Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-31

was properly viewed by some one
| member of the board"
That is one thing the detective re-
ports back, he says that in one re-
spect the board has done its duty.
/ I want to say to you gentlemen upon
such a report as that is it not a fair
inference to assume if public officials
are doing their duty in one respect,
is it not fair to assume they are do
ing their duty in other respects?
THE new board of selectmen is
as follows: S. E. Worcester, chair
! man: H. T. Boynton and c. w. Cof-
fin. Your agent took the charges as
indicated by. the $500 account and
went over the story with these two
members of the board, and while
they both feel that the bill is very
large, they also claim that the peo-
pie to whom credits are given are
above suspicion"
This is from the paid agent of the
| State of Maine.
/ Mr.. Boynton went over with me
the sheep killing and when it came
| to the Mclaughlin charge for calf
| killed by bears, he was skeptical, but
! 1 made a personal trip to McLauSh-
Inns and he told me that he had put
I in a charge for sheep killed other
than the one of September 1st., for
part of his sheep were pastured N
the town of Carroll, and he would
be bothered too much in an attempt
to collect. In relation to the calf
killed several neighbors saw the bear
! and that he and Henry STANDBY fol-
| lowed the bea tracks to his lair and
! there saw parts of the carcass of the
/ calf and the ground was covered
with excrement, indicating that bruln
had gorged himself to the extent
of a physic."
! In that particular instance this
sleuth was satisfied of the killing OF
the calf by the bear.
at was a theory of Mr.. Boynton
that bears did not trouble cattle of
their young, but I am fully satisfied
after talking with the. parties that
Mclaughlin lost his calf as lndl-
Gated"
IT talked with several parties. in
GLIDING the deputy sheriff, and ne
was of the opinion that the fowl
story was foul, from APPOINT OF view
that no method could be devised that
would make the losses to the state
above suspicion. The suggestion
that the total number of fowl killed
in one night, taking the account OF a.
r. Thompson, would be small, ana
that no great number of hens Woulo
be carried off by foxes, but that TINS
bill covered a long period from
Matching time to year old fowl.
II cannot see what can be done IN
this matter, but if left to the ingen-
nitv of the auditor, he viii devise
some scheme where there will be bet
ter audit on the part OF the seiecl-
men, which will take the hen Killing
problem out of the line of suspicion
where undoubtedly it exists, aside
from those who have received the
benefit of the law"
Zone disinterested party told me
that if tho bills were held up to the
extent of a scare, the selectmen IN
the light that the State would not
nav such enormous charges without
better proof, would hesitate to give
orders or checks to cover the claim.
He thought it better to have the bills
presented and sent to the State audi
tor for approval, but these parties do
not read the statute as to the pres
ent legal rights of the claimant
! "Messrs. Boynton and Worcester
are anxious to have the claim PAID,
and gave me assurance that any
claim presented under their admins
tration of town affairs would meet
close scrutiny in every detail | might
add that they both feel that larger
bounty should be offered by the State
for the capture and killing of bears,
for the average sportsman would not
bother with the small bounty as now
offered"
"Mr. Boynton suggested that
caustic letter touching on the fowl
situation be written to the selectmen
to be posted in the Office giving them
some authority to direct action on the
payment, such as a demand for bet
ter proof than the word of the victim
of the loss. 1t looks to me as if it
was a case of shifting the burden to
Augusta instead of whipping the
claimant into line from the select
mems office"
Then he goes on to state something
about matters he investigated at
Machias and kinGman.
I'm going back to the selectmen of
the town Of Prentiss, I am convinced
that they will demand better proof in
the future on the fowl situation but
they have no way of remedying the
condition covering bills already paid
by former boards which take in the
1919 account against the State. Your
agent wishes he might" Mark this
"Your agent wishes he might have
found evidence of absolute fraud, but
is not warranted in casting any cloud
on this bill from present information,
other than it is a mighty slack way
of doing business in allowing these
people to render a bill at any time
during the year."
Gentlemen of the Senate, what do
you think of a report like that from
State detective who says that he
"Wishes he might have found evil
dence of absolute fraud?" Is a report
like that worth the paper it is writ
ten on? 1t is not to me, but glory be!
His letter stands there and is JUS
LITIGATION of the honorable gentleman
whose name have mentioned to you.
and is 1 believe a solid foundation
upon which you can take your stand
in voting to pay this town every dol
lar paid out.
| Every application for reimburse