New Britain herald., 1916-05-30
An Ech0 From the NeW
 Britain of Colonial Days
(By James Shepard.)

The present day talk of oppression,
 trusts, and the high cost of living,
 sounds like, an echo from the legis-
 lative cry of our infant state in the
 year 1776. At least two separate acts TOT regulating the prices of various
 commodities were enacted by our
 colonial Legislature and others by
 the state The first of these, by the
 state, was passed in November, IT'S
 and was entitled. An act to prevent
 monopolies and oppression by exces-
 slVe and unreasonable prices for
 many of the necessities and conven-
 fences of life." The preamble to this
 act was as follows:-
 "Whereas the rapid and exorbitant
 rise upon the necessities and con-
 viences of life in this day of public
 calamity and distress is chiefly oc-
 casioned by monopolizers, the great
 pest of society, who prefer their own
 private gain to the interest and safety
 of their country, and which if not
 prevented. threatens the ruin and 1 destruction of the state''
 This law provided that the price ] of Tabor in the farming way in the ! summer season shall not exceed three
 shill ings, (ffty cents,) per diem"
 The prices for merchandise and
 tradesmen, according to the usages
 and customs practiced in the differ
 ent parts of the state compared with
 farm labors.'
 Prices were stated for wheat rye corn, wool, sugar, salt, West India
 and New England Rum and various other articles. The price of pork was
 fixed at "three pence three farthings l per pound" Grass fed beef of the ! best quality at "twenty-four shi1lines per hundred'' These were Yan1xea 1 shillings, six of which made one dol | lar. Cheese was rated at six pence. | (eight and one-third cents.) per pound. Good Fall Butter' ten pence per pound, etc., with proviso that | articles not enumerated in the law were to be "at a reasonable accustom- l ed proportion to the above mentioned i articles."
 1 new regulating act was passed in December, 1776 which raised the i price of farm labor six and one-ouar- ter cents per day. The price of New England Rum, was fixed at four shil- lings and six pence by the single i gallon and West India Rum at seven shillings eight pence. The only pen- l atty provided was fine or forfeiture of the amount received in the tram saction. The prior act of Nov. 177s and the two colonial regulating acts. (which had been continued in force up to this time,) were repealed. The new law was altered "somewhat in May 1777 and in the following August both laws were repealed without sub- stitution. Hence, there was no law for regulating prices from the middle of August 1777, to February, 1778. other than the law of October 1777 which required dealers to have a license and to sell denouncing con- spiracies in vigorous language, as ap- pears from the following preamble to the last mentioned act, viz.
 "Whereas all conspiracies and other acts to enhance the prices of mer- chandise or any of the necessities and conveniences of life bought and sold, are at all times immoral, oppression to the poor, and pernicious to the state, and more especially so at the present time, by reason of the inter- ruption of commerce and great de- mand for many articles OccaSiOned by the war"
 Under the law of February, TITS, the price of labor was fixed at seven- ty-tVe per cent. over the price that prevailed in the year 1774. Pork and beef were rated at about double the price stated in the law of 1776. Cheese was raised from six pence per pound to nine pence. New England rum was raised from four shillings, six pence to twelve shillings per gallon. Prices for goods and labor mentioned in the law were to be "ascertained by the civil authority and selectmen in the respective towns who were to pre- paze a list of some with prices and fho of their respective towns The act | also provided that importers should 1 not sell for more than one dollar in Continental money, what cost them one shilling sterling.
 The law further provided that no | person could commence or maintain a suit at law until they should "swear i by the ever living God" that they had l not Willingly or willingly' violated | the said act. Vendors Of imported | goods, on trial under this act, were to
 be adjudged guilty thereof" unless they could show by invoice or other W1se that they were not guilty. The Penalty for breach of the law was me or forfeiture equal to the amount received in the unlawful sale or trans act1on. With the further proviso that every person convicted of the breach or this act shall thencefOrth De in- capable of bearing any office, civil or mlIltary Tn this state, or of pro5Ccut- ing or maintaining any suit at law CT of taking out any executions" It was ordered that six hundred copies of this act should be printed for general dis tribution.
 Referring now more particularly to New Britain, Samuel Smith of Stan ley Quarter was convicted of selling certain farm products at an uriaw- full price and thereby forfeited, or