Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-07

| ing when Ralph Q. Brewster of
) Portland will be inaugurated Cover
! nor of Maine.
| 1t could not be learned at a late
| hour last evening whether or not the
! committees of the Legislature will
| be announced today.
About the first matter to come be-
! fore the House this morning will be
| the drawing of seats for the session,
| which is always an interesting pro-
| cedure.
In the Senate all seats are desig-
\ mated; each county having its allotted
! place. The House is different. The
same might be done. but 1t is not
! regarded as practical, any more than
! it has been held desirable to separ-
| ate the members of that branch or
/ the Senate. according to political
| parties as is done in Congress. 1t
/ could be done, but it would re-
| Quire considerable Encouragement of
/ the House seats.
/ There are 151 seats In the House.
/ Each one has Il desk. Each one IS
| numbered. When, on Wednesday
morning the hour to assign seats
| arrives. the Clerk of the House
! makes an announcement that the
| drawing will take place. A box con-
{ SN'iA'Al4H tIit iIuIilbtIS lIoill L 40 ioL
| IS placed on one of the small tables
| in charge of the messenger of the
| House. Near him stands one of his
| assistants with the l-eys to the var
| ious desks.
! The clerk calls the roll OF mem
, bers. AS each name is called the
/ member steps forward and draws q.
] number from the box. A Page or
| assistant messenger with the key
| shows him to the seat, which Is to
be his official place for the winter.
Under this plan there can be no
faVotitism in the assigning of seats.
II is all a matter of luck. There have
been times when the House has de-
Iinitely given man seat. This has
usually been some member of out
standing Importance, either through
long service or from an other cause.
Major Dickey who represented tho
| town of Fort Kent for some 20 or
more years was allowed to have the
! same seat each session for MANY
years. frequently two members ex-
change seats. This is to accommodate
! some member who has an excellent
reason for wishing to sit in a certain
! part of the house. This might re-
because of poor hearing, eye trouble
or because he would he expected 20
De active in the legislation of the
winter and therefore desirious of be-
ing located we'll in the front.
state Aid for Sectarian Schools
Early rumors accompanied the
early arrival of members of the Send
| Legislature.
One of the most persistent Of tbesa
! heard about the lobby of the Aueus-
/ 70 Rouse and the corridors of the
state House Is that Senator Barwise
u aBngor Will introduce a bill at
this session calling for a referendum
IN whether State aid should be ex-
I tended TO private 'or sectar.ap
! schools, the bill popularity referred
| 10 as the Brewster Bill"
lt Is certain that Senator Bar
wise VIII introduce this BILL" said a
legislative observer.
for Highway and Bridge Bond issue
"A resolve to amend the constitution
10 authorize the issuance of bonds
not exceeding $22,600,O0O for high =,
ways and bridges will be introduced
early in the session by Senator Bene-
ulct +. Maher of kennebec. at the re-
quest OF one of his Augusta consti-
tuents.
Inc resolve provides that the legis-
nature may authorize the issuing Of
ponds not exceeding $22,6OO,Oo0 in
amount at any one time, PAYABLE
"Nhin ~ years, at a rate not ex-
ceedlng five percentum per annum.
payable mi-annually, which bonds
or their proceeds, shall lie devoted
solely to the building Of state high
ways and interstate, intrastate and
international bridges; provided how
ever: that bonds issued and ont
standing under the authority of this
section shall never, in the aggregate
exceed $22,600.00O, which said bonds
SHAH be serial and when paid at ma
turlty, or otherwise retired, shall
not be re-issued; provided also that
an money necessary TO pay the in
terest, or from time to time paw off
and retire said bonds, shall be an
plled from money received by the
! treasurer of state from automobile
! license fees so far as the same shall
be equivalent to suche payments of in
tereSt or the paying off and retiring
said bonds"
Proposed Measures Relating to Edu.
/ cation
A bill Will undoubtedly be intro.
duced at this session of the Iegisls-
lure making provision for taking
care of the children OF temporary
learned Tuesday.
other fight on the proposed sectarian
amendment forbdding the use of
public money for schools other than
those under public management and
control
Another proposed measure would
amend the law relative to automo-
Dlles eXempting those used entirely
Tor transporting children from the
necessity OF paying a tax for carry
/ ing passengers, on the ground that
the town pays the tax. =.
1here VIII probably be a measure
presented encouraging the use of mo-
ton pictures for educational pur-
poses in the schools, and there is a
possibility Of a bill providing for the
distribution of state money to sec
ondary schools doing Tree high school
WORK IN towns, on the basis of service
rather than through direct appropri-
>ations.
Another bill that may be introduc-
ed would make provision that in
schools attended in lieu of public
schools under the compulsory educa
ton act approved text books shall be
used.
DR.. A. o. Thomas, state co,nmis-
sloner of education, declared yester-
day that the school fund bill as
passed foIr years ago appears to be
almost entirely satisfactory and that
Whlie 1t does not place a hardship on
the more wealthy centers it gives
substantial aid o the poorer towns.
n. III. Legislators
In Party Caucuses
Nominate Officers