136 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



MEETING OF SEALERS OF WEIGHTS AND 



MEASURES. 



A meeting of the sealers of weights and measures through- 

 out the state was held at the State House, Augusta, Wednes- 

 day, January 21, 1914. Hon. J. A. Roberts, Commissioner of 

 Agriculture, presided. Sixty-four of the sealers from the vari- 

 ous towns and cities in the state were present. 



The first address was given by Governor William T. Haines, 

 as follows: — 



Mr. Chairman; Gentlemen: — 



I regret that I have not more time to be with you, for I 

 feel that your work is an important one. \\'hen I took the oath 

 of office as Governor, I found upon our statute books a law 

 that was passed in 191 1, by the previous legislature, providing 

 that the sealing of weights and measures should be under the 

 control of the Commissioner of Agriculture. There was no 

 appropriation made to take care of this work, so nothing was 

 done during the years 191 1 and 1912. The act simply remained 

 on the statute book as a law, without any power to enforce it. 

 The last legislature took the matter up, and made an appropria- 

 tion to take care of it through the Commissioner of Agriculture. 

 This work is in accordance with the spirit of the age and the 

 times, and the system of government under whicli we are 

 living, and it is most proper that it should be done under the 

 Department of Agriculture. Similar work is being done by the 

 Federal Government, through the Department of Agriculture 

 very largely, although they are now creating new departments. 

 The agricultural classes of the country represent the great 

 majority of the people. They are the people most interested 

 in all these laws which regulate and control the business of the 

 country, and it is very proper that the business should be con- 

 trolled and regulated. W^hat is more important than an honest 

 dollar, that represents a hundred cents ; or than sixteen ounces 



