The Republican journal., 1903-01-01
* * EVERY ONE INVI7E0|
]. /. SLEEPER & co.'s
72 MAIN STREET,
Crockery,Glass Ware, Tin andWne Goods
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORT

The Costs of Prosecution Exceed the Income
from Fines.
The biennial report of the Hon
George NJ. Seiders of Portland, Attor-
ney- General of the State of Maine, for
the two years ending Nov. 1, 1902, has
been made public. Among other
things, the report shows that the cost
of executing the criminal laws OF the
State. which includes the costs of pro-
secution, the Board of Prisoners, the
fees of grand and traverse jurors, and
the per diem to Sheritfs for the suppress
sion of the liquor traffic, exceeds the
income from fines collected by the sum
OF S17, 04001.
Seven of the Is counties show q bal
ance on the right side of the ledger, but
the other nine counties ran behind.
The grand total of the expenses of
criminal prosecutions in the whole
State for the years l901-02 amounts to
1885,, O1322 and the total receipts from
fines aggregate 1889, 973.2l.
OF this latter sum it is estimated that
more than S350,000 comes from fines
imposed upon alleged violators of the
prohibitory liquor law.
This statement is true OF the seven
counties which have made money out
of criminal prosecutions, for the open
| and fragrant sale of liquor has been car
ried on in those counties without let or
| hindranee. In the counties that have
run behind the sellers of liquor have not
had such easy times.
Prosecutions have been more persist
ent and expensive than III the other
class of counties. For instance, in Cum
| berland County, where the late Rev.
! Samuel F. Pearson and his successor,
| Charles Dunn, Jr., have been SheritfS
since Jan. 1901, it has cost the county
s16s47,19 for criminal prosecutions
more than was taken iii fines. This
county is the largest and most prosper
Gus in the State, the metropolis of
Maine being its principal city. TO be
sure, the county lad to pay the expen-
SEES of two murder trials during the two
years, but taking those costs out the
income would not then equal the ex-
penSeS.
The county of Kennebec shows a
much better record. The net income
above the cost of prosecutions amounts
to S43, O95 35 for the two years. Penob-
scot County, in which the city of Ban
gOr is situated, is another money max
ing county, where fines are annually
imposed upon the liquor dealers and
where beer and all kinds OF liquors are
freely allowed to be sold. The profits
in this county for the years 190l-02
amount to S17,669.73. Androscoggln
County earned SIT, S5s.77: Knox, S2,773.-
40; Waldo, S11303S; Hancock, S563.56,
and Somerset, S549.73.
Besides Cumberland, the counties that
lost money during the two-year period
were York $2S, GOSSIP; Aroostook, S12,6
90; Piscataquis, SS51969; Washington,
$SO9S. 10, Franklin, $3.50. 30; Sagadahoc,
$7327. IS; Oxford, $6331.03 and Lincoln,
s5363.61. OF these counties Aroostook,
Franklin and Piscataquis each had the
expenses of murder trials to bear, while
York County had two. Even If these ex-
penses of trials were taken from the
total costs the receipts would not then
meet the expenses.
Attorney General Seiders recon-
mends that the appropriation made by
the State for the first time two years
ago to be used in the prosecution OF
crime be continued, as he has found it
of great benefit in obtaining evidence
against persons accused of crime.
He also advocates the retention OF
the coroner system of investigating
criminal matters in the preliminary
stages, and urges the passage OF a law
that will wipe out GA corporations Tor
not paying their franchise taxes.