the
last Legislature that the State bull,
! dams, open the gates and sell the wa
! ter TO the people below. He said ne
one would suffer from such a course
that should any property be meade {,
, lhey would be fully reimbursed. The
Governor stated that in every :har.
Ter mat he had given out there hid
peen Two clauses that no electric
. power should be taken out of the
I state of Maine and that if the State
wanted to buy these acres back :,
shouId not pay for the franchise thu,
was freely given.
; another project which he said he
vas IN favor of was the buying OF
devastated forest land and begin q
process of reforestation. The mer
VINO own the forests don't care tc
/ sell, ne said, for they were Statistic
with the situation as it is. PLANK
| OF TINS sort was passed in the Bansc,
Republican convention and he regret :
TED to say that the Republican Lesis.
/ lature had failed to live nm IN ~.
promise of the convention.
! Governor Baxter also referred te
the Cieayes incident in regard to rho
public utilities commission and mis-
statement of his course was applaud
ed
lie referred to the group of :vata,
power interests. who, few years ago
did not wish anyone returned IN nc
Legislature and said another is Il,
Inc process of organization, and that
at the head is the former charm,
OF the public utilities commission.
The good roads situation was ,,s,
! oriehy referred to. He said this WAS
pis problem. and there is not money
enough made to carry on the roa 4:
program forever, when $4,000 600 was
| recently appropriated for So miles q,
road.
he asked the people to think oser
all the problems of which he had
spoken for on them rested the fu.urc
OF the State. He said he didn't wan,
to read in the next United States
census that between 1900 and 1900
farms had been abandoned in a space
of 10 years.
Al We can only get rid of the jea-
lousies IN Maine" said the Governor
and ! want to help do so in the ,ext
two years.
AT the close of the Gsternor,5 adj.
Dress all rose and applauded and the
postmaster said he was sure ali
. thanked the Governor for his frank
and Illuminating address.
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