Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-09-10

commission Is suspended through
the referendum. Thus the preser,
highway commission finds itself win
a full time job on its hands and WITH
only Part time board to administsr
it. For that reason it has though,
best to create a separate division lin
der the direct supervision of tba
highway commission which for ,ba
lack of a better name is known as
the Motor Vehicle Inspect; on De
partment."
Taking up this work, as We did
in the early days of July. we founS
ourselves in the very midst of tho
busy automobile season with tbo,,
sands Of summer visitors pourirr
into the STATE. The Secretary Of
State had created a tentative or.
ganization and by an order of ths
Governor and Council we not only
time to time have endearored to en-.
large and perfect it,.
The law which makes tie STATE
highway commission the Chief on.
forcement department OF all laws
relative to vehicles and the law a,
the road, ulso creates the Office ~
State Highway Police. gives them
the power to serve criminal process.
es and gives them the same tights as
sheriffs to require aid in executing
the duties of their office. Thus il
you Will. we have a S'ate Constabu.
larry, with a rowing jurisdiction"
The law also creates the Office Of
inspector and provides that these in.
spectors may be equipped with motor
cycles and assigned to the patrol Of
State highways. Inasmuch as the in.
spector Nas given no authority IN
make arrests the commission has
thought best TO commission all of
those officers.
I'VE now have 3S State highway
police, IA of whom are mounted. The
other "a being assigned TO various
districts throughout the State but
with authority to act anywhere in
Maine"
The State road is patroled from
the Portsmouth bridge at Kittery.
"hiNil ID VI NouI St tie IDdlfl IITp INTO
the State, to Bangor and beyond. We
also have a motor cycle patrol from
Augusta TO Lewiston; one from Lin
coin up towards Houlton: one from
Woolwich to Rockland, from Rock
land TO Bangor and from Bangor to
Bar Harbor"
I'VE have also made arrangements
to commission the % road supervisors
as State Highway Police and shall
probably issue commissions to several
of the local motor cycle patrolmen. in
the employ of the various municipal
tiles"
Nov that the State has started in
municipal authorities are fast falling
into line. We are endeavoring to en-
courage this cooperation in every way
possible, and we find that our offer
of assistance to municipalities when
anything special is going on within
these borders which attracts the
crowds, is greatly appreciated"
I'VE have offered the services Of
some of our motor cycle boys to Chief
Of Police Field, of Lewiston during
the State Fair next week and our Of
fer has been gladly accepted We
shall have in addition, special patrol
on the State road leading from this
city to Lewiston and also a special
patrol on the Waterville road"
"Thelatter part of this month II is
expected that the new State road
from Oxford to South Paris will be
opened to travel. AS it happens the
Norway fair comes about that date
ard the temptation to step on her"
vii lbe very great. We shall cover
that road with a motor cycle patrol"
Ever since the ninth of July.
Aroostook county has been crying
Tor enforcement. 1t seemed to us
that the psychological moment had
arrived when it was learned that the
Houlton Fair was to be held last
week and that the Presque Isle Fair
would come this week Aroostook
county has received during these
past two weeks u taste of what it
SAID 1t wanted. Two of our best Of
hcers have been in attendance upon
these gatherings and they are send
ing back great reports At Houlton
they got Is convictions, six of which
were for operating motor vehicle
while under the influence of intoX-
eating liquor. The minimum fine
Tor conviction of this nature is
300 and the license is revoked with
out further hearing. Stopping off
on their way To Mars Hill over the
weekend these officers secured
eight convictions at Mars Hill and
up to the present time they have re-
ported IA convictions at Presque
Isle
The death of John Barleycorr
has been heralded from one end Of
the country to the other but it would
seem that he has left in his wake a
race of descendants that for pure
cussedness has the old progeniator
beaten to a fragile.
Since July the highway com
mission has revoked or suspended
pending appeal the operators IL
censes of no less than 90 reckless
drivers of automobiles, the majority
OF these revocations being for oper-
atlng motor vehicles while under the
innuence of Intoxicating liquors or
drugs. The penalty for operating a
motor vehicle while under the nfu-
ence of intoxicating liquor is not less
than 800 or more than $1,000, or by
Imprisonment for not less than 80
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