Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01
Committee Hearings
LEGAL AFFAIRS
The University of Maine

| The first matter to be taken up by
| the committee on legal affairs We'd
nesday afternoon was the act making
the open and closed sessions of
boards of registration of longer
duration before the various elections.
Under the proposed act boards in all
closed sessions and the number of
open sessions would depend upon the
size of the city and therefore on the
number of applications for registra-
ton. Roscoe Z. Ham of Bath, chair
man of the board OF registration of
that city, appeared in favor of the
measure and no one opposed it.
! Senator Folsom of Somerset APP
peared in favor of the resolve intro
duced in the House by Rep. Barwise
of Bangor declaring the University
OF Maine to be a State institution.
Senator Folsom told the committee
that there appears to exist in the
mind of some people that the uni
versity is not State institution
and this legal bubble is throwing
obstacles in the progress of the Uni
versity of Maine. The university
has been treated as a State institu
ton for a great many years, and if
there is a possible legal point that
the University of Maine is not a
State institution that point ought to
be settled.
There is no doubt but that the
State of Maine has had absolutely
full control of this institution since
it's establishment and every act of the
Legislature has been on the as
sumption that the University of
Maine was a State institution" said
Senator Folsom.
Rep. Dodge of Portland, who spoke
iii opposition to the resolve, declared
that the question as to whether the
University of Maine was a State in
stitution or not has for great many
years been a mooted one.
If this resolve passes the State
must not only assume the affairs of
this institution, but it must also as
sumo it's deficit" said Rep. Dodge.
4 am at loss" said Rep. Dodge,
why there is so much anxiety about
clearing up this matter at this ses-
sion. OF course if this resolve is
passed, the financial standing of the
institution will be strengthened. If
you make this a State institution you
will remove the desire of philan-
thropic persons to leave money to the
institution" r.
Senator Folsom said that the
alumni did not refuse to help, but do
not acknowledge that the deficit
Cd, nj 1n I,n tot
Senator Folsom also said that the
deficit of the institution did not enter
his mind or as far as he knew the
minds of any other when it was de-
sired to have the resolve presented.
He said that the passage of this act
would not stop the alumni from Civ
ing anything to the institution.
Watervi!Ie Junior High School
Rep. Bartlett of Waterville eX-
planned to the committee the bill in
. troduced by him Monday to incor-
porate the Water Junior High School
District. He said that he wished to
be frank with the committee in say
ing that this method was used to
avoid thf constitutional debt limit of
five per cent.
Cecil M. Daggett, eX- Mayor E. c.
Wardwell, ex-Mayor Frank Redding-
ton, Supt. OF Schools Patten, Harry
DuBord, chairman of the Board of
Education, and Sherman L. Berry,
spoke in favor of the principles as
embodied in the measure, but they
thought that it should be amended in
various ways. 1t was brought out
that the bill was hurriedly drafted
and it was not expected that it would
be a perfect one. Chairman Thombs
told the Waterville delegation that if
it would present new draft the
committee would accept it, If it was
agreeable to all the parties inter-
ested.