Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-04-09
Monday. April 9, 1923.
A WORD ABOUT THE EIGHTY
FIRST LEGISLATURE


Brief consideration does not suf-
fee for a comprehensive survey OF
the eighty first Maine Legislature.
but certain features of the record in
wife comment at this time. There Is
evidence that where it may have
erred. it did so in the matter OF
omission rather than, Of commission,
Included in the former was the treat
ment of the highway problem. That
has not received what was needed. On
the other hand the State has not
been placed in the really indefcn-
siblc position of taxing the next
generation by means of bonds for
building temporary highways. The
failure to do what was needed is at
tributed to the deadlock with the
Bath bridge, an excellent enterprise
rightly conducted. but which should
not have been permitted to drag down
with it a better enterprise, the high
ways for instance.
A failure of great importance to
this part of the State was that of
clearing the way for needed develop
ment. On that we have previously
commented This failure may not
fairly lie placed on the shoulders of
the Legislature.
The making of too many laws is
a serious fault of most legislative
bodies. In this respect this Legisla-
ture compares most favorably. in
deed it is more likely to be blamed
for making too few rather than too
many. The precedent is a good one.
1t has been a conservative Legisla
ture and the times need such. The
revision of the state banking laws
was constructive and credta BILE
feature Of the general legislation.
There was comparatively little dis
position to- tinker the laws. We be-
lieve something good will come from
the imposition of the gasoline tax.
And IL in the result there was neglect
of adequate provision for the high
WAYS we feel sure the members take
home with them a better under
standing of the problem than they
previously had. Under all the cir
cumstances their treatment Of the
cduca tional situation was practical.
A general impression seems to be
that in the matter of personnel the
eighty first need not give odds to any.
II was a credtaby representative
body, made up of good, intelligent
citizens, the kind of people Maine
wants TO make her laws. Believers in
woman suffrage have cause for con-
graduation on the record made by
their representative. There was a
conspicuous lack Of display Of per-
sonal political ambition, there we're
evident earncstncss and determina-
ton to secure crcditable legislation
and to disregard the visionary, the
radical and the freak.
1t would be too much to expect
that the lawmakers stood in no need
of executive restraint, either by CO.
operative effort and mutual conf
denCe or through the veto. Not all
the veto power which was used was
unnecessary. 1t would indeed be
strange il among them all there were
none which were good. The veto of
the maternity act. to cite an IN
stance. may not have been POPULAR
nor is 1t likely to he popular to COM
mend it, but we think, rs our read
ers know, that Maine is entirely
capable of doing that work itself, in
a manner Creclitable to the State. AL
ready it Is receiving all the needed
advice from, the Federal Government
and its feet have not been placed IN
the path OF Sinking onto federal bu-
rcaucracy its own responsibilities.
One comment was that 1T was
direct primary Legislature and eaCh
member a king. There doubtless Is
somewhat of truth in the criticism
also in the evidence OF inability to
do team work, but there were other
reasons for this failure to cohere and
not all of them are attributable TO
the Legislature. There too. was evi-
dence of log-roling. Probably there
always will be until each constituency
instructs its representative to bring
home no bacon without he tells how
he came by it. But, all In all, the
state has cause for qualification, for
confidence in her ability to choose
the right kind of representatives.