Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-23
Conn. of Agri. Roberts Sends
Warning as to Brown-Tail
Moths to the Afflicted Places
HUNTERS LICENSES
Estimates Filed for State Hos
pitfalls and Public Utilities
Prosecutions for Violation of
Game Laws-Other Matters
Next Meeting of the Governor and
Council, p. M, Monday, Nov. 80.

-A--'SACAiSt y.
to municipal officers of various towns
and cities in the State calling their
attention to the law regarding the de-
struction of brown-tail moths in their
districts. The letters read as follows:
MAINE DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
j. A. Roberts, Com.
Augusta, Nov. "a, 1914.
! To the Municipal officers Of
Sufficient evidence has come to me
that your town is infested with the
brown-tail moth. Therefore, l hereby
give you notice, III accordance with
| the law of this State. that you shall
cause to be destroyed before the 18th
day of February 1915, the brown tail
moth nests which may be found within
the limit of your public streets and
parks, said limit to extend to the dis
lance of so feet from the center of
the pubic streets or highways and in
clude all trees and shrubbery growing
thereon.
| also wish to call your attention to
the fact that the statute requires you
to notify each owner of real estate To-
Gated in your city or town requiring
him to destroy the above named in
sects in his orchard and shade trees
you that the time limit which you give
to your real estate owners should be
early enough so that IN case the owner
should fail to destroy these insects.
the work could be done by your mu-
nicipality as required by law, before
the time specified above.
The municipal officers of each city
or town will send written or printed
-,
their city or town and furnish their
own notices, in accordance with sec
ton 7 of Chapter Is of the Public
Laws of 1907, as amended in 1909 and
1911, a copy of which is enclosed. The
notices should be sent at once.
Please report to this Department as
soon as your work is completed.
Respectfully yours.
J. A. ROBE1TS.
Commissioner of Agriculture.
Section I of Chapter 10 of the Public
Laws of 1907, as amended in 1909 and
1911 reads as follows:
PUBLIC LAWS OF 1907
Chapter Is
Section CAS- amended by P. l.. 1909,
C. "a, and P. L. 1911 C. S4 Should any
person in the State suspect the pres
ence of the brown-tail moth or. San
Jose scale preying upon trees, shrubs
or vines in his possession or within
bis knowledge he shall forthwith noti-
fy the commissioner of agriculture to
that effect: and it shall be the duty of
said commissioner to cause the said
trees, shrubs or vines to be inspected
If sufficient cause be found the COM
missioner Of agriculture shall forth
with 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 nam
ed 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
shrubbery 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 planta-
ton to proceed to destroy the above
named insects in accordance with
methods to be prescribed by him and
to spend such an amount in the above
named work as he shall deem neces-
sary.
IL 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
n State tax and credited to this appro-
priation.
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 ard shade trees within a
specified time. If the owner fails to
destroy the above named insects be-
fore the specified time, then the city,
town or plantation subject to the APP
prevail of the commissioner of agricul-
ture, shall destroy them and shall as
sess upon such aforesaid real estate
the actual cost of so doing, to an
amount, however, not exceeding one
per cent of the assessed valuation OF
the above named property. The
amount so assessed shall be collected
in the form of tax.
1t 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 provisions
Of this section in the same manner in
which money is raised for other neces-
sary municipal purposes.