The Somerset reporter., 1909-04-08
January one. nineteen hundred and
eieven,-(Approved March 80
Chapter 172.

Chapter 172.
An Act to repeal a part of Section one or
Chapter one hundred and sixteen of the
Revised Statutes relating to salary OF
officers of the Insane Hospital at Au-
gusta.
So much of section one of chapter one
hundred and sixteen of the revised stat
ntes as relates to the salary of the SUI
perintendent, four assistants, the stew
ard, chaplain and matron of the Insane
Hospital at Augusta is hereby repealed
approved March 80
Chapter 1873.
An Act to amend Chapter four. Section
forty-three. OF the Revised Statutes, re-
lating to duties of Town Clerks.
Section forty-three of chapter four of
the revised statutes is hereby amended
by inserting after the word state in
the second line thereof the words and the
state auditor. so that said section shall
read as amended:
Section 43. When Il town treasurer is
municate his name to the treasurer of
state and the state auditor; and no city.
town or plantation shall receive any
money from the treasurer of state until
the name of its treasurer has been SO
communicated. '-(Approved March 30
Chapter ia.
An Act relating to the transfer of certain
Trust Funds of the Maine Industrial
School for Girls to the State Treasury.
The trustees of the Maine Industrial
School for Girls shall pay into the state
treasury the principal sums of the trust
funds now held, or which may be held
by them, for the benefit of said school
Said funds shall he known by the names
now attached thereto. or which may be
attached by terms OF gifts or requests
The state treasurer shall Semi-annually
pay to the treasurer of said school n
sum equal to two and one half per cent
of said amount, to be used for the benefit
of said school in accordance with the
several terms of gifts or requests or as
the trustees shall from time to time de-
termine. Improved March 80
Chapter IFS.
An Act to facilitate the Identification OF
Criminals.
Any officer, or the keeper of any prison,
jail, lookup or other place of detention,
having in custody any prisoner or person
detained under suspicion, may, If deemed
advisable, measure and describe, or cause
such person to be measured or described
in accordance with the system commonly
known as the Bertillon method for the
identification of criminals, and may cause
to be taken such photographs as are
deemed necessary, and may take copies
of the finger prints of any such person
Improved March 20 4H.
Chapter 176.
An Act to repeal Section three of Chap
ter one hundred forty-three of the Re-
vsed Statutes, as amended by Section
one of Chapter one hundred twenty of
the Public Laws of nineteen hundred
eA~erA- relating TO the State School for
Section three of chapter one hundred
forty-three of the revised statutes, as
hundred twenty of the public laws of
nineteen hundred seven, is hereby re-
pealed-(Approved March 29.J
Chapter 177.
An Act relating to the Common School
Fund and the means of providing for
and distributing the same.
Section l. A tax of one and one-half
mills on a dollar shall annually be as
sessed upon all of the property in the
state according to the valuation thereof
and shall be known as the tax for the
support of the common schools
Section 2. This tax shall be assessed
and collected in the same manner as
other state taxes and shall be paid into
common school fund.
Section 8. One-third of this fund shall
be distributed by the treasurer of state
on the first day of January. annually. to
the several cities, towns and plantations
according to the number of scholars
therein, as the same shall appear from
the official returns made to the state SUI
perntendent of public schools for the
preceding year and the remaining two
thirds of said fund shall be distributed
by the treasurer of state on the first day
cities, towns and plantations according
to the valuation thereof as the same shall
be fixed by the state assessors, for the
Section d All of the said fund not dis
tributed or expended during the financial
year. shall at its close, be added TO the
permanent school fund.
Section 5. All moneys provided by
towns. or apportioned by the state for
the support of common schools, shall be
expended for the maintenance of COM
mon schools. established and controlled
by the towns by which said moneys are
provided, or to which said moneys are
apportioned.
town or plantation from the distribution
provided by section three, shall be deemed
to be raised by sucn city, town or planta-
ton within the meaning of revised stat
utes chapter fifteen, section thirteen, as
amended.
Section T. The passage of this act shall
In no wise affect the provisions of sec
tions one hundred twenty-four, one hun
drcd twenty-five, one hundred twenty
six and one hundred twenty seven of
chapter fifteen of the revised statutes, or
of section two of chapter one hundred
and eleven of the public laws of nineteen
hundred and seven.--tApproved March 81
Chapter 178.
An Act to amend Chapter forty-two OF
the Public Laws of nineteen hundred
and seven, relating to prevention of
desertion and non-support of Families "
Section l. Strike out the word mis-
demeanor" quoted in the fifteenth line of
section one of said act, and substitute
out the words six months" in the egh-
teenth line of said section and substitute
therefor the words Two years so tlldt
said section as amended, shall read as
follows:
Section l. Any person who shall with
ont lawful excuse desert his wife when
such wife is in destitute or necessitous
circumstances or any person who being
able by means of his property or labor
to provide for the necessary support and
maintenance of his wife, shall wilfully
neglect or refuse to provide such support
and maintenance when such wife is in
destitute or necessitous circumstances,
or any person who shall without lawful
excuse desert his or her minor child or
children under the age of sixteen, or
who being able by means Of his or her
property or labor to provide for the nee
essary support and maintenance of his
or her minor child or children under said
age shall Wilfully neglect or refuse to
provide such support and maintenance
when such child or children are in desti-
tute or necessitous circumstances, shall
be deemed guilty of felony, and on
CONJUNCTION thereof shall be punished by
a fine not more than five hundred dollars
or by imprisonment with or without hard
labor for not more than two years or by
both such fine and IMPRISONMENT, and
should n fine be imposed it may be
directed by the court to be paid in whole
or in part to the wife or to the guardian
or custodian of the minor child or child
rem: provided that before the trial, with
the consent of the defendent or after
conviction. instead of imposing the pun
ishment hereinbefore provided, or in addi-
ton thereto, the court in its discretion
TO the financial ability or earning ca
pacitv of the defendant shall have the
power to make an order, which shall be
subject to change by it from time to
time circumstances may require.
directing the defendant to pay certain
sum weekly for the space of one year
TO the wife, or to the guardian or custo-
dian of the minor child or children, or to
al