Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-01
TEMPERANCE
Five Temperance Measures, Drastic
Perhaps, But All of Importance

These measures may be criticized
as drastic" sid Representive Charles
P. Barnes of Houlton, concluding a
two hour address before the committee
on temperance Wednesday afternoon.
but 1 believe them necessary if vio-
lators of the prohibitory law are to be
adequately punished"
He spoke in behalf of five acts. each
containing several sections; but es-
sential changes proposed. although i'm
portant, were comparatively few.
The most important, and the one on
which he dwelt for more than an hour,
was an amendment to Chapter 127 of
the Revised Statutes relating to en-
forcement of the laws against the sale
of Intoxicating liquors. Section Of this
chapter Is amended to make 1t unlaw-
full for transportation companies to de-
liver liquors to any person other than
the consignee, who shall sign q re-
ceipt; and such delivery must be made
at the corporations established place
Of business. At present, as everyone
at all familiar with the subject knows
and as Mr.. Barnes forcefully pointed
cut, liquors intended for illegal sale
are often consigned to some one other
than the actual purchaser-not infre-
quently to highly respectable persons
who haven't the faintest idea that their
names are being used. Goods falsely
addressed as a safeguard are left at
railroad stations-often at country sta
lions near the larger centers, where Of
ficials are neither numerous nor IN
quisitive-and the actual owner, the
;o;t oJv
his convenience.
Under the proposed amendent, ex-
press compay officials will be held La
BILE for knowledge Of the consignee's
identity as are bank officials for knowl-
edge Of the identity of the person who
presents a check. Flimsy guess work
gives place to certainty; and teeth are
put into the amendment by a provis-
ion that any transportation company
who knowingly delivers liquors to 9TH
er than the consignee, at other than
the company's established place OF bus
mess. shall be punished by fine Of not
less than 500 nor more than $500, and
by Imprisonment Of not less than two
nor more than six months. Admittedly
this is drastic: but, from the viewpoint
Of Mr. Barnes and the other advo-
Gates, it should be exceptionally effec-.
tive.
Section Sc of the same chapter is
amended to read that any person
caught lettering with liquors on his
person shall be fined 800 and costs and
imprisoned for 30 days. This is aimed at
the pocket peddlers who, Mr.. Barnes
declared. now swarm in. every city,
large and small They are the most Diff
ficult of all prohibitory law violators
to detect: and. for everyone who is
caught in the act of selling and pun
ished. a hundred go free. "This is an
honest attempt to relieve a very great
evil. and one not easily reached by ex-
listing statutes" said Mr.. Barnes.
Whether the amendment is good law
or otherwise must be subsequently de-
ctded by the courts: but we can enact
it. and. II held legal I am sure that
1t will stop pocket peddling.
An amendment to section 81. same chap
ter, provides that "all ale. beer and other
liquors Of which alcohol is an ingredient
part, shall be plainly labelled"
Mr.. Barnes explanation of this Sec
ton was the most interesting part of his
long address. He told of the many soft
beer places which honeycomb Maine
cities-places in which all beer is sup
posed to be under three per cent, yet in
which drunkenness is more than frequent
Owners of these plague spots. for he be-
lieved them nothing less, find no partic-
ular difficulty in circumventing the pres
ent easily-drawn law; and he described
some of the ingenious devices for the de-
ception. not only of such officers az do
investigate. but Of the regular patrons. :"
One device. for example. is to quietly
pass the word that on some specific night
. barrel Of real beer is to be horsed UP.