Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-21


answer to what l said, called at
tention to the fact that the county
commissioners are frequently called
away from the county seat to locate.
roads and determine bridges and
various questions and that they We're
not. as l understood him to say, paid
for services Of that kind and
character.
If you gentlemen will turn to bills
in the third reading this morning.
you will observe that we passed
House Document No. 4l3. which pro-
yidcs that county commissioners go
ing away from the county seat to
transact any business. shall be paid
their expenses. This is most
elastic measure, and L am sure that
any county commissioner who goes
from his county building to transact
| any county business will see to it
that he is adequately paid for the
| time that he spends and the expenses
| that he incurs.
Now, 1 say again that the county
| commissioners of AndroSCOggin
| County are very we'll paid at $3.50.
| have heard of none of them resignng
! during my brief career in connection
with county matters, or as a citizen.
pay; but the minute they are elected
to Office they Immediately come to
| this legislature and ask at your
| hands an increase in their pay. If
| they do not desire to hold offices I'M
der the conditions provided by law.
| Let them stay out. the same as men,
! bers of this legislature: and l
| sincerely hope that this motion to
| indefinitely postpone this matter will
! prevail.
Mr. GAGNE of Lewiston: Mr.
| Speaker and gentleman: BY asking
| $1,000. 1 think it is not too much for
! the county mmissioners of Andro-
scoggin County. When you look over
! the counties. Aroostooll gets S1,1O0,
| Cumberland County gets $500. Ken
nebec gets $1,000. Penobscot gets ST.
zoe. York $3.50. and Androscoggin is
| only $3.50. And. gentlemen, you very
we'll know that there is q lot of work
| to do in AndroScoGgin County, it be-
ing the second county in the State,
! as 1 remember we'll: and / think we
are asking very little when we only
ask raise of $3.50 in order to make
it $1,000; and. gentlemen. [ hope that
the motion of the gentleman from
Auburn, Mr.. Wing. Will not prevail.
| Mr.. STURGIS of Auburn: Mr.
Speaker ana gentlemen of the Leg
lslature; Speaking in regard to the
salaries of the different counties |
| come from Androscoggin. If my
/ memory serves me right, there were
number of candidates in the pri-
maries for the offices OF county
commissioners and they all thought
it was a good plum and there was a
very spirited contest in that county.
| and l had some intimate friends who
We're defeated there and they were
so anxious TO get in that they called
| for recount. because they were
| looking for either the honor or the
salary don't know which. AS my
brother says, there are some counties
that are getting more than Andro-
scogGin. but there are some other
counties in Maine outside of Cumber-
land County and Kennebcc. Franklin
| County gets $3.50. Hancock County
$40. Knox County $500, Lincoln
County $500, Oxford County 5000.
Plscataquis County $500. Sagadahoc
$500. Somerset $3.50, Waldo $500.
Washington $3.50.
COW. gentlemen, as soon as these
nonored gentlemen got offices they
Immediately got into the lime light
by trying to get raises in salaries.
TO my mind the Utilities Commits
sion have taken away part of their
ardous duties and ] would feel, as a
member OF the Legislature from An
droscogsIn County. that they are
suiilclenty paid for their services,
and would sustain the
Mr.. EDWARDS of Bethel: Mr..
Speaker. being one of the members
of that committee. 1 would say that
| there
mittee who opposed that bill. and
it was the unanimous consent of the
committee that they should be grant
ed $1,000. OF course it is very I'M
fortunate that Androscoggin County
! has to be on the wrong political side
Mr.. STCRGIS: Mr.. Speaker, | ap-
| peared before that committee and
told one or two my position. I was
| then called away to another commit
| tee meeting and that is why l was
not there on that day.
Mr.. GREENLEAF of Auburn: Mr.
| Speaker, personally l did not appear
before that committee because | was
very much interested in another
| hearing that was going on at that
time: but / remind the members of
the House that we are voting here
on a matter that concerns the tran
saction of business in Androscoggin
| County. The question is whether
| from an economical standpoint can
we get the business done for $3.50. We
have very good commissioners in of
flee serving for $3.50. and there are
many men who will take the office
at $3.50: and 1 think that should be
borne in mind in voting on this ques-
ton.
Mr.. EDWARDS: Mr.. Speaker. that
was tabled at three or four of our
meetings at least, because we expect