Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-26
Passed to Be Engrossed.

Resolve in favor OF the Maine
Institution for the Blind.
Passed to Be Engrossed.
An Act additional to Chapter 40, Re-
vised Statutes. providing for the trans
mission, to Registers of Probate, of the
names of all Qualified Corporate Surety
Com anies.
An Act to legalize and make valid
certain doings of the town of Danforth
in the County Of Washington.
Resolve in favor of the Eastern
Maine Insane Hospital.
Resolve in favor Of the Healy
Asylum.
Resolve in favor of the Home for
Frriendless Boys.
| An Act to amend Section twenty
three of Chapter one hundred and four
teen Of the Revised Statutes. and to re-
peal Chapter one hundred and thirty
one and one hundred and thirty-four
OF the Public Laws of 1905 relating to
relief OF poor debtors.
Resolve in relation to early York
deeds.
! Resolve in favor of the Central Maine
General Hospital.
Resolve in favor CT the York Hospi-
! tai.
! Resolve in favor of TounS Woman's
| Home at Lewiston.
Orders of the Day.
! On motion Of ir. johnson Of Water
VILE, Resolve proposing an amendment
to article four of the constitution OF
the State of Maine establishing 4
peoples veto through the optional re-
ferendum and direct initiative
through petition and at general or
special elections, was taken from the
table and referred to the committee on
judiciary.
investigation Of Liquor Agencies.
Mr.. SMITH Of Patten: Mr.. Speaker,
/ move that House document %, the
order for the investigation of the State
and town liquor agencies, be taken
| from the table.
l desire TO state that when I tabled
the order l did not do it with any pur-
pose Of obstructinS any proper investi-
CATION of any department of this State
where necessity called for it or any
useful purpose could be subserved by
such an Investigation; for do not be
| lieve there is a member of this House
who would not be in favor of investi-
eating any department of the State
where there was reason to believe an
investigation should be had. But per-
sonaliy may be permitted to say that
1 do not believe that orders for investi.
CATION should be passed where there
are no specific charges and no evidence
to be adduced against the official tc
whom the order is directed And, fur.
Their, in this particular instance il
seemed to me that such an investiga-
ton would be futile and accomplish nc
good result. for the reason, first, that
the State liquor agent is directly un-
der the control of the Governor and
Council who have direct charge of the
liquor agent. all his accounts and al
his doings.
A further objection occurred to me
and that was this: that the towr
liquor agents are under the direct con.
troll OF the municipal officers, they are
subject to appointment and removal b,
the municipal officers; and you could
no more investigated am merely Civ.
ing my personal views-the agent OF
any town any more than you could
properly investigate the treasurer Of
the town of Moro, for instance or the
clerk Of the town Of Moro or the con-
stable of the town of Moro. I believe
that such Investigations should not be
ordered. 1 also believe that the gen.
tleman introducing the order (M-.
Newbert of Augusta) acted with thu
utmost good faith and integrity in the
matter. that he would have no Dur
pose of doing an Cnkind thing; and
there are special reasons known to the
friends Of the State liquor agent in
this House why an investigation at thi,
time would be, unintentionally, unkin!.
The gentleman had no such purpose of
course nor such intention, but the very
fact Of an order for inrestigation-un-
less as I said some useful purpose is to
be subserved or there are some charges
to be made against the officials al
ways unkind because it raises a sus
picion where no suspicion should exist.
Suspicion never should be placed upon
any man by an order for an inves.i-
cation of his Office or the department
over which he has control unless
grounded upon some fact. Now have
been assured that in this particular