Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-31

to represent you. or represent your
selves there" Upon my advice they
went and got an attorney, and as the
Senator from Knox has told you thev
came down here and had their hear
ing. At that hearing there appeared
the selectmen of the year 1919, when
these bills were paid up, contracted.
There also appeared one or more of
the larger claimants And there ap-
peared the chairman of the board of
selectmen for the present year.
Now, gentlemen, / want to remind
you again of the process which the
selectmen of towns are obliged to go
through in the payment of these
claims for domestic animals killed. In
the first place, the claimant when he
has reason to believe or believes,
knows, that he has lost animals OF
fowl, he then, within seven days is
supposed to given written notice to
the selectmen, and the selectmen are
then supposed to investigate the mat
ter and satisfy themselves as to the
justice of the claim. and if satisfied
they o. X. it and pay him by order
on the town treasury.
Let me say right here to you gentle
men that that system was followed
out by the board of selectmen having
in charge the administration of the
towns affairs for that year. Let me
further remind you that every dollar
that this little town is here asking
you for from the State of Maine, has
already been advanced and paid out.
And l want to further remind you
that for town of that size with a 81
mill rate, the sum of $500, or the diff
ference between the resolve of about
$500 as recommended and as asked for
"a thousand dollars is a considera-
BILE sum to those people. A thousand
dollars in this Legislature does not
create any comment; it is small
change. A thousand dollars in the
city of Portland does not amount to
much, or in Bangor or in Augusta, or
among the thriving towns where you
gentlemen live. But a thousand dol
lars of tax money taken from the peo-
pie up there does mean a great deal
to them. Right there let me remind
you what I have already said, that
the entire valuation of the town is on
ly $4,000.
Now, gentlemen, on the merits Of
this matter have here in my hands
the original receipts that were signed
by the claimants in the presence of
the selectmen before they got their
town order for payment That is the
first step. Now if you are going to
accept the advice of this committee
on claims and say to these people
that you shall not have but $780, you
are going to say. first, that these peo-
pie who have signed these receipts
have been dishonest, and 1 challenge
the chairman of the committee on
claims or anybody else, to produce
any proof of their dishonesty.
Mr.. President, the second step in
the procedure in this matter is for the
selectmen of the town to make up
upon the forms provided by the State
auditor a list of claims paid, the
number of animals, the names of the
claimants, residences, the date of
complaint. the number of animals
killed and the kind of animals killed,
the names of the owners of dogs if
killed by dogs, the date paid upon,
the man claimed to be the owner and
the amount paid by the town. Those
forms are provided and sent out ev-
cry year to the selectmen of towns,
giving in detail a statement of their
doings in respect to these matters.
And | want to call your attention
particularly to the fact that there is a
statement to this effect: I'VE the I'M
dersigned, the municipal officers of
the town hereby certify that said
town has paid such claims for sheep
and other domestic animals herein de-
scribed, which said sums are the
amounts estimated by us and prove
to our satisfaction to have been done
by dogs or wild animals. and we were
informed of said damage within sew
en- days after"
These claims must be signed by q
majority of the municipal officers
Now. fellow Senators. this little
town Of Prentiss, among its other peo-
pie, happens to be fortunate that it
has among it's citizens a gentleman
by the name of Pitt Z. Averill. Mr.
Averill is known to many of you gem
tlemen who sit in this Senate, be-
cause in 1915 and 1917 he represented
the Patten class from the county OF
Penobscot in the lower branch of this
Legislature. A genial, kindly gentle
man. always, and, fellow Senators, l
want to say to you from an acquaint-
ance Of Is years with Mr.. Avcrill, that
L believe | am safe in stating it when.
l say that I believe as a selectman of
the town of Prentiss he acted honest
ly, fairly and justly between the
claimants, the town and the State
Gentlemen, he enjoys an enwiable
reputation in Penobscot county. a
hard working man, a man who has
raised a fine family, and in his later
years has seen them grown up into
good boys and girls, citizen who is
not only honored by his town, but has
been honored by the voters of his
class, and is honored and respected
always wherever he is known.
Now, gentlemen of this Senate, if
you are going to say to this town that
You are going to take less than half
of what the resolve calls for" you
are going to say that Mr.. Averill is
not worthy of the confidence that has
been reposed in him by his fellow
toWnsmen.
\ There is something more to this
matter, gentlemen. The State depart
ment having in charge this matter
when they found fault with it and
were suspicious of it, they caused an
investigation to be made, as was right