The Portland daily press., 1893-03-24

people who go from place to place and
hire buildings for short periods.i llt does
| not apply to peddlers, but there VIII now
| be fewer fire ''assignee's" and ''bank-
| rupt stock' sales by men who are cor
rectly termed ''itinerant vendors" The
act describes these people thus:
1.-THE words "itinerant vendors Tor
| the purposes of this act shall be con-
strued to mean and include all persons,
both principals and agents, who engage
| in temporary or transient business in
| this state, either in one locality or in
| travelling from place to place selling
goods, wares and merchandise, and who
for the purposes of carrying on such
| business hire, lease or occupy any build
| ing or structure for the exhibition and
sale of such goods, wares and merchan-
| disc.
1.-THE provisions Of this act shall not
apply to sales made to dealers by COM
mercial travellers or selling agents in the
usual course of business, nor to bona fide
sale of goods, wares and merchandise
by sample for future delivery, or to
hawkers on the streets or peddlers from
| vehicles"
The act provides that 'severy itinerant
vender desiring to do business In this
state shall deposit with the Secretary OF
State the sum of $500 as a special de-
post, and after such deposit, upon appli-
cation in proper form and the payment
of further sum of $25 as a state license
fee, the Secretary of State shall issue to
him an itinerant vender's license, author
| izing him to do business in this state in
conformity with the provisions of this
| act for the term of one year from the
| date thereof"
| But before the licensee can do business
in city or town he must take out local
| license based upon the average valuation
| of his stock of goods, wares and mer-
| chandize kept or exposed for sale, in the
ratio and of the rate per thousand dollars
of valuation of the last preceding tax levy
made in such city or town. The license
shall be and continue in force SO long as
| the licensee Hereunder shall continuous
| ly keep and expose for sale in such city
merchandise, except that such license
| shall in any event terminate and expire
on the first day of April next following
| its date.
In other words, the trips of itinerant
| vendors are likely to be about as rare as
angels visits when this law goes into
effect.
Tinkering the Liquor Law.
The liquor law came before the Senate
4his afternoon on the proposition con-
tanned in the bill to reduce the penalty
for the illegal transportation Of liquor
Mr.. Shaw of Aroostook said that from
1875 to 1891 the penalty was $50 fine for
each offense. In 1891 the legislature
raised the penalty to $500 fine and costs
| and one year imprisonment for each
4 n l.. In, ,nl@
back to where it was before 1891 $50
fine. Mr.. Shaw thought the present law
was excessive in its penalties. but he
| would not go back to the old law. In
stead he advocated law making the
penalty fine of not less than $50 nor
more than 5000 and costs, and imprison-
ment not exceeding one year. The
law of 1891 made corporations wrong
fully transporting liquor liable to $500
fine and costs. This Mr.. Shaw would
change to $500 and costs. The bill made
| it 500 which Mr. Shaw thought too low.
Mr.. Peakes then told how the last
legislature over did it when it passed
this law.
Mr.. Peakes said that the Supreme
Court was unanimous that the law of
1891 violated the constitution in that 1t
established penalties out of all proper
ton to the offense, and the penalty adj
vocated by Mr.. Shaw was also unconsti-
tutional. The chief justice of the STU
preme Court was authority for the state
ment that the simple fact that the court
might send man to jail a year made the
law unconstitutional. Mr.. Peakes read
from letter from Judge Peters state
ment that few people understand the
terrible severity which may attach to
the enforcement of the liquor law. For
selling two glasses of beer and trans
porting, man might be made to lay in
Jail 81 months.
Senator Soldiers took the same position
as Mr.. Peakes Mr.. Shaw said he was
opposed to going back to the law of 1875
as he thought that would be taken as an
imitation to violate the liquor law. Final
| ly the matter was tabled and Senator
Shaw conferred with. Mr.. Bird
of Portland, who introduced the
bill. AS result. Mr.. Shaw will offer
dividuals, who violate the law, at a fine
of not less than $50, nor more than 800,
and imprisonment not exceeding 60 days,
and for corporations violating fine not
exceeding 5000. In this form the bill
will probably pass. y
Insane Hospital Controversy
Senator Hersey this afternoon present
ed a resolve intended as solution of the
insane hospital controversy. The re-
solve provides that the Governor, with
the consent of the Council shall appoint
board of five commissioners whose
duty it shall be to investigate the pres
emit capacity Of the insane hospital at
Augusta, and as to the needs Of further
accommodation for the care Of the in
tame, whether new hospital shall be
built in Bangor, and also to enquire what
kind of buildings, whether Of pavilion,
| cottage or other plans re necessary to
be built at Bangor for the accommoda-
ton Of insane patients, and said COM
missioners are authorized to investigate
as to the most improved plans and mod
els for such buildings and the amount OF
appropriation necessary for said
new hospital and report to
the next legislature, and the sum of