Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-18

L thihk mat statement of the Com
| mission as to its purposes has heen
carried out.
Two years ago, as the gentleman
from south Portland (Mr. Lamsonl
aaio' thls Dill was introduced, or a
very similar Dill, to change back from
q III ee-iiiel commission to one-man
COMMISSION .:ii The agitation for this
ca. We" 20 sven some strength by the
time, was known to favor s,,c, la
act. 1 will say, however that bafora
Governor Baxter completed HI, 49,
OF office, he stated that he was verv
| glad that the law was not changed
and that he was satisfied that tho
present three-men commission and d.
rector was the best thing for the in
oustry. Alter the agitation of two
years ago, nothing more was heard
ABOUT the matter until the Legisla-
| ture opened this year, when this bill
| appeared again.
| 1 think that I can saw for all NJ
| those who are interested in the fish
ing industry that they came here this
year with no preconceived ideas in re-
gard to this matter, and they were
willing to give it fair and impartial
| nearing. personally, l attempted as
soon as this bill appeared to ascertain
| from the hShermen whom l knew best
| the attitude which the fishermen
would take toward such a bill.
| found no one who favored a change in
| the law in any way, and no one I'm
! this Legislature, with the exception of
one or two men, has ever said to me
that he favored such a bill. The petit
tons which you have heard read here
this winter, coming from a large num-
Der OF fishermen from all parts of our
coast, were unanimous against the
change in the law. If there were any
| great agitation for a change, 1t is rea-
| sonable to assume that someone would
have taken sufficient interest to show
some expression of opinion of the fish
ermen for the change. At the hear
| ing before the committee no one ap-
| peared for the bill, while on the other
| hand several appeared against 1t. To-
| day We are asked to vote on the bill
| for which there is no apparent back
| ing, but as TO which there Is decided
| opposition from those most vitality in
! terested.
I believe that all the members of
| this House will agree with me that
| one thing that was impressed upon us
| by those who sent us here was that
w
! be enacted. 1 have often had said to
me. do not make any new laws; do
| not change any old laws" Now we
are asked to do away with a law that
| has been working satisfactorily to
| those most vitality concerned and go
! back to a law which for considera-
HE number of years. according to all
| the evidence We can now obtain, did
not work satisfactorily. This is rath-
| err unique situation because the most
| of the laws that are presented to US
| for consideration have the virtue of
| being untricd, and they are favored
as a matter Of opinion. someone thinks
| they will be Of advantage, but there is
| no definite evidence against them. In
! this case we are asked to do away
with a law that has worked satisfac-
| torily and go back to a law which did
not so work 1t would not seem to me
that any of us should favor such a
procedure.
! AS to the expense, which was
| touched upon by the gentleman from
! South Portland (Mr. Lamson), the
| total expense for salaries and travel
! ing expenses for the three members
of the Commission during the two
| last fiscal years was 1854. for the
! three men, an average of $1S7 a
| year; but it would not seem to me
| that we could arrive at any more
economical arrangement than this.
| New the other amounts expended
under the direction Of the commits
| sion for those things which must
necessarily be done for the fishing in
dustry, that would be sdone whether
we had three or Il one man commits
sion. | assume. Whether the money
WC1ll1 pXnPndaI atflrianflV
| under one man is a serious question.
AS to the efficiency of our present
form, | would add the testimony
which has come to US from outside
the State. Early in the year 1918.
wien the present commission had
been in existence about a month,
Governor Milliken and the Director
of the Sea and Shore Fisheries at
tended 4 Conference in Boston. At
that Conference they were told that
during the previous year large
quantities of short Holsters had
come into Massachusetts, and they
were told that the enforcement of
the fishery laws in Maine was joke.
| This last week the Director of the
Sea and Shore Fisheries attended
Conference Of all of the Commits
sioners and Directors of the New
| England States and of the State of
New York, and he was told at that
meeting that the enforcement of the
Maine fishery laws was becoming
known throughout the extent of the
Atlantic seaboard, and they wanted
to know how in this State such eff
fcient enforcement of the laws was
obtained. This would not seem to
| indicate that the one man commits
sion obtained a great efficiency than
fas been under the present form OF
commission.
feel sure. members OF the House.
that you will support the majority
report Of the committee. ought not
to pass"
Mr.. BOMAN of Vinalhaven: Mr..
Speaker and members of the House
of Representatives: This is mat
ter of vital Importance to the lobster
fishermen and the lobster industry on
the coast of Maine. Prior to 1917,
ULder the one-man commission,
things We're very unsatisfactory not
only to the lobster fishermen but the
dealers and smackmen as well. 1t
Seemed to be the policy at certain
times to loosen up little bit on the
law when certain few wanted it.
and then tighten up, which condi-
lions were very bad to those who
were not SO informed.
The three-men commission has
been q commission of education. and
all along the coast it has proved of
advantage to the fishermen and the
fishing industry. Many of the fish
ermen of previous years. who looked
with disfavor upon some of the en-
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Millions lN& 81