Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08

twelve years. His duties are not
clearly defined, but the fact that he
| had a small salary would seem to
indicate that his duties were not
arduous.
In 1872 his salary was increased to
$4,000 Nothing further is found in
relation to the duties OF the Attorney
| General until 1859. when, by Chap
! ter 4OS of the laws of that year, the
Attorney General was required to
make q report to the Governor and
! Council. The first report was filed
in December, 1910, by Attorney Cen
eral Stephen Emery of Paris. The
entire report consisted of fourteen
pages and disclosed that in the year
| 1910 there were only two capital
cases and the County of Cumberland,
the largest county in the State, dis
tposcd of one hundred thirty-five
| cases at the four terms of court in
Guiding all minor Offenses brought
before the Grand Jury.
| A search for the reports Of the
Attorneys-General in the State Lii
| brary revealed the fact that for the
! years from 1910 to 1853, no reports
| can be found. Since that time re-
ports were printed up to the time of
| the administration just preceding
mine. Since that time reports have
been prepared but have been with
held from the printer with other de-
partmental reports by order of the
Governor and Council.
! BY Chapter go of the Laws of
1852. the Attorney General was re-
quired to attend the Law Court in
! cases where the State is interested
and to prosecute and carry on all
capital cases.
In 1877, the legislature by Chapter
1G7, authorized the Attorney General
to investigate charges against per-
sons accused of murder or arson. and
to employ agents to assist him in
doing the same.
In 1879. by Chapter 125, the salary
of the Attorney General was fixed at
$1,000 and when the legislature pro-
vided that all corporations organized
| in this State must have the certifi-
cate approved by the Attorney Cen
eral. he was authorized to collect a
fee Of $500 for the same, and this
continued until the year 1905.
In 1901 by Chapter 49,. his duties
were increased, and he was required
by himself or through the various
county attorneys to provide for the
detection of crime and arrest of
criminals. and for that purpose was
authorized to employ detectives.
BY Chapter 1852 of the Laws of
| 1905, the salary of the, Attorney Gen.
eral was fixed at $4,000. his duties
enlarged and q deputy furnished
him, and all fees collected by his of
flee were turned over to the State
! Treasurer. The act provided that
the Assistant should maintain an Of
flee at the State House, and Hon.
Hannibal Hamlin of Ellsworth was
the first Attorney General to have
an Assistant and maintain an office
at the Capitol. He began his duties
July !, 1905, and his Assistant was
| the Hon. Warren C. Philbrook, ar
forwards Attorney General and now
Associate Justice of the Supreme
| Court. The next subsequent Assist
| ants were Hon. Charles =. Barnes,
now Associate Justice of the SUI
| preme Court; Harold H. Murchie,
| Roscoe L. Holt and Oscar II. Dun
bar.
/ The law passed in 1909 making it
the duty of the Attorney General to
| collect inheritance taxes made
great increase in the duties of the
office and in 1919 an Assistant for
the express purpose of collecting
these taxes was provided for. The
first such Assistant was Franklin
Fisher. Esq. This position is now
held by Philip ID. Stubs, ESQ. of
Strong. The efficiency and impor-
lance to the State of this branch of
! the duties of the office are shown by
| the result secured. During the fiscal
Year of 1924, the sum of $1S3, 1877
was collected from these taxes. This
sum was realized from nonresident
estates and was paid into the State
Treasury directly through this Office
but the administration of resident
inheritance taxes is also co-ordinated
through this office in the same way.
Resident taxes are paid directly
through the Probate Court.
The law providing for the Assist
ant in charge of inheritance taxes
also provided Tor Deputy Attorney
General to whom the Attorney Cen
eral delegates portion of his duties.
The first incumbent was Hon, Fred
II. Lawrence, now Bank Commits
sioner; he was succeeded by Hon.
William II. Fisher, now Judge of the
Superior Court for kennebec Coun-
ty, and he by the present incumbent,
Clement r. Robinson.
1t would not be profitable, I be-
lieve, to enumerate all of the duties
of the department but the important
duties in addition to the duties with
reference to Inheritance taxes al
| ready mentioned are:
i. To advise the Governor and
Council in all legal questions coming
before them.
:. TO give legal advice to the
heads of all state departments and
state institutions.
| 8. TO appear in court and prose-
cute all murder cases, and if neces-
sary. go to any county in the State
to assist the county attorney in i'm
portant criminal cases. This statute
requires the Attorney General to
! keep in touch with the work of the
county attorneys in the sixteen coun-
! ties of the State. The law does not
! require him to make personal in
vestigation into criminal offenses in
all the counties but does REQUIRE him
to oversee the work of the county at
torneys and to assist them in all
cases of such magnitude as Justify
the county attorneys in asking for
the help of the Attorney General.
During the first eighteen months of
my administration 1 was called into
nine counties to assist in capital
cases, conducting eleven separate
trlals Tor murder and manslaughter
as result of which twenty men be-
gan sentence in the State Prison.
| Since that time, / have conducted
twelve other trials, all but one of
which resulted in a conviction.
4. To appear in all the courts of
the State in any manner where the
State OF Maine is interested as a
| party.
5. To act as attorney for the v.ri-