Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-21

anything about this matter know that
for years money has been made out Of
this thing. The towns make money, the
cities make money and the State Of
Maine makes money. 1t made almost
$4,000 last year from dispensing medi-
cines to its people; and the charge is
made that the commissioners before
now have gotten rich out Of this agency
business don't know whether that be
true or not. The charge is made that
the present commissioner pays too
much for his liquors; the charge is
made that he pays 40 per cent too
| much for the liquors he sells to city and
| town agencies. You men may know
| more about rum than I do--some Of
you. Laughter.) You may know more
about the prices of whiskey than l do.
Whiskey and rum seem to be the pop
| ular drinks in these agencies. An In
dian in Penobscot county came to an
agency and wanted five gallons Of rum
and the agent put it up and said:
What do you want it for?" The Indian
said: my wife was bitten by snake"
The agent said: isn't that good deal
Of rum. Joe. for a snake bite?" Hell,
no." he said, heap big snake" Gaugh-
teri I suppose the Waterville Sentinel
can stand by itself; don't care to sup
port it in this matter. 1t made some
charges against State department and
they seem to have been certified. This
same Waterville Sentinel takes tho
ground that the liquor commissioner is
paying IS cents a gallon too much for
the liquors that he buys, and it calls
attention to the fact that he could save
money by buying from the wholesale
houses in the prohibition city Of Ban
gor. Why doesn't he go to Bangor and
buy his whiskey and his rum if he can
get it more cheaply there? How much
was sold to agencies last year? Sixteen
agencies, and they bought what
amounts to nearly $122,OOO or $4,000
worth from the State of Maine. They
increased over the year before; they
lost one agency and they Increased the
output over $4,000. They sold some
thing like 600 barrels to only 16
agencies. 1 was brought up on cider
and sauer kraut; don't know anything
about the prices Of rum. 1t says here
that the wholesale price of pure grain
alcohol of high grade handled by drug
gistS is S228. This article takes the
ground that alcohol is sold by the State
agency to local agencies for S2.S4 gal
lon. Taking out 10 per cent. which goes
to the State and it makes it $2.5S. If
S22S is the regular wholesale price. 1
submit that s2.5S is too nigh. 1t makes
large sum- something like $4,000 too
much in the business of a year. 'For
an inferior quality Of gin there was
paid s3.25 gallon; for Pepper whiskey
in bulk, $3.50 a gallon; for one brand of
Rye whiskey 81; for another, $3.50; for
another, 1915; for still another, $3.50;
for rum, $3.50" The last rum 1 bought
I didn't pay as much for as that and
got it from a druggist in Augusta.
(Laughter.) "a very brief inquiry at
Boston among reputable wholesale
dealers will satisfy anybody that these
prices are very far above the market.
a saving of IS cents a gallon can be
made on all Of the bulk whiskey bought
by this State, without the quality being
affected in anyway, unless 1t is possibly
improved And the article goes on to
talk about case goods. Pepper wh1s-
kew is S1225 a case; Old Crow, 1925;
Warm Spring, SO: Hewett's Halt $3.50;
Bass Ale, SO; India Ale, $40" Now the
author Of this editorial in the Water
vile Sentinel says that somebody is
making $4,000 a year of nightmare
profit out Of the State agency SYSTEM
and it raises the question as to what IS
the tie that binds the great Maine rum
shop to two small wholesale houses in
the city of Boston. We would like to
know.
I have been told a good many things
about this matter. have been told that
I have political friends mixed up with
this thing Gentlemen of the House, l
care nothing about that. If l have po-
litical friends who have their fingers in
a crack, I say, when this Legislature
shuts the door let those same fingers
be pinched. 1 have no more protection
for a Democrat than I have for Re
publican in this matter; nor should
there be any politics in it, no State
House in it, no politics in it, no preJu-
dice in it, but a simple determined in
tertion on the part of this House to
look into this matter. have been care
full in this discussion, in the brief
statement that have made, not to cast
any aspersion on the character or rep
utation of any man in this State, ana
| want to say this. and 1 want to sub
init Mr. Speaker and gentlemen. that
it i'll becomes a State official in the
State of Maine, when the Legislature Is
trying to get a measure through to in
uuire into his departmental say it is
i'll becoming in him to lobby persistent
~ for three weeks in the corridors of
this State House and on this floor by
his personal persuasion and presence
and by the employment of his attorney
and a lobby, to defeat the will of this
Legislature / am willing to stand by
that statement. gentlemen, because
know it has been done. A friend from
that lobby came to me yesterday ana
said: "Newbert, we have got you TIED
to the stake and you are hollering for
help" l am not hollerins for help.
leave this whole matter for the consid-
Grafton Of this House, and personally,
gentlemen, am done with it.
Mr.. Davies of Yarmouth moved that
the order and the offered amendment
lie on the table for printing.
The motion was agreed to.
Issa~