The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-04

everywhere been we'll attended, and great
interest has been manifested In this work
n the farIsrs q che sss,e' TS sm per-
suaded that these meetings and the gen n.,..s
work Of the board. have done much 20 SIN ~.
ulate and encourage the ambit eels ana Pr.
gressive farmer By bringing TO every eona.
munity a knowledge Of the best ana ms
productive methods OF modern ngricullnns.
Maine IL just beginning 70 MAZE Ne regs "
10 creameries ana IA cheese factories ~, In
the State utilizing the product OF SV,oe9
COWS. and this represents only smah par
II Is fell by MANY Of our most successful
and progressive dairymen. who appfeela,ss
the great Importance Of this Industry s ~
the benefits which would accrue 20 w ~
State BY lis development. that the work q,
the Board OF Agriculture should DC SUI
further broadened and extended by the eIs-
alton o. dalSy BUREAU S0. w dsT 4 shall be
to attend closely to educational o.l.y
work. and to the enforcement Of the IaN
against the sale of imitation DAIRY pfo"-
You will be asked for an appropriation
for this purpose. and am confident that
reqnest made In the behalf OF so Important
an Interest viii receive your generous CON
sideration.
The Prohibitory Law.
Intemperance ia such fruitful source
Of misery, pauperIsfh and crime. and its
multitude OF victims Is so great a burden
upon the sober ana INDUSTRIOUS cltiAcus tua.
II is the duty Of a government to control
and restrict the liquor Fahic Y eyery "
Ultimate way. By provision OF Us consti-
tuition and by statute laws, which Win
overwhelming majoiities Its citizens nave
repeatedly sustained'at the polls. the state
Of Maine stands opposed to the manure
ture and sale Of intoxicating liquors. Inc
deliberate adoption Of this policy By PEG
pie naturally careful and conservative in
their Judgments was ths inevitable result
OF moral evolution which recognized the
g. to- atftla
temperance, and sought to eradicate them
from the community and embodied tne
conviction that traffic which TOOK men
robbed them OF their sober faculties, de-
stroyed their self.respect and made them
burden and menace to those who had the
teetionOs trsisc which fiiied the poor
houses, prisons and asylums with human
wrecks. and imposed its greatest misery
upon the INNOCENT and helpless1wss hos
trary to Ne@pirit and purpose OF CHRIS
tian civilization.
Fifty years ago.. the so-cslled Maine
Law prohibiting the sale Of intoxicating
liquors. was placed upon our statute books,
where IL stin remains. While IL has not
accomplished all that its advocates and
full force in the development and promotion
of a healthy temperance sentiment among
the people Of our state. How marked and
gratifying this advance has been VIII clear
" be shown by a comparison with the con-
dltlons existing seventy-nve years ago.
Then, liquor was largely manufactured In
our State, while It's sale was as common
and looked upon in much the same light as
the traffic In dry goods and groceries Ab-
stinenee was the exception rather than the
rule. The drink habit. In varying degrees,
was so general as to excite little II any
comment, and intemperance was more or
less prevalent IN every eso a9np
where visible. and too often found victims
in the best youths of our State. Today, In
a large majority Of our country towns,
there exists practical prohibition. and the
law against the liquor traf1c Is as we'll en-
forced as against other forms Of crime.
Even in our cities and larger villages,
where tho liquor interests are most active
and aggressive, and where the law Is most
persIstently Violated, It has not failed TO
exert a restraining and salutary influence ;
and has been q power In stimulating and
promoting that intelligent and vigorous
public opinion which is the support of all
effective law, and withou& which any legis-
lative enactment must fan far short Of its
purpose
Is delegated from the people, public ser
wants rarely rise superior to public opin-
ion in their sense Of duty. i e, therefore,
essential that officers charged With the en-
forcement of law and the protection Of so
clety should b. constantly sustained, in the
faithful discharge of their obligations, by
an active and healthy public sentiment.
Savings Banks.
ON the 9th day of October 1900, the
tSta ssts Of the ssoy1sgs Perks Of this
sources Of the II Trust Companies were
SIS, 295, 40202 Add to this the resources
Of tine rs 4 to sg9 Rgsns spa %s ssTs
total OF SS7, 233. 1912, an exhibit In every
way credltable to the progress and enter
There were iso,014 depositors In the
Savings Banks whose balance was less than
two thousand dollars. the total amount of
this class OF deposits being SSs.55s. 629.s4
balance Of two thousand dollars or over.
was Sab, and the total amount Of these
deposits was Sl3.e ,sOo.23. These figures
clearly show that the money held by our
Savings Banks belongs largely to people
of moderate circumstances.
The whole number Of depositors In Saw
ings Banks ana Trust sn. fsS ,iI1n and
ations was 21S,eS0. a gain OF 1.42S dur
ing the past year. II We take from this to-
tai the eois demand p nd, dhs a In the
iy one third Of the entire population OF the
State are directly interested In our vari
Gus savings institutions, The aggregate
among the people OF the State, would give
about 1925 to each person, or nearly 5000
to each family.
In 1850 the deposits in our Savings
Banks were only 81 400. 1916, in 1885,
they had increased to S2S, 2T7 1882, while
at the present time they amount to 81,
24O. 43p.uI. IhiS Is gain In the last
twenty years Of S45,962. T68.75, or nearly
200 per cent. and In forty years OF $685.
73,es15l, or about 5000 per cent This
remarkable showing Is the strongest posi-
bic proof OF the prosperity Of the State and
foreibiy demonstrates the industry, thrift
and economy Of the people Of Maine. The
Savings Banks, which. as a rule, have been
characterized BY a conservative, conscien
tious and able business management have
had the confidence of the public, and have
encouraged the saving Of large portion OF
the money now entrusted to their care and
which might otherwise have been expended
needlessly.
THE tax on Savings Banks deposits has
been a source OF large revenue TO the State
the amount paid during the past year be
ing S44s s27.9 3. an increase OF $12S 434
81 over the sum paid in 1890.
The report OF the Bank Examiner will
give YOU a detailed account of the condi
lion Of each Institution.
The Fee System.
There has long been a feeling. on the
mart of many of our most intelligent aud
progressive citizens, that the present fes
system should be revised modified anC
that those public officials now receiving
compensatlon for their services wholly OF
nsrtly in fees should be paid a DEFINITE anc
fxed salary, that the people may know ex
actly what their servants receive.