Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-04
PUSSYFOOT AT SILVER DATE OF CIVIC LEAGUE

ment within the last year. Kenne-
bee county is one of the sections
which is being severely criticised and
many people are anxiously inquiring
what can be done about it.
It has been 4 distinct surprise to
many of our citizens to earn that
about AS of the officers in our
State who are not only authorized
but commanded by the statute to en-
force the liquor laws do not choose
to exercise their authority nor obey
the command Of the State. Here
then is vast store of latent power
official authority--which should be
released for the work Of enforce
ment. a
These are our municipal officers,
mayor, aldermen and police of our
cities: the selectmen, assessors and
constabIes of our towns. IT is ma
tural to ask how it came about that
these officers-the city police es-
pecially-who know better than any
other official where crime is COM
mitted should be universally exempt
ed from this important duty.
It is perfectly easy to understand.
in the days when the administration
OF prohibition in Maine consisted
only of an annual or in some coun-
ties a semi-annual assessment of a
fine and the cost of a fake prosecu-
ton it was practically county
matter in which the municipalities
the cities and towns were not in
terested in as much as the fines all
went to the county treasury. So
, long as this notification method of
dealing with the liquor traffic was in
vogue there was no call for cooper
alton on the part of municipal Of
ficers. The county officers were am
ply able to secure the names of the
men in the liquor business and COL
lcct at stated times the fines for the
county treasury. Under this Ban
gor plan" as it was called the NUM-
cipal officers We're excused from the
service dequired by law because the
county officers fulfilled the plan
without them and could do it better
without them. But the Bangor
Notification Plan" came to an end.
tnquesionably the good citizens of
this State are in earnest now to put
an end to the liquor traffic. They
are beginning to understand that I'M
! der present conditions the FEEDER al
officers and the county officers act
ing independently are not equal to
| the alert and aggressive rum runners
| with their high powered automobiles
| and motor boats
| The city bootlegger admits with only
Federal and County officers to watch
| he can do a fairly safe business, but
! if the city police were to lake hand
| he would have to go out of business.
a few days ago wishing to test the
attitude of some of our representa-
tive citizens upon this question of the
! need of the active cooperation of the
| municipal officers throughout the
State l sent out something over one
hundred letters setting forth the
| determined attitude of the lawless
element to prevent the proper en-
| forcement Of prohibition and an APP
peal for official cooperation on the
part of municipal authorities. Several
answers have already come to these
! letters and so far all are unanimous
| in the judgment that the men in
! every city and town who have been
! invested by the electors with official
authority and have sworn to protect
i the community against lawlessness
and crime should perform their
sworn duty.
| The citizen who is given by his fel-
! lows official authority, has a power
and a responsibility for protecting the
i community against crime which the
| private citizen does not possess. The
private citizen, however, who permits
|! derelict officials to give encourage
| ment and practical protection to law
violators without rebuke shares in
! the guilt and shame of it. Here then
is an outstanding task for the begin.
! ming of the new quarter century. a
task which under the new conditions
is not less important and possibly
not less difficult than that of UP
roofing notification with which the
history of the League began. Shall
| VIC duuSi lihC ~ ooSIpiy ouA SchAi-
mittee on resolutions will think il
wise to send forth some pronounce
ment upon this subject upon this
c5th. birthday of our organization.
| From messages which have come
from the President and prominent
members of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union have no hest
fancy in saying they will cooperate
most heartily iii this endeavor.
FINANCES
At the beginning of 1921 we had q
balance in the treasury of S9592 II
but this balance rapidly disappeared
as the year advanced. We knew il
would. We continued during 1927
to contribute to the National worl
40 per cent. of our gross income
month by month. Our receipts fol
the year including the balance or
hand at the beginning were ST.
20669. Every dollar OF it was dis
bursed and a small sum was due al
the end of the year on the 40 pei
| cent. dividend to the National Lea
tgue.
| During the current year we are
working under the budget system
we are planning to contribute Z
specified sum per month to the Ma.
tlonal work an amount which varie.
but slightly from the 40 per cent
dividend of the past two years. It i.
no small satisfaction to be able to sa,
that during these % years the league
! h hGana LII