Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-17
REPORT
(Continued from Paua Qnel

ing the financial operations of the
State for the eighteen months per-
iod January !, 1921 to June 80, 1922.
The fiscal year was changed by tie
last Legislature from January l.
December 81, to July June 80,
and all departments, boards and co-n-
missions were required by Chapter
60, Public Laws of 1921, to submit
q report covering the eighteen
months period. The State instill-
tons were already closing their ac
counts June 30th, having adopted
this fiscal period in conformity to
the requirements of Chapter "a, Pub
lie Laws of 1917. The now fiscal
year is welcomed by nearly all the
departments. The advantages of the
new fiscal year are manifest. the fol-
lowing being the principal reasons
why this change is in the interest Of
busincss-like methods.
l. Appropriations are now avail
able during the sessions of the LcgiS-
laturc. Formerly the appropriations
expired on December 31st, while the
new appropriations made by the
Legislature would not be available
until April LIST, leaving 4 period of
three months during which many Of
the StatC'3 creditors must wait for
the payment % their accounts.
,. The departments are now en-
ablcd to make up their reports 10
July LIST preceding the session of the
Legislature and to have such reports
printed and ready for distribution
near tho beginning of the session, in
stead of having them delayed until
late in the session.
3. State appropriations in activi-
ties undertaken in conjunction with
the Federal Government, such as
vocational education, cooperative
agricultural extension, forestry.
health and other matters are now eX-
pended in like periods and are COM
parable whore formerly appropriated
for different periods.
The Farm Lands Loan Commission
of Maine, composed of the Governor,
State Auditor. Commissioner of Agr:-
culture, Forest Commissioner and
state Superintendent Of Public
Schools. is considering an increasing
number of applications FOR farm
loans. The Commission on D2cen.-
Der 20, 1922, went on record in favor
of lowering the interest rate from
seven per cent TO five per cent. Tie
original act, Chapter 503, Pubic
Laws of 1917. provided Tor leans It
five per cent. The act increasing the
rate to seven per cent, Chapter 14i.
Public Laws of 1921, was %never
brought to the attention OF the Con.
mission, and would have been oppos-'
ed by it had it known 1t was being
considered. The Commission he
licvos that loans might be granted up
to sixty per cent OF the value of the
land and to twenty per cent of the
value of the buildings. We Leilove
that the act is OF real benefit TO
agriculture.
The Legislature of 1919 passed IN
act, Chapter 1S9, Public Laws known
as the Soldiers Settlement Act. The
personnel of the Commits SION 70 al
minister this is the same as that pro-
vided in the act creating the Farm
Lands Loan Commission. The AIT
contemplated cooperation on the
part of the United States. | have
had several applications from cX
soldiers of the late war who desire
to take up farming in Maine under
the provisions of this act. 10 date
the United States has not cr2cttd
legislation authorizing GO .oporali,n
of this State with the Federal
Government There is. however,
pending in Congress an act known as
the Smith-McNary act, She passage
of which may result in cooperation
between the United states and
Maine. 7 urge that this be carefully
considered by the Legislature and
that our act of 1919 be amended, if
necessary, so as to provide for &C
operation in this important matter.
| recommend Legislature in coli
nection with the States reservation
on which stands Fort William, Henry,
the ancient paved streets and the Old
garrison house at Pemaquid the
site Of one of tho first English set
Elements in New England. Tho Fort
William Henry Commission. So-caii-
cd. has no legal status. having orig
inally been authorized by an order
of the Governor and Council. in 1G27.
The title of this property ut pcn&-
quid is vested in the state. The
State rebuilt the tower and {, pOr: 'on
of tho walls Of the fort ana also
makes an annual appropriatiLn
for the salary of the custodian aud
for repairs. The resolves under
which this construction WAS rmdct-
taken have no present force Of law,
ana the state should formally lake
over tho property by an act of the
Legislature.
A serious omission in our session
laws, and one that causes inquiry,
especially from those in Other states,
is that they nowhere show when the
acts and resolves therein contained
become effective. A statute should
provide that the Secretary Of State
shall place upon the title page the
date on which the laws become eff
fective. Emergency acts and 1o-
solves would, of course, pe shown to
be effective on the date of their APP
proval. which date in all cases ap-
pears at the end OF the cnapter. This
should also be made to apply to tho
published acts required to be print
cd in the newspapers of the state,
under Section 81, Chapter ., r. S.
| can see no good reason why the
state should have towns and plar-
tations with the same namc, and l
renew the recommendation made by
my predecessor to change the hands
of some of the small plantations. We
have, for instance, the town of Lin
coin and Lincoln Plantations; town
of Webster and Webster Plantation;