Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-19
Bowditch, Webster&Co.
Pharmacists of Augusta.

Pharmacists Of Augusta.
against the aggressive movements OF
| other organized interests. that seek
! special advantages ana privileges even
| at the expense of others.
Farmers are also coming to see that
/ be based upon business principles.
| which dictate a systematic plan Of con
centration with neighboYhood. county.
| State and national bodies. with ample
provision for necessary amounts OF
money in all their respective treasures,
the whole bound together by strong ties
of sympathy ana fraternity cemented
around common interests.
| Notwithstanding Congress will have
acted upon the "Grout bill" before the
| delivery Of this address. | have deCid-
ed to insert the bill in full. as so many
have asked for the text OF the measure.
| TO prevent fraud in the sale OF our
dairy products and one that all dairy
men are intensely interested in
This We regard as a most just bill. its
only purpose and effect would be to re-
quire all imitation buffers and filed
cheese to be sold for just what they
are. it does not contemplate prohibit
ing the sale Of oleomargarine but that
il shall not be sold under the guise Of
| butter, to the detriment and injury of
the honest dairyman and unsuspicious
consumer, and as a miserable fraud
upon pure COW butter.
No one objects to the manufacture
and sale of these limitations of butter
if at all times they are sold for what
| they are: then all who desire to eat
tallow butter can buy it for just what
it is. The contention that COW butter
not tenable, for butter is sometimes
| colorcd in imitation of the natural color
| impaired to it by the COW herself.
Tallow butter is colored in imitation
Of pure butter. for the purpose of be
ing palmed off as pure butter. which
makes il a fraud and n cheat: it is
most gratifying to note that the dairy
men and consumers Of pure butter all
over the country are alive to the i'm
portance Of placing this safeguard
around the honest producer.
The hollowness of the claim made hy
the olcomarEarinc men is like the whole
sale merchant who said his trade de-
mandcd the blending Of goods To get GER
tain flavors, yet strenIously objected To
the passage OF a pure food bill which
merely required that all adulterated
goods should be branded just what the
ingredients We're and what per cent. each
package contained.
The idea of the public asking for a
fraud ana then not e. know how much
of a fraud il was. No better argument
can be made for the enactment of pure
food legislation than the claims set up
by those engaged in the nefarious praC-
tice Of adulterating human foods
Next To the subject of education, the
ever recurring question Of taxation is the
one people are mos; vitality Interested in.
The Constitution Of Maine states: "All
taxes upon real and personal estate as
seSsed by authority Of this State shall he
apportioned and assessed equally accord
ing to the just value thereof" This lam
guage can only be construed To mean just
as ii reads. Yet for years. complaints
concerning the injustice of the general
tax levy, and especially from the farm
ers. who complain that the State permits
an unjust proportion to be taken from
them in payment of public expenses.
Past Iegislatu have failed furnish
satisfactory reief until we find a general
condition Of unrest among the people OF
the State in regard to this question. 1T
might not be in accordance with facts. to
charge that our lawmakers have failed
to take up the question practically. and
without fear. favor or personal bias, adj
minister To the demands of the public ANA
lne guarantees OF the constitution OF our
State, Yet the results from Legislative
effort almost seem to prove neglect in
sincerity or some other cause equally
conclusive tor undesirable results IL iS
disgrace to citizenship. for the State to
permit other than justice To be done. in
sucn an important governmental matter.
The question of revising the tax laws
which is now so fairly and prominently
before the people viii no doubt be taken
W by the incoming Legislature in the
true spirit Of good intent. The State
Grange should give strong support. ami
having been the leader in this movement,
now comes to its greatest responsibility.
The representatives of our respective
Legislative and senatorial districts will
need the individual support of all fair
minded people, and especially of al,
farmers.
We can well afford to lay aside ali
other questions and attend strictly to this
one. The whole tax question is one of
great magnitude and presents many com
plcauons that are very hard to remedy
in one tax bill, yet it seems to me the
same general plan might be adopted for
getting at the just value of property
alike: We never considered it fair or
equal, to assess one class of property
upon its earning power, and another
upon an arbitrary valuation. in many in
stances far above it's selling value.
NO one can complain when the provi-
slons or the constitution are carried out
and all property is assessed according To
the just value thereof. No one doubts the
ability OF the Legislature to establish
equity and Justice in these respects, as
guaranteed by our State constitution.
II the Legislature fail in this important
duty. the people know it is because of
| the winning influence of those people who
proht by forcing their ncighbors and
other citizens of the State to pay that
which just protection of citizenship says
they themselves should pay. If the State
| is po"eriesS to enforce this, one of the