Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-03-18

signers of these petitions, and you
will find that practically every one
of these petitioners, and they mum
ber thousands, are employees Oh
stores. factories, and manufacturing
plants in the city of Portland. II
means a great deal to these people
in the city of Portland, to the
young men and the young women
who labor in those factories and IN
those stores and those large manu-
| featuring plants to have this extra
hour Of day time. 1t means more
to them than 1t does to any other
group of people in the State OF
| Maine.
At the hearing which was held
on this matter in this room a month
| or so ago, it was remarked that the
only proponents of this measure
| were the rich men who wanted to
go out and play golf. Now these pc
! titions contradict that theory ab-
solutely. l have heard it said that
| the rest of the State did not want
| to come in and do business with
| Portland on a different time. 1t is
true that there are many people
from outside the city of Portland
who do business with us in the city
| Of Portland. We certainly are
| glad of that and we wish
there We're more who came and did
business there. l submit that the
| little inconvenience of those people
who come in and do business with US
is more than outweighed by the con-
venience and the health and happi-
, ness of those who labor in our stores
and factories, and that the heath
and happiness of those employees
more than outweighs the little incon-
venience that may be suffered by the
yeople who come there to do busi-
ness. 1 call your attention to this
fact, that if we do adopt this bill and
put into effect the subterfuge Which
has been urged by the Senator from
Ardroscoggin, Senator Carter, theso
people who come in and do business
are going to be just as much incon-
venienced. so that that argument
amounts to nothing.
l have no question as to the hon.
esty and the sincerity and the high
mindedness of those who ere really
opposed to the provisions OF this bill.
and with many of them J am in
hearty accord on other matters. ]
do feel that there are unwise and
| undesirable laws. This Is a sump-
tuary law; it harks back to the old
blue laws, the reminiscent laws of
| the old Colonial days. For instance,
IL is reminiscent of the law which
| II ade 1t illegal for a man to kiss his
wife on Sunday entirely unnecessary
| le egiSlation. The proponents of this
| measure are but entering a wedge to
ether sumptuary legislation. It may
be carried to q ridiculous and alb
surb extreme and still be In accord
with the principles which they are
urging in this bill. 1t may he that
other legislatures Will pass laws
which define what we shall have TO
eat and what we may have to wear. l
may say, l might warn the distin-
guished Senator from Androscoggin,
Senator Carter, who has so ably pre-
sented this bill on the floor of the
! Senate here, that they may even GO
to the extent of defining AMI describ-
| ing the texture and the material and
the color and patterns of neckties
which it will be permissible for in
dividuals to wear.
l say it is unWise legislation, Mr..
President, and entirely unnecessary:
1t is contrary to the prevailing spirit
OF the times. We are looking toward
progressive, constructive legislation
rather than narrow, intolerant legis-
lation such as this bill contemplates.
| wish to call the attention OF this
Senate to an item which appeared in
the paper on Friday of last week. and
it Is as follows: 1.-The House of
! Commons. London, today passed TO
the second reading a bill to provide
Tor daFliSht saving rs a permanent
! institution by a vote of oS9 to 63. The
f, bill is designed to secure agreement
IN as many countries as possible on
the summer time period. Similar
measures are being taken in France
and Belgium
1t is but a short time, Mr.. Presi-
dent, before the world will adopt
legislation of this nature because il
is desirable legislation. Now the
state of Maine does not want to
make itself ridiculous by putting it.
sell In opposition to this world move
ment. We are particularly affected by
standard time in the state Of Maine,
we are at the extreme eastern edge of
the standard time belt. in fact, there Is
more than an hour difference in time
between Eastport. Me, and the ex-
treme western edge of the eastern
standard time belt. so that that time
IN the extreme western time belt is
really what would be daylight saw
ING time for US, and We are getting
tEe worst end of the deal on the
eastern standard time. This is n
matter which 1 am content To anve
TO the good judgment OF the r,en-
bers of this Senate.
believe that these petitions which
nave presented from the men and
women of the city of Portland, and
also from South Portland and West
ook' 'hese men AMI women who
WORK in stores and offices will speak
tMdr M more eloquently and carry
lar greater weight than any
words l may say to you. | believe
mat we should not pass this bill and
thls subterfuge that has been re-
lerred 10 by the Senator from An
drocoggin.
Mr.. CRAM Of Cumberland: Mr..
President. [ also desire to present
several petitions from the workers
or Portland and vicinity against the
passage of this bill relating to stand
dard time, and l will present for
your consideration the petition of
Roy A. Purington of Portland and 43
others, patrons of the Twilight
League of Baseball; also the petition
Of S. W. Hersey and Il others en-
ployees of Winslow & Company of
Portland, pottery manufacturers well
known throughout the world; also
petition of Mary A. Coyne and 35
others, employees of the f. w. Wool
worth Company; also petition Of
Edward II. Cushman and "a others.
employees of Myron d. Kidder Com
pany, dealers in the REQ automobile,
Portland: also petition Of Harry
Nelson and 33 others, employees of
the Thomas Laughin Company,
well known iron manufacturers of
Portland; also petition of George f.
Reynolds and 60 others, employees
of the Portland Company; also petit