Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-28
'trneRlpnIC PROCEEDINGS
= ...I.usd from Page Twe)

kgloeRAPA|C PROCEEDINGS
,e.n,Inusd from Page Twe)
:. LA maintain . new dam At said
J. such Q height - would raise
k va four and one.half feet
VIZ -: maximum level Of the sur.
~ chesuncook Lake ~ flowed
o. chesuncook Dam. This right
u. nted both for the purpose Of
u.,rr the driving of logs and
md for storing water for the
~ snv mills which might use the
% branch water. This amendment
"a provisions for taking land.
ns.sary. and for compensation to
1sS ,a Tor flowing out Of any water
~ hel ,nging to private individ-
.iow Chesuncook Dam or be-
~ dam authorized by that act.
a." the authority Of this amend
vnas. new concrete dam has been
eM..ted and maintained at
n.nus. All damages occasioned
Sswage from that dam have long
heen paid and compensation
h.sn ,ade for any water powers
w. mt by the building Of that
eu rhe capacity OF the reservoir
y .,roximately twenty-five billion
seet. The present f1ow2ge is
E ~. thirty-eight square miles. The
'u. rs basin comprises about 1900
sn.e miles. Under the provisions
laa s.,tsr "a Of the Private and
laws Of 1917 the West
.h Company was authorized to
~ ~ tease it's stored water to the
~ Northern Paper Company.
a. right however. to the West
no company to divest itself OF
49, or rights necessary to perform
sl.Si;c duties imposed on it by its
This amendment carried the
L rroyision that whenever the
q.ne .,,nuld determine to take over
The rights and property OF the
Y. branch Company in order to
"..;n and operate a system OF
y. storage it could do so without
s..;on to compensate the West
sh Company for the right and
"s;,s granted by that Act.
e normal conditions. this
lnae e;. ha, been sufficient for the
..;on of the Great Northern
=. company's mills throughout
r.ar. During the present season.
4. has been serious water snort
This condition, whenever 1t
.rs is serious not only for the
". Northern Paper Company, but
~ ;ndustries upon the Penobscot
~ During most seasons. the
l..rt reservoir will fill to the pre-
,h.d height, and under the present
Iw.tion of the charter. additional
s,sr has been required to be spilled
wasted. This waste water. If
ii would be sufficient to bridge
a subsequent year. like the year
y, when the reservoir fails to fill.
Trader these circumstances, House
Lament No. 227 was presented to
\, legislature. The sole effect of
4, act Is to permit the West
R.nch Company to hold water on its
= to A height four feet higher than
C,vailable under the provisions of
d amendment Of 1907. This will al
about FIVE billion feet more stor-
Gvater. Hearing was had upon the
d before the committee on Interior
tiers, and the purpose and inten-
m thereof fully explained. No OPP
EjtIon was offered, the bill was
Sorably reported. It subsequently
Used through both branches of the
Leislature without opposition. 1t
n presented to the Governor. and
vetoed. 1t would almost seem
VI there must have been a mis-
on the part of the lat
Y Of the real effect and purpose of
y bill. In his veto message, he
&tes that the bill gives the right
Make and flow out any water power
(denging to private individuals be-
n Chesuncook Dam or below the
|Am authorized by this act" He
|nther states, that the franchise is
|Ny similar to that asked for by the
|r.rebec Storage Reservoir Com
|xu, and that the reasons for refus-
4 the latter apply, with equal force
hthis act. AS a matter of fact, the
hthts to flow out any other powers
here granted in 1907. Such powers
I'm not be flowed out by the opera
|tns permitted under this present
|n.ndment. Neither is. the franchise
kus sought similar to that asked by
h Kennebec Storage Reservoir Com
Euy. In the latter case, a new sys-
Nm Is to be constructed and a public
kor lots are to be taken for a dam
Ne In this case the proponents
|nply ask the right to hold a larger
|tantity Of water on the present
listing lawfully constructed dam.
Dh.ry inch Of land to be affected by
" new fowage has been purchased
rarght, or bargained for for COM
knsation satisfactory to the various
(nd owners. The new f1owage will
mount to twenty-nine hundred
etes and of this, the Great Northern
per Company is the owner of
even hundred acres. No person or
tividual below the dam can be
naged because under the pro-
fsions Of the original act, 1t will still
necessary to allow to flow down
v West Branch continuously the
fnimum Of two thousand cubic feet
second. AS a matter of fact,
'sry enterprise below. including the
lagor Railway and Electric Com
my. a public service corporation.
III be benefited without any ex-
!nse to them whatever. The four
edltional feet will be held back by
VI boards on the dam as now
Nstructed. No new construction
'l be necessary whatever.
Fellow senator's. trust that this
become law notwithstanding
y objections Of the Governor.
Nr. HINCkLEY of Cumberland:
President, in a word. as l I'M
Elstand this situation. in 1907, some
sleen years ago. this Legislature
nhted to the West Branch Driving
y Reservoir Company franchise
sa's Tor the purpose OF building a
tn ana erecting a reservoir at the
~ waters of the Penobscot. These
sas We're exercised by them. They
w. oeen exercised by them con-
uaiiy since that time. By no
.slen OF the Imagination. or inter-
..uon Of the law as it is at the
,'sent time. or if the Constitution
amended along the lines suggest
constitutional resolve before
present LEGISLATURE would the