Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-25
Would Limit Powers Of
Portland Water District

Suggestions for provisions for the
c,llinp of elections under the act
and for q limit of $4,000 to property
and franchises of other companies
which might be purchased without
coming. under the prohibition OF the
propoSed act were made by DaVio
b. Moulton, attorney for the FORT,
land Water DDistrict, when the OIL
introduced by Representative cum
mings prohibiting purchase or other
companies and limiting the territory
served came before the judiciary
committee of the Legislature wed
nesday afternoon for consideration.
II am not here to enter q com.
plant or prefer any charges. the Dill
is simply of precautionary nature
said Mr.. Cummings in introducing
the bill to the committee.
Does your bill limit the supplying
of any new district that comes
within the territory Of the district
in other words does it limit the rlsht
TO make extensions?" queried Mr..
Moulton.
"There IS no intent of this kind.
the making of extensions is a legal
and binding proposition" replied MI.
Cummings.
Mr.. Moulton said that the bill IN
its present form would prohibit two
things which the Company had done
under the existing law. By appeal
to the Public Utilities Commission
it had taken over the Prout's Neck
Water Company and had paid $4,000
for the franchise. A year ago 1t had
applied for right to make an extern
sion to Great Diamond Island ana
had put a line there in forty-elght
hours when the people there were
without water and had later pur-
chased the water works on Great
Diamond Island for $4,000. A pro-
position was now being considered
to take over the Higgins Beach wa
ter Company, which supplies % or
100 summer people. While it would
not cost more than $1,000 to take
over this property, the cost Of a
special election to ratify this act as
suggested in the bill would cost more
than $1,000.
what is the demand for this act?"
asked Senator Buzzell. the chairman
of the committee, of Mr.. Cummings.
"NIy attention was called to the
need of such a measure by the pur-
chase of the Diamond Island Water
Company" he replied. IF the Port
land Water Company can buy 3d.
900 corporation. what is to hinder
their. buying a $4,000 one or selling
franchises which they already have"
replied Mr.. Cummings. 1.-THE Port
land Water District ought not to be
a speculative proposition"
Senator Hinckley, Chairman Buzz
zell and other members of the COM
mittce suggested to Mr.. Cummings
that the bill might better be drawn
as an amendment to the present
private and special act relating to
the Water District. Mr.. Cummings
favored the separate bill form in
which he had introduced it. Later
Mr.. Cummings conferred with Mr..
Moulton in regard to the suggested
changes.
Proposed Methodist Merger
The Rev. DR.. John NJ. Arters of
South Portland. chairman of the
ecclesiastical commission created to
handle the merger of the Maine and
East Maine Conference, appeared in
favor of the act to consolidate the
Maine Methodist Episcopal Confer
ence with the East Maine Methodist
Conference and asked that it be
adopted as an emergency measure.
DR.. Arters explained that the mer-
ger had been authorized by the Cen
cral Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church and that it had
been voted by both conferences. The
ecclesiastical details were complete
and this committee had been ap-
pointed to bring about the merger of
the trustees.
The funds handled by the con-
ferences deal in large part with the
pensioning of retired ministers and
if the bill is not made law before
the meeting of the merged Maine
Conference April IS in Bangor,
seventy-five families who will not
gain their aid promptly will be dis
tressed greatly" said DR.. Arters.
THAT is the reason we ask that the
bill be made an emergency measure"
Herbert +. Foster of Winthrop,
brought out that while the old boards
of trustees of the two conferences
were self perpetuating they were
continued by the new act through
election at the annual conference.
is there any limit to the funds
which may be held under this new
act?" asked Mr.. Foster.
1t was explained that the new act
continued the combined powers of
the two old conferences in this res
pect.
1T was fixed that the net profits
should not be more than $4,000 and
Il greater latitude ought to be allowed
under the merger" said Mr.. Foster,
who also said he desired to appear
not in opposition to the bill but
simply as an inquirer.
The Rev. Arthur A. Callaghan of
Brunswick and the Rev. Albert I.
Oliver of Guilford of the Conference
Committee also appeared for the
enactment of the bill as an cmcr-
gency measure.