Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-18
LIQUOR AGENCY BILL.
Pro and Con Before Tenl :
perance Committee.

Inc Dlil introduced IN tne upper
branch of the Legislature by Senator
Milliken of Aroostook TO regulate the
liquor agencies. to provide for a sy:s-
tenn of competitive bids in the pur-
chase of the liquor, to prevent the
towns from making a large profit Oh
the sales of the liquor and to remedy
| other alleged defects in the system
| was given a hearing before the COM
| mittee on temperance in the Council
chamber Wednesday afternoon.
Senator Milliken explained at length
the bill which he introduced. He sald
that the measure was intended to
| remedy the defects in the present sy.;-
tenn which all admitted.
Some change should be made in the
agency system in Maine as it is at
present operated and there are Only
| two remedieS-one to abolish the syS-
! TEN entirely and the other TO provide
| for the defects. Not over one per
| cent. of the liquor sold in the agencies
| in this State is for medicinal or manu-
| featuring purposes.
! The special legislative committee
| which investigated the agencies found
in the agencies a great variety of all
agencies there were as many as five
| grades of whskey. In the opinion Of
the investigating committee whiskay,
| rum. gin, brandy and wine We're the
| only kinds of liquor which are needed
for medicinal purposes. Under present
conditions the business is confined II
two or three wholesale liquor dealers,
and the State buys about 100000
worth of liquor every year. The rea-
son given for confirming the trade to
two or three houses is that the town
agents prefer this or that brand. The
wholesale dealers who do not sell any
liquor to the State claim that there is
something wrong. The competitive
system is to give all a chance to bid.
AS near as can be learned there is d
trade discount of 10 or Is per cent,
which the State has not been getting
tx Mayor Will G. Atkins of Gardi-
ner was the first to oppose the Milli-
ken bill He said that this proposed
law would have the State engage di-
rectly in the liquor business. The
competitive bid system is good in
theory but in practice it might not be
so. 1T seems that if the prpp. OF i
particular section want certain
brand of liquor on sale at the agency
in that place they should be given chat
right and they also should have some
thing to say about how II" agency
should be conducted
AS regards to that section of the
bill which requires that no liquor
shall be sold unless on the prcscrip
ton of physician, ] will .,tate .hat
many physicians would not give this
prescription gratis.
Something has been said about the
agency at Gardiner selling a lot Of
liquor to the members of the Soldiers
Home at Togus. AS matter of fact
the sales to the veterans We're only
four per cent. OF the total amount for
two months.
Cyrus n Blanchard of Wilton.
county attorney of Franklin county,
said that he believed in the enforce
ment of the prohibitory liquor law
and this measure would simply en-
cumber the statute books with more
law This bill would make the gov
ernor and council the SSate liquor
commissioner or commissioners and
would entail great amount of work.
Mayor Irving Merrill of Auburn
spoke a good word for the agency at
Auburn and thought the agencies
should be run at a profit.
DR.. F. l.. Jones of Waterville also
spoke in opposition to the bill