The Republican journal., 1901-01-10

Is NCUtiVifC1N Uluudi- lHui u
temperance ana sought to eradlcase rnsm
c crU% nne community ana emoooied .ne
from the ranks Of productive industry,
robbed them of their sober faculties, de-
sstroyed their elf-respect and made them a
burden and menace to those who had the
right to look to them for support and pro
tection-a traffic which filled the poor
houses prisons and asylums with human
wrecks, and imposed its greatest misery
upon the innocent and helpless hos
Tie TO the public interests and wholly con
t tiy to the spirit and purpose of Chris
tian civilization
Law, prohibiting the sale of Intoxicating
liquors, was placed upon our statute books,
where It still remains. While it has not
sceompllshed all that It's advocates and
fui force in the development and promotion
OF healthy temperance sentiment among
the people of our State. How marked and
gratifying this advance has been will clear
~ be shown by comparison with the con-
Gltlons existing seventy-five years ago.
Ihen. liquor was largely manufactured In
our our state state; while its sale was as common
the traffic In dry goods and groceries. Alb
stinence was the exception rather than the
rule The drink habit, in varying degrees,
comment and intemperance was more or
less prevalent in every community.
I'm, me temptations of drink were every
where visible and too often found victims
IN the best youths of our State. Today, in
q large majority of our country towns,
there exists practical prohibition, and the
law against the liquor traffic is as we'll en-
forced as against other forms of crime.
Even In our cities and larger villages,
where the liquor interests are most active
and aggressive. and where the law is most
exert restraining and salutary influence
and has been a power in stimulating and
promoting that intelligent and vigorous
public opinion which is the support of all
lative enactment must fall far short of its
purpose.
In community where the official power
Is delegated from the neople, public ser
wants rarely rise superior to public opin-
Ion in their sense of duty. 1t is, therefore
essential that officers charged with the en-
forcement of law and the protection Of So
ciety should be 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
total assets of the 81 Savings Banks of this
State amounted to $1l.016,211.77. The re-
sources of the II Trust Companies were
SIS, 293, 1922. Add to this the resources
of the So Loan and Building Associa tons.
amounting to $2.e62, 1883, and we have a
total of $S7, 233, 1912, an exhibit in every
way creditable to the progress and enter
prise OIL our State.
There were 1S0,914 depositors in the
Savings Banks whose balance was less than
two thousand dollars, the total amount OF
this class of deposits being sos, 5JS, 62Y "a
while the number of depositors having q
balance of TWO thousand dollars or over,
was 5413, and the total amount of these
deposits was S13,6S1, SO3.23. 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 and Trust Companies, and
ations was 213,9SO, a gain of IL ,428 dur
Ing the past year. If we take from this to-
tai the 6O19 demand depositors in the
Trust Companies, it will be seen that near
ly one-third of the entire population of the
State are directly interested in our vari-
amount il their capital if ap peFtIaasi
among the people Of the State, would give
" In 1860 the deposits in our Savings
BAN Banks were only, s1,446!S,457.5 in 1850
At the present time they amount to 81
240,439O7. This is a gain in the last
twenty years of $43,962, 1875, or nearly
2oo pc per cent and in forty forty years of 500,
remarkable showing is the strongest posi-.
BILE proof of the prosperity of the State, and
forci5ly demonstrates the industry, thrift
and economy of the people of Maine. The
characterized by 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 entrusted to their care and
which might otherwise have been expended
needlesSly.
The tax on Savings Banks deposits has
been source of large revenue to the State
the amount paid during the past year be-
ing $44S.S279 3. an increase of Si2S, 434,-
81 over the sum paid in 1890
The report of the Bank Examiner will
give you a detailed account of the condi.
tion of each institution.
The Fee System.
There has long been a feeling. on the
part of many of our most intelligent and
progressive citizens, that the present fee
system should be revised or modified and
that those public officials now receiving
compensation for their services wholly or
partly in fees should be paid a detinite and
fixed salary. that the people may know ex-
actly what their servants receive.
This may not be practicable in every in
stance; but there certainly is no good rea-
son why any officer should receive more
than a reasonable remuneration for his SER
vices. or more than he would be paid if
employed in a private business involving
the same degree of responsibility, and re-
curing similar capacity.
1t is undoubtedly true that many public
officials who are paid by fees do not re-
ceive an excessive or unreasonable com
III.
est would probably be best served BY the
payment of salary commensurate with
the service rendered.
commend this matter to your careful
consideration. knowing that whatever ac-
ton you may take will be dictated by de-
sire to serve the best interests of the whole
people.
Good Roads.
The question of improved highways Ia
me of great interest and Importance 70 tho
whole State and especially to the people of
the country towns
Good roads shorten the distance to mar.
ket, increase the value of contiguous nron
ment of every community. Although there
has been a vast improvement In our trans
portation facilities during the past twenty
years, through the building of new railroad
mileage. there has been little Improvement
In our highways, along which there will al
ways be 4 large amount of traffic; and it
would seem that the time has come when
We should adopt some definite and effective
plan for the improvement of our main
thoroughfares
do net regard with favor a State high
way commission, or any similar plan which
would take from the towns any part Of the
control which they exercise over their
ROADS, and cost an undue proportion of the
to road improvement but it has seemed to
me that some plan of State aid might be
devised which would be effective and prac-
deal IN Its operation, and would gradually
throughout the State.
The cost of really good roads Is beyond
Tue means OF most towns; improved nigh
ways must come first, and in my judgment
maps county aid. Such distribution OF
the cost would make the municipal burden
small when compared with the I'M
mense benefits which would be derived