The Portland daily press., 1899-03-10
OTHERS EXPECTED BUT THEY
DIDN'T SHOW UP. ~
MT. Chepery Gives the COMMITTEES Some
r. Interesting Facts Regarding The En-
forcement Of the Liquor Lew In
Cumberland County-Deputies who
Make, More Money Than Justtces os
the supreme Court. 4
urrcrAL TO TIE rHxss.l


Augusta, March 0-when the hquor
law IL under fire or anything coppeckd
with II, there 10 generally . prs4y In
teresting time and the hearing this 4fsas-
noon before the judiciary commil - m
the bill to place the Gu mberland Purv
liquor sellers on salary of.e9Oo wiA fess
only when they secure convictions es no
exception to the rule. Ex bounty Tfeas-
ursr Chenery was the only man 20 appear
in its favor. He told the committse IN
the course of the hearing that IL had been
the intention of the county commissioners
70 favor the passage of the ball. The com-
missionsrs had come to Augusta, but they
did not show up In the committse room'
There was large attendance, among these
prevent being delssstion Of Portland
High school pupils who bad come 70 Au-
gusta to Sc the legislative wheels 10
round. Sheriff Dsspeaux and Deputy
sheriff Gribbsn were present to testify
and three attorneys were In attendAnce
oo reuressnt the sheriff and his deputies
They were Hon. George n. Seidsrs.
Judge Gsazge b. Gould and CHARLES a.
Trus Eaq. The case was conducted ~
Mr.. Soldiers and Judge Gould.
The, hearing WAS interesting from the
start. Mr.. Chsnsry began proceedings by
stating that the bill was drawn to DO
avay with, the excessive fees charged BY
the LIQUOR deputies In the last four years.
Mr.. Chenery presented figures to ahow
that in the four years the deputies had
received sums ~ follows: Per diem at
two dollars q day, 5000 each; Office
deputy In fees, sa.l4S.T; first deputy,
si6, ,o7s. 80; second deputy, $l4, Sze4; total
of 81, ,665.4S In the four years of Sheriff
Grams administration the total was e4o,
600. but there were 1t times as many as
six OF, sevsn deputies employed.
MAKING a very tidy sum-" suggested
Mr., Stearns Of ths committee.
"Yes,", said Mr.. Chenery. Had they
been Justices Of the Suprsme court they
would not have received 40 much. The
purpose Of the bill Is to give the deputies
q fair salary, and in addition as an In
centivs to do their duty to allow them
fses In Gases whore convictions are
secured. drew the bill 1t the request OF
q large number of psopls who want these
excessive charges reduced. but that isn't
the worst. of IT. If the traffic was SUI
pressed We should not think SO much OF
the fees. s., ca
Nr. Chenery then explained at length
the uie Of dummy warrants ON whtoh nc
liquor ID secured snd for each Of which
ths deputies recsivs twenty. cents. He al
q, told of the 90 -callsd double warrants
which arc made out after q small amount
of LIQUOR has been seized In q number o1
places. On each OF these the deputies get
Sl.45.
The committee showed its interest in
the subject BY firing volleys Of questions
at Mr.. Chsnery.
Mr.. Drummond-Do your figures In
clude the witness fessY
Mr.. Chensry-They do, hut that Is .
small matter as thcre are no fees except
when arrests are made and there are few
arrests In the last quarter of last yesi
there were 14OO or 1900 warrants served