Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-10-20
/ Crusade Against the
Sale Of Cigarettes
npe Local Dealer Fined for
Illegal Sale to a Minor.
ulsh School, s; Ind. o...church,
Social and Other Local News.

-.ad in Gardiner and already one
saa,ar has been arraigned in the
uunicipal court and fined ten dollars
nnd costs by Judge Larrabee. For
some time now the use of cigarettes by |
email boys, especially those in the |
Grammar school grades, has been
noticed and Monday morning one OF
,ba teachers while talking with Judge
Iarrabee saw two boys of the school
whore she teaches, smoking cigarettes.
when asked where they got the cigar
sttes the lads said they had been given
10 them. The teacher remarked to
nudge Larrabee on the growing use of
tobacco. especially cigarettes, among
the boys and asked if something could
not he done. Judge LarraDee replied
that there was a law to prohibit the
Gale to minors and said that he would
zoe that it would be enforced. Later
IN the day while talking over the
matter with Deputy Sheriff Potter it
was decidede to see if a boy under aga
could buy a box of cigarettes. lad
named Hamilton was given some
money by the officer and told to get
some cigarettes but no special place
was designated where he should buy.
man followed the LAD 20 see if he
actually made the purchase. The boy
went to the store Of Isaac Baitler on
the corner of Water and Church
streets and purchased the cigarettes
of the young lady clerk without any
trouble Baitler was arraigned in
court Tuesday forenoon and fined ten
dollars and costs. This is considered
to be but the beginning OF campaign
to prevent the unlawful sale OF the
cigarettes and only nominal fine
was imposed in this case Judge
Larrabee stated yesterday that the
next case to come before him wouG
receive the full extent of the fine,
which Is fifty dollars. .
Judge j. NJ. Larrabee gaze the fol-
lowing interview yesterday regarding
the case and the circumstances which
lead to the arrest and conviction OF
Mr.. Batter:
section rs of Chapter 129 of the Re-
vised Statutes of Maine read: Who
ever, by himself, clerks, servants or
agents. directly or indirectly sells, Of
fers for sale. has in his possession with
intent to sell, or give away, to any
person under the age of q years, any
cigarette shall be punished by a fine
not exceeding $50 or by Imprisonment
not exceeding 60 days. Trial justices
and municipal and police courts shall
have jurisdiction of offences rising I'M
der the section
This provision of the statute is vio-
lated every day in the city of Gardiner
Lace in nit md will
in the state of Maine where cigars and
tobacco are kept and held for sale,
The prohibition relates to minors, per-
sons under 81 years of age, and was
intended to protect children from de-
stroyng health and life by the con-
slant and habitual use of this poison
GUS agency. The law permits the sale
of cigarettes to any persons who have
reached their majority. Some states
have a statute forbidding the sale of
cigarettes to any person, making nc
discrimination on account of age. Such
law would be more effective in pros
ecution since evidence could be more
easily obtained. The possession of CT
garettes in the custody of any dealer,
storekeeper or person in large quanti-
TIES EOuIu W tuiioSt PoHltiNt
proof that the same were held for ile
gale sale.
Possession, which is said to be
nine roints of law cannot be consid-
cred evidence in Maine for the reason
that the dealer is allowed to sell to a
certain class of customers and is only
restricted by the age of the individual
buyer
1T is almost universally admitted
by physicians and psychologists that
the cigarette smoking habit is danger,
Gus to children and far more injurious
to grown people than pipe or cigar
smoking But the practice is common
to a large class of men, and women
too. and is an increasing offence among
boys and girls. The use of tobacco II
any form is filthy and often disgusting
as well as deleterious to the user and
especially is this true in regard to wo-
men and children.
Teachers in our public schools have
made frequent reports to me that theii
pupils were smoking around the schoo
buildings and on the streets. They
| further state that the effect on the
1 toys is bad in every way. It makes
them stupid in the recitations and pre-
vents them from applying themselves
to study or mental action. and the
smokers can be picked out from among
the students by the pale faces and ex-
pressionless eyes. a.
/ Monday morning l was coming
down Winter street hill and saw two
boys on the opposite side of the street
smoking. Not an uncommon sight
Just then met one of our teachers ir
the Primary grades and she said: Is
there no way to stop this cigarette
smoking? 1t is nuisance on our
school grounds replied that there is
law enough but the difficulty is in pro-
curing evidence.
4 related the conversation to Dep
u'y Sheriff Potter and he said that a
certain boy II or 10 years of age, was
cigarette smoker and that he would
get him to buy box of cigarettes. He
oiu so and the result was that a GER
tam dealer in fruit and cigarettes was
arralgned before the court and found
guilty Of selling to minor.
The officers are on the a,ert and tho
Jaw VIII be vigorously enforced as far
as possible. Perhaps someone will say,
as Is common in the prohibition of the
a.e "f intoxicants. the law is not en-