CHAP. 48

public ways in the town of Patten all such pipes, aqueducts and fixtures as may be necessary, and whenever it shall lay pipes in any public way it shall cause the same to be done with as little obstruction as possible to the public travel, and shall at its own expense and as speedily as possible cause the earth and surfacing removed by it to be replaced in proper condition.

Sec. 4. Capital stock. The capital stock of said corporation shall be such sums as shall be fixed from time to time by the members and approved by the public utilities commission.

Sec. 5. Authorized to issue bonds. In addition to the capital subscribed the corporation may raise such further sums as are necessary by the issue of bonds and secure payment of said bonds by mortgage upon its property and franchises.

Sec. 6. Existing statutes not affected, rights conferred subject to R. S., c. 55. Nothing herein contained is intended to repeal or shall be construed as repealing the whole or any part of any existing statute, and all the rights and duties herein mentioned shall be exercised and performed in accordance with all the applicable provisions of chapter fifty-five of the revised statutes, and acts amendatory thereof or additional thereto.

Approved March 9, 1923.

Chapter 48.

An Act to Regulate the Taking of Clams in the Town of Sorrento.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Sec. I. Town may fix time and grant licenses for taking clams. The town of Sorrento at its annual meeting may fix the time in which clams may be taken within the limits of said town and the fee for which its municipal officers shall grant licenses or permits therefor and the number to be granted; and when not so regulated by vote of said town, the municipal officers may fix the time and fees for which permits shall be granted and said town may at its annual meeting, if it so elects, vote to restrict the issuing of such licenses or permits to the inhabitants of said town.

Sec. 2. Persons not to take clams without license except for home consumption; non-residents restricted. No persons shall take clams within the limits of said town without first obtaining a written license or permit from the municipal officers, if such written license or permit is required by the vote of said town or by the action of the municipal officers, unless the clams are for the consumption of himself or family, but no non-resi

CHAP. 49

dent shall take clams within the limits of said town for any purpose, provided said town has voted to restrict the taking of clams to the inhabitants thereof. A resident of another town or state, however, while temporarily residing in said town of Sorrento shall have the same rights to take clams within the limits of said town during such temporary residence as any inhabitant thereof under the provisions of this act.

Sec. 3. Penalty for violation. Whoever takes clams contrary to the provisions of this act, shall for each offense, be fined not more than ten dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

Approved March 10, 1923.

Chapter 49.

An Act Authorizing and Empowering the Inhabitants of the Town of Kennebunk to Create a Sinking Fund and Raise Money Therefor by Taxation for the Retirement of Its "High and Grade School House Bonds."

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Sec. I. Authorized to create a sinking fund to retire school house bonds. The inhabitants of the town of Kennebunk are hereby authorized and empowered to create a sinking fund and to raise money therefor by taxation for the retiring before or at their maturity of its bonds known as "high and grade school house bonds," dated October first, nineteen hundred and twenty-one, and running for twenty-five years, unless sooner called after ten years from date of issue.

Sec. 2. Sinking fund to be deposited in savings banks. All money raised under the authority of this act for said sinking fund shall be invested by depositing same in savings banks at interest, or in the purchase of the above named bonds at not more than their par value.

Sec. 3. Use of fund limited. This fund is to be used for no other purpose than named in the above sections and such part thereof as is not used in retirement of bonds shall be held and accumulate as long as any of this issue of bonds remain outstanding.

Approved March 13, 1923.

Chapter 50.

An Act to Extend an Act Entitled "An Act to Incorporate the Odd Fellows' Home of Maine."

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Charter of Odd Fellows' Home of Maine, extended. The act of incorporation of the Odd Fellows' Home of Maine, being chapter one hundred

CHAP 51

and ten of the private and special laws of nineteen hundred and seventeen, and as extended two years by the provisions of chapter thirteen of the private and special laws of nineteen hundred nineteen, and as further extended two years by the provisions of chapter three of the private and special laws of nineteen hundred twenty-one, is hereby extended for two years from the date when this act becomes effective with the same force and effect in all respects as if said incorporation were hereby granted.

Approved March 13, 1923.

Chapter 51.

An Act to Amend Section Thirty-two of Chapter Seventy-five of the Private and Special Laws of Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen, Relating to the Board of Education of the City of Augusta.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

P. & S. L., 1919, c. 75, sec. 32; relating to "town meeting" in Augusta for purpose of raising money for school purposes, amended. Section thirtytwo of chapter seventy-five of the private and special laws of nineteen hundred and nineteen is hereby revised and amended so as to read as follows:

