The Portland daily press., 1901-02-15
and rams laws and i was then put upon


Mr.. Beat OF Bangor said that at tue re
quest of members be had kept the bill on
the table 20 give everybody chance %
examine it Now the state needed the
money and the bill should be passed 70
relieve the treasury OF its embarrassment.
Mr. Bennett OF Hollis called attention
TO the three items for state printing, 60
cover deficiency in the last years print
ing expenses and for binding. The three
Items aggregate SIS, ,5e6 80 Mr. Bennett
said that an order had passed both
branches calling for particulars as TO
these items. Pending reply TO thst
order, he would move that the Items %
tricken out.
Mr. Beal accepted ths amendment ana
the bill then took It's two first readings.
subsequently, Mr.. Carlston OF winthrop
made an at tempt to reconsider the vote
| striking out the item for binding. Mr.
Carleton said he did not understand that
this was included In the order referred
4 to. The House refused by decisive vots
TO change the amendment.
THE PORTLAND RAILROAD.
The act TO nuthorizs the Portland Rail-
road company to extend It's system and
absorb Its leased lines finally passed both
branches today.
DRUGGISTS AND THE LAW.
The bill drafted by Llewellyn Barton,
ESQ OF Portland to permit the sale OF
liquor by the druggists under certain re-
strictions, has not been introduced ana
probably will not be. To-Day Representa-
tive Wilson of brunswick. who Is
druggist. gave out the following state
ment expressing the views OF the oihoers
of the Maine Pharmaceutical association
"rhsre 10 a report gone out that the
druggists OF this state we're going to in-
troduce a bill In the present Legislature
asking for the privilege OF selling liquors
under certain restrictions. In 1ustioe 70
the pharmacists Of this state We wish to
state that no such bill has been proposed
by them. The bill referred to must have
been conceived by fome person not In the
drug business, for ! am sure every
druggist In the state must agree with the
legislative committee appointed by the
Maine Pharmaceutical association that
legislation In that direction would De IN
expedient at the present time, We wish
the public to understand that the
druggists of this state would ike to have
taken from their shoulders the yoKs
which is bitterly CALLING them. 1t Is gen.
EARLY understood that the government re.
auires us to take out license to handle
LIQUORS in our compromising, but unfor-
L. noIIa afafI naa II.
er lloense. We do not consider ourselves
retail dealers and we do not like to be
classed as such.
Unfortunately this fact that We are
obliged to take out the United states
license places us in the position of being
| liable to be called into court to answer TO
what the statutes Of this state define as
u prlma faceI case of violation of the law.
"The average pharm aoist in the State
of Maine is respectable, law abiding
citizen, ana we think is recognized as
such in tbs community In which he lives
We are disposed to do legitimate
business in a legitimate manner, and we
hope that the people In the state OF
Maine will net get the idea that we are
/ anxious to become, as some people may
think, retail liquor dealers, and we hope
that the fact of our having the United
States license In our possession win not
be regarded by them as evidence Of an
actual intent to sell in violation OF law. .
FIRE INYESTIGATION.
Ths committee on mercantile affairs
and insurance gave hearing this fore
. hw t0r
Staples OF Knox to repeal the law requir-
Ing an investigation OF the causes of fires.
In behalf of his measure, MIR. Staples
said that the law did no good and was es-
tablished solely to give the insurance
commissioners a chance to travel over she
state.
Leslie c. Cornish, ESQ, of Augusta APP
pearsd in opposition. He said that the
fact that the commission was authorized
60 make these Investigations tended to
make people chary Of setting their build
! ings ablazs. They were not alarmed by
the municipal officers who never investi-
gated but when they knew that the stats
was behind the investigs tion they were
"skerry'' of trying to get insurance by
incendiarism. He said that law which
had reduced the percentage of inoendiary
fires from 4.s5 to S5 per cent and the
unknown fires (which cover a multitude
of sins) from "a VI per cent to 1887 was
! good law and he did not know how the
state could put out $sO0O to better ad-
vantage.
Insurance Commissioner Carr made
statement of the work done. showing
that while soIne Investigations cost a
good deal or money, the moral effect had
been OF almost incaIculable benefit. II
convictions had not been secured at all
times the thorough Investigation by the
department had made 1t very unlikely
that the man would use the match again.
he said that by consent Of the governor,
he had charged five dollars day when
engaged In making Investigations, but
he travelled on pass ana charged up no
| hills IF ha had aharoart IA. M N