Ellsworth American., 1924-02-13
BLUEHILL AGGRIEVED.
Says State Stipend Wrongly With
held from Its Fair.

held from Its Fair.
| The Hancock County Agricultural
society which runs an annual fair at
Mountain Park, Bluehill, feels ag-
grieyed at the black eye given it by
the State department of agriculture,
in Withholding the State stipend
The fair association" DECLARED one
of its officials Monday, docs not
care a continental about the stipend
of $3.50, but it has always prided it
self on running a clean fair, and we
/ don't like this Kind of advertising.
We believe it is just another jab at
Hancock county by Augusta"
The first ihtimation the fair associ-
alton had that the stipend was to be
withheld was contained in the fol-
lowing letter to the president of the
fair association from the department
of agriculture:
Augusta, Feb. 7, 1924.
Mr.. N. L. Hincllley, Bluehill
Dear Sir-i{eports made by our in
spectors indicate that your society did
not comply with all the laws governing
the distribution of the State stipend to
agricultural societies. particularly
those relating to games of chance.
| regret that | am unable to author
ize the payment OF your 1928 stipend
on this account. You will understand
that this does not mean that the money
i i
for any other purpose, or distributed
among the other fairs. AS matter of
fact, it still remains i'm the State
treasury and l shall be willing at any
time before the first of July when the
appropriation lapses to give you a
hearing in order that the officials of
your society may present their side
of the case.
Very truly yours,
F.&P. Washburn,
Commissioners
The fair association has sent the
following letter in reply, and given
copies of it to the papers for publica-
tion, as the announcement of the
Withholding of the stipend was given
to the papers by the department of
agriculture:
Bluehill, Maine, Feb. H. 1924.
Hon. f. p. Washburn, Augusta Me.
Dear Sir-To say that your letter of
the 7th was a surprise to us is putting
it mildly, to say the least. Do you
think it fair to us to publish it broad
cast that we are denied the State
cit "a Of "a
we broke the law in allowing games of
chance at our last fair? Is it not the
usual method, when a party is accused
of any act, to give them some kind of
a hearing. or trial? Since when have
our State officers assumed to them
selves the dual role of judge and jury,
condemning the accused and issuing
sentence without trial?
With us, the matter of the State
stipend is of no Importance, but our
good name we are jealous of. For the
past thirty-two years we have enjoyed
the reputation of having conducted our
fairs beyond reproach, and now you
take away our good name that it has
taken a life time of hard work to build
up.
We have consistently refused all
kinds of fair grafters and gamblers an
opportunity of plying their trade on
our grounds, and now you advertise to
the gamblers that Bluehll fair is open,
that the lid is off" and we invite them
in, No, no, Mr.. Washburn, it is not so,
and irrespective of the State stipend,
we shall endeavor to run our fairs ac
cording to the laws of decency and fair
play.
You state that your inspectors re-
port that we did not comply with the
laws regarding games of chance. 1t
seems to me that if you had any in
spectors at our fair (Which, person
ally, | doubD, they would have made
heir visit known to some of the Of
fcers of our society and had they seen
a case where the law was being Yio-
lated, they would have assisted us to
clean up the matter at the time and
make an arrest | can assure you we
would have gone the limit to uphold
your inspectors.
We made request of our high
sheriff to give us police aid, which he
did serving himself, with his deputies,
all three days of the fair. Also, we
had the assistance of the State auto
mobile police, Deputies Wardwell,
Young and Smallidge. AT night the
grounds were patrolled by two night
police. What more could we do?
personally, saw Sheriff Wescott stop
man who had started wheel, and as
far as | know, no more wheels Were
started. The same men who had con-
cessions at our fair, followed up every
fair in the State, and if the law was
broken in Bluehill, then there is not
society in the State that should receive
State stipend.
You are kind enough to state in your
letter that the money (Which right
fully belongs to us) has not been eX-
pended for any other purpose, and
that you are willing to keep the same