Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-23

It should be done. and IL there 10 any.
better way to limit It and TO make
It revocable than to put into the
measure granting approval che spsci.
nc Limitation Of nifty years ana
couched in the very limitations and
words Of the Federal act, do nots
know how you can do It.
But" comes the answer-let 10 be-.
fair. gentlemen,-"the State canno&
take over this company at the snd
of fifty years without . Constitutions
al amendment. Now let 10 see az t0s
that. Either It can or IL cannot. now
let them have 1t that It cannot. ThenE
they are Immediately
reduced to what seems to me ~
an absurd dilemma. Can THU
representing the state
of Maine. in ono breath give
that II Of enorInouE
value, that IL created out OF thin aiH
by some monstrous legerdemain, thie
State. acting through you gentlemeng
create something Of enormous valu2
and give 1t to this corporation. an0
yet be unable to take it over?
Now you cannot give what you havS
not got, can you? Either the State hal
power to create this company, witk
the powers that are set forth, or it haS
not. Now, II 1t has the power, then il
has It now under the Constitutiona
without any amendment. It has 1t now
Otherwise II could not give 1t. oh
will say. that is all right. bux
the point is this: they could take ovee
the physical property up there, then
could take over the storage dam. but IL
would not give them any power them
except by a Constitutional amendmentt
they would not have any right. the
State would not, as q political entitsS
have a right to charge rates, to be i'm
the business" That is true. gentl65
men. The State would not have any
right, under our Constitution today. to
tax the power that comes down. and
results from, this development Nor
would it have any right to impose q
charge. but this State has. gentlemens
the solemn right of contract. This
State. made up of the great aggregatH
OF the individuals. possesses exactly
that right Of contract. and all thai
this company has after it is created il
the right to control with the power
users, and every bit Of return that thib
company gets is by virtue Of contracE
am sure that the State possesses,
without Constitutional amendment. tho
right Of contract. and do you believe
that there will ever come q time,
whether it be 25, IS or so years from
now, when the state Of public feeling
and public opinion is such that 1t -
decreed that the State desires to take
over this development and authorizes.
through it's Legislature, the Chief Ex-
regard and to consummate the proceed
ing necessary to take 1t over and get
ready to pay whatever the assessed
value or the actual cost value is by
assessment, do you believe that theirs
will ever be a Legislature or q Chief
Executive so devoid Of the elementary
principles Of business or the element
airy necessities Of business as to say.
I'VE will pay the cost Of this and We
are already now. and the State trea4-
urer will draw his check and the State
will then own this, and after we hav0
laid for and have got the property. VIZ
will then discuss with you whether or
not you gentlemen will renew your con.
tracts and how much you will pay u.s.:
Do you believe it? do not. am
inclined to think that the Legislature.
acting through the proper agency df
government of a Chief Executive who
was carrying out the mandate Of law
would not so reverse things, would nok
so get the cart before the horse, bug
first. before there was a penny paid,
before there was a transfer Of thing
to the State or the payment therefor
of single cent. that he would first
ascertain by definite. binding, legal con.
tracts. just what the State was to get
from the power users Of the futures
Do you. not believe 1t? do.
Now then. 1t has been said that tho
issue right here today is private or
public" I do not think that is an ac-
curate statement of the ISSUE think
the real issue. gentlemen. IL develop
ment or delay" That is what 1t is,
and just for few moments hear with
me until I look at that. Everybody.
every adult in this State who has given
one fnstant's thought to this PROPOSE
ton. must have absolutely agreed upon
this: That there is imminent need. that
there is great. great demand. for de-
velopment of our natural resources.
and development are two
words that sometimes get mixed up.
Conservation! 1t is a Understanding.
word. and 1T is a good word. It Is all
right. provided that it is used with
sense. If you mean conservas
ton in order to utilize. I am with you.
IF YOU mean conservation in the sense
hat it would have been used by some
men during the late period who got q.
little too much sugar or a little too
much flour in accordance with the fed
aral regulations, I would say it was
Now what has the State Of Maine
been doing? We have been conserving
FOR 103 years. This priceless heritage
that We have been discussing. has been
in the State Of Maine in all
If it's possibilities. in all of it's value.
FOR 103 years. And II this priceless
heritage stays up there, as You are
asked to leave it. il it possesses all Of
hose elements of such value that you ,'
ire charged with giving away for moth.
ng to this creature that you are form-
ng. why. I say. gentlemen, that II it
las possessed all Of that value. what
IRE we getting for it today? What il
he State Of Maine realizing out Of It?
What have We realized out of 1t for all
his long period Of a century or more?
This thing Of inestimable value has
,een right up there. the banks Of that
liver. that power site, and the State Of
Maine, and l do not believe that the
State Of Maine can build a mile Of
oads or aid an institution. I do not
,elieve that it is half as practical for
important purposes. as the $500. 200 in
he contingent fund that We have heard
o much about. You cannot draw
lpon it; you cannot Fay the door
'eeper or the messenger to this House.
rom the value OF it.
In other words. until 1t is translated
rom fiction into fact. why. it is a DC
ion. 1t is question Of development
r delay. We all believe that it should
re utilized. Now. what does the prop
sition, aside from the economic side
+ it of public development, mean? Be
gentlemen. Aside from any
of economy or the wisdom
+ going into private business, YOU
annot have development of that prop.