Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01

UAl
North Arson tabled, pending second
reading.)
Mr.. Rounds from the Committee
on Salaries and Fees on Bill "An Act
to amend Sections II and 10, OF
Chapter 8 of the Revised Statutes,
and Section 80 of Chapter III. of the
Revised Statutes, relating to the
Board of State Assessors" reported
same in a new draft under title Of
IAN Act to amend Section Is of
Chapter g., of the Revised Statutes,
and Section 80 of Chapter III. of the
Revised Statutes, relating to the
Board of State Assessors" and that
it fought to pass
The report was accepted, and the
bill ordered printed under the joint
rules.
Mr.. Emery from the Committee on
Towns reported Ought to pass" on
Bill IAN Act to incorporate the town
of Drew"
The report was accepted.
ION motion by Mr.. Atherton Of
Stacyville the rules were suspended
and the bill given it's three several
readings and passed to be en-
grossed.)
Report of the Committee on Salar-
les and Fees reporting "Ought to
pass 'on Bill "An Act to amend
Chapter 11S, Section 20 of the Re-
vised Statutes. relating to the fees OF
Town Clerks"
Report was read and accepted and
the bill having already been printed
blouse Document No. 116) was
read twice under a suspension of the
rules.
con motion by Mr.. Jordan OF
Cumberland the rules were suspend
ed and the bill given its third read
ing and passed to be engrossed)
Majority and Minority reports of
the Committee on Towns, majority
reporting fought not to pass" on Bill,
An Act to divide the town of South
Thomaston, and minority reporting
Fought to pass 'on same bill; the
majority report being signed by
Messrs. Easton of Oxford and Spen-
Ger of York on the part of the Sen
ate; and Twombly of Rowland.
Smith of Ludlow, Jordan of Cumber-
land and Chadbourne OF BALDWIN on
the part of the House: minority re-
port being signed by Messrs. Gould
of Aroostook, on the part OF the
Senate, and Spear of Rockport,
Emery of Buxton and Chamberlain
of Winslow on the part OF the House.
Mr.. JORDAN of Cumberland: Mr..
Sneaker. I move that the House ac-
cept the majority report, and upon
that motion I want to say Just a
word. / have no particular interest
in this matter, but as matter OF
general principle I do not beleve IN
dividing these small towns. south
Thomaston is town OF approx
mately IS square miles, with val
nation of about S495, 800, and a popu-
lation of about 900. The population
in the last ten years has fallen OH
nearly 500, and theer was no evil
dence presented at the hearing to
show any material increase in popu-
lation, and I think it is poor policy
for the State to make any more
! small towns than what we already
have.
cat this point Mr.. Hinckley Of
South Portland assumed the Chair.)
Mr.. SPEAR of Rockport: Mr..
Speaker, I hesitate at this time to
say anything in regard to dividing
towns in the face of the stormy ses-
sion of yesterday. 1t seems that
towns which are being divided in
this session of the Legislature
stand about as much show as the
! proverbial celluloid dog that en-
deavored to explore the region out
side the gates of Saint Peter.
! 1 want to call your attention to
! two leaflets that have been placed
upon your desks this morning and let
! YOU Judge for yourselves whether 1T
! is advisable to divide towns. l sup
pose you all appreciate the fact that
! there are in this State some $50 towns,
and that 140 odd are in existence by
reason of division; that this State eX-
! lists by reason of division, and that
! all your counties exist by reason of
division. / cannot see why it is any
crime to divide small towns as long
as the small towns can take care OF
themselves and pay their State taxes.
| According to this leaflet which has
been placed on your desks this morn
! ing it appears that the population of
South Thomaston in 1910 was 1888, and
in 1920 it was 947, a decrease of about
500. At the hearing it was inquired
what the cause of this decrease was.
and nobody seemed to be able to an
swer that question. | refer you to
! the annual report of the superinten-
dent of schools in that town, and he
saws: 1.-THE surest way for a town to
continue to lose population is to al
low it's schools and equipment to fall
behind the times" That is what has
happened in South Thomaston, their
schools and equipment have fallen
behind the times; their roads have
fallen behind the times and is this a
/ cause for division? The report goes
| on to say, 1.-The best business invest
ment which it can make is in modern
school plants" That surely has not
been done in this town. In the mat
ter of roads, there are "a IL miles,
and l will say that in this particular
! instance these roads were measured
by the use of an automobile; on the
other side they were measured on the
United States chart, the Rockland
Quadrangle, and 1 am informed that
one is as reliable as the other. sThe
other side give this distance q miles
instead of "a, so in order to give them
| tho benefit of the doubt SlppOSing we