Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-06
STATE HOUSE.
Conn. Buckley Sends Let
tiers to Municipal Officers
Calling Attention 10 BTOwn-taiI
Moth InteStation.
Pests Are Extending into Northern
Part of the State.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council, Thursday, Jan. 10, 1912, at
10 A. M,


p. Buckley, Friday sent out letters to
the municipal officers of towns and
cities from which reports have come
to the department of infestation with
brown-tail moth. These letters order
the municipal officers to cause 10 be
| destroyed before Feb. 10, 1872 the
| broWn-tail meth nests. which may be
! found within the limits Of their pub
lie streets and parks. this limit to cx-
| tend to the distance of 60 feet from
the center of the public streets or
| highways and to include all trees and
| Sirubbery growing thereon
/ The attention Of the municipal oil
GERS is also called to the fact that the
statute requires them to notify each
| owner of real estate located in their
municipality to destroy the moths III
| all their stages within IL specified
| time. and that the time limit given
| real estate owners should be early
enough so that in ease the owner
| should fail to destroy the insects the
work can be done by the municipality,
as required by law, before Feb l..
The commissioner of agriculture is
sending out with each letter copy
of Section Of Chapter l. of the Pub
lie Laws of 1907. as amended by
Chapter "a of the Public Laws OF 1908
| and Chapter 81 of the Public Laws Of
1911. which reads as follows:
Section Should any person in the
state suspect the presence of brown
tail moth or-San Jose scale preying
upon trees, shrubs or vines in his po-
session or within his knowledge he
shall forthwith notify the commits
soner OF agriculture to that effect;
and it shall be the duty of said COM
missioner to cause the said trees,
shrubs or vines to be inspected. If
sufficient cause be found, the commits
soner of agriculture shall forthwith
notify the municipal officers of the
city or town where such pests have
been found. Municipal officers thus
notified shall Immediately cause to be
destroyed such of the above named
insects in their different stages as
may be found within the limits Of the
public streets and parks. Said limit
To extend to the distance of 60 feet
from the center of the public streets
| or highways and include all trees and
shrubbcry growing thereon Should
such municipal officers neglect or fail
within a reasonable time to perform
the duties herein imposed upon them.
then the commissioner of agriculture
shall order such city town or plan
| tatien to proceed to destroy the above
named insects in accordance with
| methods 10 be prescribed by him and
| to spend such an amount in the above
named work as he shall deem neces-
sary.
If any city, town or plantation shall
fail to comply with the directions of
said commissioner in the performance
of said work and the expenditure of
such money within the time specified
BY him. then the commissioner of ag-
riculture shall cause the said work to
| be done and shall charge the actual
expense of the same to said city or
| town: such amount to be collected as
| a State tax and credited to this APP
preparation.
| Whenever a city, town or plantation
| is notified by the commissioner of ag-
riculture of the presence of the brown
! tail moth or San Jose scale, the MAYOR
of each city. the selectmen Of each
town and the assessors of each plan
| tation shall notify each owner of real
| estate located therein requiring him
| To DESTROY the above named insects
in his orchard and shade trees within
| a specified time. If the owner fails
| to destroy the above named insects
before the specified time, then the
city, town or plantation subject 10
| the approval of the commissioner OF
agriculture, shall destroy them, and
shall assess upon such aforesaid real
estate the actual cost of so doing, TO
an amount however, not exceeding
lone per cent of the assessed Nalua-
ton of the above named property
The amount so assessed shall be coll
lected in the form of a tax.
| II shall be the duty of the commits
sioner of agriculture to disseminate
information concerning the brown
tail and gypsy moths, San Jose scale
and other injurious insects.
| Cities and towns may raise the
sums necessary to carry out the pro-
visions of this section in the same
manner in which money is raised for
other necessary municipal purposes
| Commissioner Buckley states that
there appear to i've more brown-t tail
moth nests in the State than ever be-
fore and that the insects are much
more advanced in their development
| than in previous years The tnfesta-
| ton appears to he the worst in Cen
trail Maine and reports of infestation
| have also been received from portions
of the State that have not previously
been infected particularly in the
/ northern part of the State. and in
Guiding Penobseot and Franklin coun-
ty.