Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-15

wish briefly to state to the Senate
what the bill is. There is an order up
on the table which I submitted in the
early part of the session, which asked
for an examination into the liquor
agency law of the State; and there is
before committee as l understand II,
an amendment of the laws or the State
which are now on the statute DOCKS.
cove ring the liquor agency of the state
At the same time l understand that
there is majority and minority re-
port of the committee on an order sub
mitted by the senator from Knox TO
abolish agencies, or it comes from some
source. and that majority and minor
ity reports come up in the House to-
day, or is submitted to the House to-
day. shall ask to amend one OF those
rcports by Offering this legislation.
| when it comes in here. and in order
| that the senate may be prepared TO
| know whether or not this is falr
! measure for their consideration l would
| like to comment on it briefly today. by
this measure it is proposed to retain
all Of the agency law so-called, mat
l., consistent with good government and
the good management of that depart
ment of the State.
Section l of this proposed Dill makes
| it necessary for the liquor commission
er to buy his liquors in open market. 1t
makes the qualities of those liquors de-
pendant upon the pure food laws OF the
| United States government. 1t adopts q
/ method of distributing these liquors
! from the commissioners department
| by sealed packages which shall be put
up by the contractor who furnishes the
| liquors to the State. Each one of those
| sealed packages is to have a serial
number of the State liquor COMMISSION
or and OF the town agencies and every
| package in this way can be traced from
| the time it is given to thine purchaser
| III the town liquor agencies. 1t has been
the design also of this bill to have the
| liquors come to the purchaser at the
! most reasonable prices. Five per cent. is
| allowed to the State liquor commission
or as a loeway over the contract price
: per cent to the retail liquor dealer
for his sales and to pay the expenses Of
his Office.
More than that this bill wipes out the
criticisms that have been made in this
Legislature of the possibility of graft
through the State liquor commission
er's office or any town agencies. Inc
State itself buys this merchandise by
oren and competitive bids in the mar
ket. The State commissioner of liquors
is our servant, to do our work. and re-
ccives his remuneration in his salary
and no more. do not mean by that to
imply that it has been done different
IL heretofore, but do say that this Of
flee has been openly criticized as offer
ing an opportunity to do this. The va
rious sections of the bill, | think, Will
appeal to the members of this Legis-
lature, upon examination and | ask t"
present the bill at the present time and
to have it tabled for printing.
The bill was received and tabled for
printing.
On motion by Mr.. Irving Of Aroos-
took House Document No. AIS was TAX
en- from the table and the senator said
that his purpose in tabling the bill at
yesterdays session was that he might
have an opportunity for a conference
with the promoters of the measure; that
he had held such conference with Judge
Stcarns, attorney for the company, and
that an agreement had been reached
striking out in the 21st line thereof the
words "mecilanical or" On motion by
Mr.. Irving the amendment was adopt
cd and on further motion by the same
senator under suspension of the rules
the bill as amended took its two sew
tral readings and was passed to be en-
crossed.
On motion by Mr.. Parkhurst Of Pc
nobscot the Senate reconsidered tho
vote whereby they passed to be enacted
Bill. can Act to amend Chapter 144 of
, the Revised Statutes, relating to the
commitment of the insane" and on his
further motion the bill was tabled.
On motion by Mr.. Putnam Of ArOos-
took there was taken from the table
The report fought not to pass" of the
committee on claims on "Resolve i'll ia
voT of Stockton Springs On his fur
thrr motion the Senate concurrcd with
. the House in substituting the resolve
for the report and further under Sus-
pension of the rules the resolve took
its two several readings and was
passed to be cnSrossed.
: On further motion by the same SEN
atCr Senate Document No. 213 was TAX
+ en- from the table and on his further
t motion the same was committed to the
committee on bills in its second read
g iEG.
On further motion by the same scna-
tor Senate Document No. LIZ, Bill re-
:. latinS 70 management and organization
: of trust companies was taken from the
: table and on his further motion Senat,
: Amo ndment A was adopted. Under th'
q suspension Of the rules the bill took its
s second reading and was passed to be
I engroSsed.