Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-21
and directed to employ an attorney to

ana QlTeCltu " cIIpIOy al attorney u
prosecute said inquiry.
1 wish to say word in support O!
the amendment. A great deal of in
terest centers in this attempt to inquire
into the affairs Of the State and town
and city liquor agencies. On January
% an order was introduced in this
House by me calling for ii special joint
committee to inquire into the State and
town and city liquor agencies. That
order was before this House for two
weeks. 1t was debated TO some extent.
1t was passed unanimously. I know
of no objection on the part of any
member on this floor. That same or
der has come back to this House in
definitely postponed IN the upper
branch; and the order which has been
read this morning seems to have taken
it's place. l have no objection to the
order from the Senate other than
think it's scope is too narrow. I think
under that order we might have the
play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out !;
an investigation of the State and town
agencies without an inquiry into the
head of the department. I submit, gen.
tlemen, that we cannot investigate de-
partment in the State Of Maine with
out some inquiry as to IT'S head.
There has been q good deal Of mis-
understanding about this order which
introduced and I wish to make a per-
sonal statement as to my motive in
introducing it. In the discussion the
other day in the upper branch the sem
ator from Cumberland (Mr. MerrilD
said he opposed the order because it
was introduced as back fire on the
removal of the State House PROPOSE
ton; and the legislative reporter i'll
this House for the Portland Express
and I didn't know before that this
gentleman was a humorist, but he
seems to be, for he sent this in to his
paper under date of last Friday in
large scare headlines, Holding Club
Over President Aliens Head. Friends
of Augusta Try to Strike Allen Through
Liquor Commissioner Because the Sen
ator Is Counted in Favor of Changing
the Capital" 1 say the author of that
is a humorist. 1t is almost too ridic-
ulous to be debated in this House, and
simply refer to it in order to jutify
myself before the members of this
House.
NOW, L llltTOuuCeO lilsiI OTueF OH TIC
ed day of January. I had it in my
desk for a week before that, before any
citizen of this town even dreamed that
the State capital removal proposition
was anything more than a biennial
joke. introduced. it before I even
knew that the honorable senator refer
red to in this paper was either the
sponsor for the State liquor agency
system OF the principal factor in the
removal of the State capital. I knew
nothing about it. l am willing, as ]
shall be able. to debate the State cap
ital proposition on this floor when our
friends from Portland desire to do SO;
and in the meantime think this ques-
ton should be considered on its merits.
So much for that.
1 want to refer to this liquor bust
ness. l introduced that order because
have believed for 10 years that this
whole agency system was as black as
the blackness Of He'll. 1 introduced it
because 1 believed that the laws Gre
ating the system have been broken for
years. The statutes are all right; they
have been broken by commissioners
and by town and city agents. wilfully,
knowingly broken and departed from in
letters and in spirit, everywhere
wherever an 'agercy IS established.
How many are there? / don't know
that this House knows flUy many there
are in the State of Maine. There are
just is of these open rum shops in
the State of Maine conducted under
statute which will not permit drug
gist of character to sell a gill of alco-
hol for bathing purposes, and yet the
same statutes will permit, the agency
of the little town of Chelsea over here,
a mile and q half from the
Home, containing $500 feeble. weak
old men, with only one house in sight
of the agency established by the town
of Chelsea. to make money out of the
poor old crippled veterans of the Civil
War. There are IS agencies in the
State Of Maine. Where are they? In
the city of Auburn. in the city of Bath.
in the town of Bethel, in the town of
Chelsea. in the town of Pennington, in
the city of Gardiner in the town of
in the city of Lewiston, n
the town of Machias. in the town of
Phillips. in the city of Portland, in the
town of Randolph, in the city of
Rockland, in the city Of Waterville,
in the town of Webster and in the
town of Wiscasset. How much bust
ness do these agencies do? l have here
the figures only of the sales on the part
of the commissioner to these towns and
cities for the II months up to the time
he made his last report in November:
Report of State liquor commissioner for
the year 1906:
Cities and Total
Towns. value.
City CT Auburn ...................sI ST.. 81
City of Bath NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1880 50
Town of Bethel Observation-Disclosures. 1892. 90
Town of Chelsea Observation-Disclosures. 1920 50
Town of Pennington ........ 394321
City of Gardiner Observation-Disclosures. 5.S06 81
Town of Greenwood ................. 2,347. 90
City Of Lewiston Observation-Disclosures. 1882 %
Town of Machias Observation-Disclosures. 436S 81
Town of Phillips Observation-Disclosures. 2.169 q