Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-11
STAPLES ALONE FAV0RS
REPEAL OF STURGIS LAW
AT Hearing Before Committee on Temperance
New Bridge Bill Drafted by Senator Baxter
1.-The Looney Ballot Act in House.

the superintendent of the Anti Saloon
| League, was the next speaker to OPP
pose the repeal of the Sturgis law.
Before the enactment of the Stur
gis law" said Mr.. Owen, the Gov
crnor had no authority to enforce the
| law if the loca! officers We're lciin~
| Quent in their duties. Notification OK
| listed and to prevent notification the
| Sturgis law was passed. We want tn
| Sturgis law retained until something
| Just as good can be devised. ThcT" =
Il necessity for work by the state in
| the city Of Bangor today Wi;u1c there
| have been no ssturgis men At Wngll
! since the first Of the wear. AnYGG.
would think that the Stllrgis men uld
i stopped the sale of liquor iii HINa, i.
| that they had made men go out ii tn .
| business, but such is not the case. Th,
Judge If the municipal court has Edj
| 10 liquor cases h,cau$e tho Local ui-
| hcialH have not made even a prctrn O.
to enforce the law. | believe ti;'t tn.
| counties where the deputies a;'a a.
work should pay them, that H I've
State should pay the officers ana thr
couut:cs where they work should Day
| the state.
II agree continued Mr.. owen, thai
| the legal policy Of any state should
| Ec III harmony with the people of TIL,
| state. If l believed that the major
| sentiment OF Maine was in favor OF
| the protection of the saloon business.
| should agree that the proper pnllCH
Of the State would be the license poll
cy. That is American, the rule Of the
majority. And much as I might regret
to co SO I should accept that as the
| proper policy of the State"
+. NJ Stacey Of Waterv.lle, district
! superintendent of the Anti saloon
! League. said that conditions were nov
lad iii Bangor and that the SturEia
men ought to be sent there.
/ Edward II. Emery of Sanford, grand
chief Tcrlplar Of the Order Of Coos
Templars of Maine, said that the trm-
. rerance people did not want the Stur-
Gis commission done away with mltii
there was something better to enforce
the law. He said that the state VI
! Maine ought to Still remain at the head
Of the procession for the cause Of tom
! perance.
! EN Representative Charles J. Hutch
irS of Brewer stated the liuuur LAW
! was not any better enforced in rcnnb-
scot county when the Sturgis deputies
were AT work there than 1t is today or
before the Sturgis men went to work
in that county.
When the bill to abolish the liquor
agencies came up Representative PIKE
of PASSPORT appeared in the role of is
/ only advocate He said the present
stcm of liquor agencies was a dis
grace TO the state and t&ot the agen-
\ les We're run for revenue only. II" re-
| tered to tho minority report of til
commission appointed to Investigate"
them and declared that they were "a
source Of unlimited graft under re
publican and Democratic administra-
ton alike.
Il have even heard that retail deal
crs have been supplied with liquors
Nv the agencies in some Maine cities"
he said.
Senator Mllikon believed that thorr
| should be some such system in orlc.'
that the urgent needs Of stinulants
for the sick room might be supplied.
| He thought the present Legislature
would have to take some action as the
| present conditions couldn't be tolcr-
atcd. He announced that he had draft
Cd bill which would be presented
later, and he suggested that the com
nittcc make no report on the present
measure until the bill had reached them
and they had an opportunity to dis
cuss it. Unless some means of rcgu :
latins the present system could be
found he was in favor of abolshing
the agencies altogether he said.
Mrs. Stevens said she thought it a
Meter of pride that Maine has only
IL agencies. If the i-prohibitionst.s
bad their way there would be at least
200 lcsaIized rum shops.
She thought the Maine agency eys-
tenn better than the Kansas drug store
plan which she has opposed whenever
an effort to introduce in into Maine
has been made. She was in favor Of
In" sort of a bill suggested by Senator
Milliken to regulate the agencies. If
the plan should prove a failure she
would then be willing to favor the re-
stricted sale Of liquor by drug stores.
Senator M.lliken explained to the
committee his bill to make uniform the
standard relating to the percentage OF
alcohol in Intoxicating liquors. He
wants anything which requires Unit
ed States license declared Intoxicating.
That includes all small beers having
even one per cent of alcohol. The
present Maine law permits three per
cent The bill would shut out Uno
beer and similar beverages. Mrs.
Stevens said she favored it.
Charles ]. Hutchings, former mayor
Of Brewer, suggested an amendment.
He would have the sale of Moxie, gin
ger ale. root beer and Coca Cola also
prohibited. He was certain that they
contained more than one per cent OF
alcohol.