Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-22

Fight Of eminent Domain. always has
been jealousy suafded BY the Legis-
islature. but this Act gives It away
Without restriction. The storage de-
velopments In this region are solely
tor private profit, and although a
great Industry has located there the
fact remains that most of the fights
of the people I'M water storages have
been pArted withs forever in this
vast section of Northeastern Maine.
The West Branch Company in the
years gone by has been granted
everything 1t has asked for and now
seeks further privileges. In my
opinion before any such grant is made
the rights Of the State should be
taken into consideration, and the
people 81 the state should share air
ectly in the BENEFITS that will accrue
by reason OF this increased storage
This franchise IL very similar to
that ea4ked for by the Kennebec
Storage Reservoir Company and nay
reasons for disappearing the latter
franchise apply with equal force to
the present. In the case before us
the State already has parted with
many valuable rights and certainly
halt should be called. Before any
additional privileges are granted the
rights Of the people should be de-
fined and q halt should be rpade in
the granting Of storage franchises
until the proposed constitutional
ame ndment Is placed before the peo-
pie. 1t Is easy to give away these
great franchises, but once alienated
they never can be recalled. The chain
of lakes that already has been decided
tho WaSf Propct nriu
and Reservoir Dam Company COM
prises enc of the greatest water stor-
age reservoirs in Maine and its value
runs into millions of dollars. 1t will
not work q hardship upon the COM
pany in question. il the charter it
seeks is postponed until the people
fthe State are given the right to
decide what they themselves desire
to do in the water storage question.
I shall not give my approval to any
great water storage projects at this
session Of the Legislature. for the
time has come when all these fran
chises should BE denied until the
people come into their own.
Respectfully submitted, i.->
(Signed) PERCIvAL p. BAXTER.
Governor OF Maine.
On motion by Mr.. Curtis Of Brewer,
II wac NOtCN Iudt TIC lOFeSOIH8 FelO
message be tabled and specially as
signed for Friday, March 20.
r The SPEAKERS: The Chair pre-
sents veto message from the Gov
ernor.
STATE OF MAINE a
Office OF the Governor
Augusta. March II, 1923.
To the Honorable Senate and House
of Representatives OF the YlSt
legislature
I return herewith without my ap-
proval.
IAN ACT to amend Section Four of
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety
seven of the Public Laws Of
Nineteen Hundred and Seventeen,
as Amended. Relating to the
State Department of Health"
This bill provides that the Gov
ernor ION or before the first day Of
May in the year nineteen hundred
and twenty-three shall appoint a
dentist as a member Of the Public
Health Council. AS the Act in ques-
ton will not take effect until ninety
days after the adjournment of the
Legislature the Governor cannot
lawfully make the, appointment re-
ferred to. In other words the Leg
islature is directing the Chief Execu-
tive to take action under an Act that
Will not become a law until more
than sixty days after the date of the
appointment the Governor is ordered
to make.
Another clause of the law provides
that the Governor at the same time
shall make another appointment to
said board for the term Of five years
from said, first day of May. nineteen
hundred twenty three" The reason
ing in the first paragraph of this
communication applies with equal
force to this latter provision. l can
not approve an Act that instructs me
to make an unlawful appointment
and so am returning it to your hon
orable body.
Respectfully submitted
(Signed) PERCINAL =. BANTER.
Governor of Maine.
On motion by Mr.. Sturgis of Au-
burn. the foregoing message was
tabled and specially assigned for
Friday, March %.
The SPEAKER: The Chair pre-
sents veto message from the Gov
STATE OF MAINE
Office of the Governor
Augusta, March II, 1923.
To the Honorable Senate and House
of Representatives OF the S1st
legislature
1 return herewith without my APP
provai.
>'RESOLVE. Providing for the I'ur-
chase of History of Aroostook.'
This Resolve calls for the expendf-
ture of S525 and is one of several that
are before this Legislature. In my
opinion it is unwise for the Legisla-
tura to DaES these SnQCial rpSOlveS
calling for the purchase OF books,
because in our general appropriation
bill a liberal amount is provided for
the purchase of such books as the
State Librarian may deem proper.
When the Legislature orders the pNr-
chase Of these special volumes it is
usually done for the purpose OF aid
ing those who publish them and, in
my opinion, in very few instances
would the State Librarian himself
purchase the books il the matter
were left to his discretion.
1t is an easy matter for the Legis.
lature to spend several thousand dol
lars on special book resolves. but my
experience has been that most OF
these books, after being delivered to
the State Library find their way into
the dome Of the Capitol and remain
there until some general houseclean-
ing takes place or until space Is re-
Quired for the ever increasing pro-
cession OF volumes that pour in upon
us.
1t is not an unusual sight to see a
truck drawn up by the side door of
the Capitol. there to be loaded with
reports and volumes of one kind or
another to be taken away to the
dump because there is no use for