Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-21

a few corporations, and was entirely
against the public interest.
The Dead River location Is not
the only valuable power and storage
| location owned by the state. More
over, 1t always Is to be remembered
, that all the lakes Of Maine belong TO
the people, and in my opinion. these
lakes, apart from any waterpowers,
are worth more than all the water
powers, developed OF undeveioped, IN
the entire state. This ownership Is
of the greatest importance, Tor the
lakes control the situation.
"a little careful reasoning dis
closes the errors Of the Grange state
ment. If the state Of Maine owns no
water power rights and locations,
what did certain corporations come
to Augusta during the session OF the
last legislature with a powerful lob
by of lawyers from every corner OF
Maine, and spend tens Of thousands
of dollars to secure the passage OF
the Kennebec bill? Why did they
upset the whole legislative program,
abuse the governor, and then re-
treat from a fair and square trade
that they made with me? There
certainly must have been something
Of value that the corporations want
ed badly. There was, and it was
water power and water storage To-
cations, some of which happened to
be on what are called public lots
owned by the state, in trust for GER
tain purposes, such as schools and
ministers. The corporations wanted
the state to sell them these lots.
Would they have asked this if the
state had no title to them? Now,
with poor logic, these companies
claim that although the state could
sell these lots, it could not lease
them. AS a matter Of fact, the state
either can sell or lease.
IF the state owned nothing and
consequently could have sold or CIV
en- away nothing, as the Grange lead
ers say, why, when the governor
vetoed the bill, was there such haste
to pass it over his veto? Something
important was at stake for the tele-
phone and telegraph wires from Au-
gusta to other sections of the state
were busy with messages calling
corporation lobbyists to hurry to
Augusta and override the governor.
Moreover, if the bill referred to was
entirely harmless and gave away
none Of the peoples rights. why did
not the legislature stand behind it l?
Why did the members show such an
undue haste to kill their own bill as
soon as they found the governor
referendum on it was a success?
when the Engineers society of
Maine, Hon. George Otis Smith and
the other influences at Washington,
the executive committee of the
grange, many OF the leaders of both
political parties and of the legisla-
ture, certain corporations, number
of newspapers, and other powerful
interests all work together, it would
not be surprising if, in the next few
years, Maine will have given away
all that is left, and will be shipping
it's power to New York and Connect
| cut to built up those states at her
own expense.
1.-THE disappointing feature Of that
situation is that the leaders of the
! Grange, who pre- -eminently should
stand for the peoples interest, have
adopted and are advocating the cor
porations' viewpoint. The only hope
Is that the individual members of the
| grange will rise above these infiu-
| cnces and do their own thinking
Those thoughtful men and women
are quite capable of doing this, and
signs are multiplying that they in.
tend to do so. Unless the leaders
of the Maine Grange take a firm
stand for the peoples interest they
! will lose their influence with the
| rank and file of Oranges. Already
there is discomfort with the attempt
(, ed domination Of the executive com.
| mittee."