Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-17
LIQUOR AGENCIES.
Investigation Began by
Legislative Committee.
First Meeting Held at State
House Friday.
HeseIton Bill Discussed..-present
System Will be 0verhauIed.

The committee on salaries and ices
Of the 80 Maine Legislature, 20 Which
was referred a resolution providing,
for an investigation of the present
state liquor agency system. WIS in st-s-
sion at the State House Friday. OF The
10 members Of the committee one. son
ator Page Of Somerset county, has died
since the adjournment OF the l4egisla-
ture. The other nine members We're all
present as follows: Senators SeNa,l of
Sagadahoc and Staples of Knox and
Representatives Aiilliken of Island
Fails, Reynolds of Winslow. Gjddings
OF Gorham, Peacock of Lubec, otev-
ems Of Portage Lake, NeWbert of .Au-
Guste and Skidmore of Liberty.
According to notices earlier sent out
and published in the newspapers, The
committee met at 10 o'clock Friday
The members first assembled in the
private office OF the President uf the
Senate where an executive session of
about half an hour was held. During
This session resolutions Of respect to
the memory Of the late Senator rage
We're presented by Senator Staples and
unanimously adopted. These resolutions
are published elsewhere in thu Jour
lial this morning. At this executive
session ii was also decided to ask Sen
itor HeseltOn Of kennebec county to
be present at the hearing, inasmuch as
The consideration Of his liquor agency
bill, presented at the last session of
the Legislature and left on the table
| at adjournment, was to be the chief
feature of the meeting of the commit
tee Accordingly Mr.. HeSelton was
called w ~ telephone at his Gardiner
Ctice ana agreed to come at once to
Augusta
,'iu.i IT,, arrival Of Senator Hesel-
ten at i! o'clock the committee pro-
c"r:iru Ia H"t down to business. 1t was
pi"n:ci To- have the meeting in the
Senate ci..nIbcr but the temporal Irc
there N,s too low for comfort ard so
LnS:n"SS W4S continued in the private
office of the president Of the Senate.
f.Gt>ide If the nine members Of Inc
committee there We're present only
.ialf a dozen newspaper reporters Sen
;,tnr Hcaelton, State Liquor Commits
sioner Leavitt, and Il dozen Spectators
V no cropped in one or two at Il time.
Ihus" who expected that the hearing
%ould develop any sensational fea-
Occasionally there was Il faint echo
Of the lively fight which was waged
in the Legislature two years ago rvcr
the subject of the State liquor agency
and the management of the various
local agencies, but on the whole every
thing moved along in a serene and
lacid fashion. Chairman Sewall open
cd the meeting by explaining the pur-
he
appointed and referring to the bills on
the liquor agency system which mad
been presented at the last session Of
the Legislature and failed of passage.
The so-called Heselton bill was the
outcome of three earlier bills which
mad been presented and had net de
feat
Copies Of this Heselton bill We're in
the possession of each person present
and at the request of Senator SeWali
the author Of the bill stepped forward
| and each of the 26 sections of the bill
were taken up one by one and dis
cuSscI in detail. The various members
Of the committee asked many q,les-
| tons and the main purpose of the dis
| cuSsion was to find wherein the pro-
| posed law would differ from the pres
| ent law. Mr.. Leavitt was also asked
| many questions, not so much regard
| ing the working of the present system
as regarding the changes that would
| follow the enactment of the proposed
| law The proposed law, as explained
| section by section by Mr.. Hesciton
provides for the purchase of the Liquor
| for the state agency directly by the
| state through the State liquor com
| missioner, such liquor to be only OF
standard brand of quality ana tu be
bought after advertising for scaled
proposals in the papers of New York
| and Boston At present the liquor Is
! bought directly by the liquor commits
soner ana bought of whatever Iirm or
| firms he cares to do business with
| According to the Heseton law the
| liquors handled by the agency would
| have to be pure according to She gov
| eminent pure food laws and handled
| only in scaled bottles or casks, which
| would do away with any possibility of
| adulteration.
Under the proposed law there would
| De no profit either to the state or to
| The cities and towns having agencies.
above an amount sufficient to pay sal
| { RES, rents, iiiStti ttlICt,
etc. Under the present system. as es-
timated by Mr.. Leavitt in answer to
questions, the State has made a profit
of about $4,000 from it's State agency
during the six years that he has been
in office. 1t developed as a result of
questions by Mr. Reynolds of Winslow
that the matter of the local regulation
| Of the retail price so as to insure
profit enough to run the town agencies
and no more. would be a very difficult
natter 1t also developed that The
passage of the proposed law would
abolish the office of State assayer, or
at least leave Linn without any duties
or pcrquisities
The new law provides that neither
the State liquor commissioner nor any
| local agent shall adulterate any liquors
in his custody. break any sealed pack
ages or purchase or sell liquors eX-
H. 10