Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-28
Committee Hearings
JUDICIARY
Dept. of Agri. Favors Cold Storage
Bill-Strone Opposition


Hearing was given Thursday at
ternoon by the committee on the ju-
dietary upon the bill for the regula-
ton of the cold storage business.
This is one of the measures which
came over from the last Legislature.
In order to accommodate the crowd
in attendance it was necessary to
hold the hearing in the Senate Cham
Der.
A. M. G. Soule, chief of the Division
of Inspection, Department of Agricul-
ture, was the only prepayment of the
bill and explained it's provisions. He
said that it was the one prepared by
/ the commission for securing uniform
laws in all the states. 1t has been
adopted by Illinois. Maryland. New
York, Tennessee, Utah, Pennsylvania,
Nebraska and New Hampshire. New
! Jersey and Wisconsin had adopted 1t
with certain notifications. He be-
lieved that it was good measure and
would prove beneficial to the cold
storage business.
/Replying to an inquiry by Senator
Quincy he said that the law would
add an inspector and clerk to the
force of the department. He based
this opinion upon information secur-
ed from Massachusetts, and New
Hampshire.
Rep. HincE1ey of South Portland
wanted to know If the provisions Of
the law would necessitate the label
ing or tagging of very fish put into
cold storage plant. Mr.. Soule said
he did not think 30.
Mr.. Soule told the committee that
he was very willing that the making
of regulations for conducting the
storage business be done by the Leg
islature instead of leaving it with
the Department of Agriculture. He
further said that two conferences had
been held with men engaged in the
business in an effort to reach an
agreement, but had only resulted in
| their absolute Condemnation of the
bill He said that the bill was in
reality a health measure and in his
judgment would go far toward allay-
, ing popular prejudice against cold
storage products. He was not op-
posed to cold storage. He felt that
requiring the labelling of such pro-
ducts was fair protection to the
public who purchased.
Ralph w. Crockett of Lewiston had
charge Of the opposition. After read
ling the bill he told the committee that
it would work a hardship to all deal
ers. That the requirement fixing the
temperature at even 40 degrees which
if maintained in a cooler would make
that establishment a cold storage
'vlo oh vi 90
kept their ice boxes at their temper
allure. 1t would, therefore, make
every retail dealer in the State come
under the provisions Of the bill. Even
fixing the limit at 80 degrees would
have tendency to do this.
/ The big objection Mr.. Crockett said
to the bill was the vast added In
creased expense which 1t would force
upon dealers, by requiring greatly
increased bookkeeping force. This
would be necessary in order to pre-
vide the records which the law would
require to be made and filed with the
department in Augusta.
Charles F. Marble, representing the
! retail grocers Of Maine, opposed the
bill in their behalf. He said that IL
was possible that IL this law were
enacted it would be found to apply,
not only to retail grocers but restau-
rant keepers. He declared that the
retailers were doing nothing now
which would make such law neces-
sary; that they were not vi6lators of
/. the law. The law would affect $500
retailers and cost them $4,000 .
year.
| The Absent Voter Law
Hearing was also held by the COM
mittee on the judiciary on the absent
voter law.
Representative viles Of Augusta
presented the matter and explained
that there seemed to be q general. de-
mand throughout the State for this
law and that It has the backing OF
the commercial travellers Of the State,
some 5000 In number and many other
organizations. Mr.. vileS stated that
Governor Parkhurst advocated the
enactment Of such law in his mes
sage and that many petitions favor
ing the law have been submitted "a
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