'Sec. 32. Date of meeting changed to third Monday in April; board of education to prepare a budget; meeting of mayor, board of education and finance committee to consider budget, provided for; budget report to be printed; books of board of education to be audited. On the third Monday of April at half past seven o'clock in the evening, annually, a general meeting of the citizens of said city, qualified to vote at municipal elections therein, and without regard to their political affiliations, shall be convened in the city hall of said city. Such meetings shall be called in the manner prescribed for calling ward meetings in section thirty of this charter, except that there shall be but one original warrant, true and attested copies whereof shall be posted by the city marshal or any constable of said city at least seven days before the day of the meeting, and in at least two public and conspicuous places in each ward. The marshal or said constable shall deliver the original warrant, with a return of his doings thereon, to the moderator of said meeting when elected, and the secretary of the meeting shall make a record thereof. The chairman of the board if present, or in his absence any member of the board, or if no such member is present any citizen qualified to vote at municipal elections in said city. may call the meeting to order and preside until the election of a moderator. The meeting shall immediately proceed, by ballot or otherwise, to the choice of a moderator and a secretary. The moderator shall preside with the power of moderators of town meetings, and together with the secre

CHAP. 51

tary shall be duly sworn by any justice of the peace of said city. A record of such oaths shall be made by the secretary. Said board of education shall prepare a detailed estimate in the form of a budget of the amount needed for school purposes for the current year and shall submit a copy of said estimate to the mayor and each member of the finance committee of said city council at least thirty days before the date of said meeting, and there shall be held at such time as shall be fixed by the mayor, but not later than twenty days before the date of said meeting, a joint meeting of said board of education and the mayor and said finance committee, due notice of which meeting shall be given jointly by the mayor and superintendent of schools to each member of said board of education and said finance committee, to consider said estimate, and said board of education shall give full information with reference to said estimate and their reasons for fixing the items thereof at the amounts therein stated. It shall be the duty of the mayor and the members of said board of education and of said finance committee to be present at said meeting. Said mayor and finance committee, or any member thereof, or of said board of education, who do not concur in said estimate or any item thereof shall, unless said item or items are changed by said board of education, present the reasons for their non-concurrence at said annual meeting. The board of education shall prepare and have ready for distribution at least ten days prior to the date of said meeting, and shall submit at said meeting a printed report, the edition of which shall consist of not less than fifteen hundred copies, of the affairs and condition of the city schools for the year ending on the thirty-first day of December next preceding the meeting, together with said detailed estimate in the form of a budget of the amount needed for school purposes for the current year, in the amount or amounts as finally determined by them. The said electors present shall have the power to raise by vote for the support of public schools in said city for the current year ending on the thirty-first day of December such sum, not less than the amount required by the general laws of the state, as they may deem necessary for that purpose. The secretary shall forthwith, or within the time prescribed by the meeting, but in any event not later than the first day of May, certify the amount thereof to the assessors of said city and it shall be included with and assessed like other city taxes, and all the provisions of law relating to the assessment and collection of taxes shall be applicable to such tax. All salaries, wages and bills contracted by said board of education in the usual and regular course during the period between the said thirty-first day of December and the raising of said money for the then current year, and for the payment of which school funds are not available, shall be paid by the city treasurer and charged up against the school appropriation for said current year. It shall be the duty of the city auditor, under the direction of the mayor and finance

IRISH AMERICAN RELIEF ASS'N-GREAT POND R. R. CO.

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CHAP. 52

committee, to audit the books of said board of education from time to time and as directed by said mayor and finance committee. A special meeting may be called at any time in the manner hereinbefore described when in the opinion of the chairman of the board, expressed in his written request to the mayor, the welfare of the public schools demands it. At any meeting authorized by this section the electors present may by vote borrow money for the building and reconstruction of school houses and the purchase of lots therefor.'

Approved March 14, 1923.

Chapter 52.

An Act to Amend Chapter Four Hundred and Forty-nine of the Private and Special Laws of Eighteen Hundred and Sixty-five, Relating to the Irish American Relief Association of Portland.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

P. & S. L., 1865, c. 449, sec. 2; relating to charter of Irish American Relief Ass'n, amended; providing for distribution of assets among members. Section two of chapter four hundred and forty-nine of the private and special laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-five is hereby amended by adding thereto the following words :-'Whenever two-thirds of all of the members of said corporation shall at a meeting specially called for the purpose determine that the purposes for which this corporation was organized have been accomplished, the corporation may direct the distribution of the funds and property of the corporation among its members. The notice of the meeting shall be published in one of the daily newspapers published in the city of Portland at least ten days before the day of meeting. The notice shall clearly state the purpose of the meeting, and the time and place when and where the meeting shall be held. The vote shall be taken by written ballot.'

Approved March 14, 1923.

Chapter 53.

An Act to Extend the Time Limit for Exercising the Corporate Powers of the Great Pond Railway Company.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Sec. I. P. & S. L., 1921, c. 57, sec. 5; charter of Great Pond R. R. Co. extended. Section five of chapter fifty-seven of the private and special laws of nineteen hundred and twenty-one incorporating the Great Pond Railway Company, is hereby amended as follows:

A further time of two years from the date when this act goes into effect