Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-01
PARTS OF ADDRESS
OF GOV. BAXTER
WITH TEXT IN FULL

Ilca Die Tor the journal TO ma the
space required for its publication in
full.
The governor is DESTROYS of hav-
ing as he says, the people of Maine
hear both sides of the water power
question. He says: 'There was one
page in particular that l believe
ought TO be understood and that was
Page Is. : also believe that your
readers are entitled to know of the
stand that the late Theodore RooSe-
Welt took on this question:
In accordance with his request the
Journal publishes the~parts TO which
the governor refers.
Why Blame the Governor for
Droughts and Floods?
The newspapers have confirmed the
statement of Mr.. Wyman that the
private corporations who sought the
kennebec Charter are soon to build a
new reservoir on privately owned
land where no grant from the State
is needed. This plan dlscloses an in
teresting situation.
During the past year 1923) GER
tain corporations and their support
ing newspapers blamed the governor,
first for the foods of the spring. Sec
ond for the drought in the fall, and
third for holding up" the proper
development of the kennebec val
ley. was held responsible for shut
ting down mills. for throwing peo-
pie out of employment, for loss of
dividends and for other more or less
serious offences. All the while the
very corporations that tried to eX-
tract from the Legislature a deed of
the States most valuable water
storage and water power location.
themselves owned another storage
location that now they claim is equal
~ as valuable as the one owned by
the state. They did not want TO use
their own property, where no legiSla-
tive act was needed, bat sought 10
acquire the most desirable storage
and power location that the State Of
Maine owns. They apparently want
ed to use the States property first
and retain their own for the future.
They spent tens of thousands of dol
lars in an attempt to get their char
ter passed. upset the whole program
of the Legislature, turned it into a
disOrganized body OF angry men.
called the governor socialist and
blamed him for interfering With the
development of the State
1t now is admitted that the pro-
posed Brassua- Moose River Storage
will be sufficient for the present
needs of the river and yet the gov
crnor was blamed for the water
shortage and the floods because he
refused to deed the peoples property
to a corporation that already owned
just what was needed to save the in
dustrieS in the kenncbcc valley. IL
these same gentlemen quietly had
gone to work and developed their
own storage Reservoir on Moose River
on.1 Rr1 / 1lsa and left fhn |
iSlature alone. there would have been
no hard feelings last winter. In fact
subsequent events have shown that
they did not need the kcnncbec
charter and could have developed
their own property years ago. This
shows that Il certain few private in
terests are determined that the pco-
pie OF Maine shall neither own, de-
velop. nor lease any State owned
water resources. and that these cor
porationS intend sooner or later to
become the owners OF their resources.
Theodore Roosevelt
In these remarks. | have spoEcN
frankly and fcarlessly, realizing that
l shall be called n radical. a so
cialist and Il disturbcr. l am glad
to take these epithets knowing from
whence they come. and am proud to
take UP cause that. in the years
gone by. was sponsored and fought
for by the greatest American Of our
time.
/ caution those who are ever
ready to attack me in the press and
on the platform to withhold their
fire. for behind me is the shadow OF
a patriot. Turn back the pages OF
history for brief IS years and take
up Document 1850, House of Rep
resentativcS, iii which Theodore
Roosevelt. President of the United
States. addressed the House of Rep
rcSentatiVeS (January II, 19UD.
Read the words of Il man of cour-
age and ability, whose loyalty and
Americanism no one darcS to ques-
ton. Theodore Roosevelt, on the
battlefield and in the halls of Con
gress. fought for the people OF this
nation. Against him were arraycd
all the special interests of the coun-
try whose political power and finan-
cial influence were tremendous. He
swept them aside and stood out the
greatest American of modern times.
No one more than he realized the
power and obstacles that confronted
him. He gave his life 10 the service
of his fellow Countrymen.
The Congress passed a bill in
many respects similar to the Ken
nebec Charter of our last Legisla-
ture. 1t came to the President and
he vetoed if. Congress. unlike the
Maine Legislature, declined TO pass
it over his disapproval. The Ian
guage of President RooScVelts veto
message should be read at very
Grange meeting in the State of
Maine
Theodore Roosevelt's veto mes
sage is n great state document. In
il he says:
Through lack of foresight we
have formed the habit OF granting
WITHOUT compensation extremely
valuab BILE rights. amounting to mon
opolies. on navigable streams and or
the public domain. No rights
involving water power should be
granted to any corporation in per
petuity, but only for q length of time
sufficient to allow them to conduct
their business profitably. \ reason
able charge should. OF course. be
made for valuable rights and privi-
leges which they obtain from the
National Government.
"a fair share of the increase Gun
earned increment) should be safe
guarded for the benefit of the peo-
pie. from whose labor il springs.
Accordingly / have decided to
sign no bills hereafter which do not
W. l.