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Sec. 2. Application for certification; agreement regarding payment of fee for inspection. Any grower of potatoes or other vegetable seeds may make application to the commissioner of agriculture for inspection and certification of this crop growing or to be grown in this state, giving description of his land and such information as the commissioner may require. He shall also enter into an agreement to pay such fee into the treasury of state for said inspection and certification as the commissioner shall deem necessary to cover the cost of inspection and certification. Thereupon his crops shall be listed for inspection and inspected and certified by the commissioner or his agents under such rules and regulations as the commissioner may provide.

Sec. 3. Fee for inspection and certification, how determined. In determining the amount of the fee to be paid by the growers of potatoes or other vegetable seeds for inspection and certification under this act, the commissioner of agriculture may establish an entry charge not to exceed fifty cents on each acre of potatoes or other vegetable for which such inspection and certification is requested, but in the case of potatoes which shall be found to be unfit for certification, the amount of such entry fee shall not exceed the actual cost of labor performed by the commissioner or his agents upon such potatoes, nor shall the charge for labor so performed upon such potatoes as shall be found unfit for certification exceed the above named amount of fifty cents per acre, and in the case of potatoes which shall be accepted and certified the commissioner shall establish a fee for field inspection not to exceed two dollars and fifty cents per acre inclusive of entry charge and also a supplementary charge of five cents for each barrel of potatoes which shall be finally accepted, certified and sold as certified seed as defined in this act.

Sec. 4. Commissioner of agriculture to issue certificate; contents of certificate. The commissioner of agriculture may issue a certificate or tag which shall be attached to each container or package in which certified seed shall be offered or exposed for sale. Such tag or certificate shall indicate the name of the grower, the shipping station or depot, the name of the inspector making the final inspection, the variety of the seed, and shall bear the imprint of the seal of the State of Maine.

Sec. 5. Penalty for misuse of certificate or attaching same to uninspected seed. Any person who shall knowingly or wilfully misuse any such tag or certificate or who shall attach to any package or container of seed which has not been duly inspected and certified, any imitation of such tag or certificate for the purpose of conveying the impression that such seed has been certified by the commissioner or his agents, shall be pun

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ished by a fine of fifty dollars for each offense and by being thenceforth denied the privileges of this act.

Sec. 6. P. L., 1917, c. 141; repealed. Chapter one hundred and forty-one of the public laws of nineteen hundred and seventeen is hereby repealed.

Approved March 20, 1923.

Chapter 63.

An Act to Amend Chapter Sixty-nine of the Public Laws of Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-one. Relating to the Fiscal Year of the State.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

P. L., 1921, c. 69, sec. 2; relating to submitting of reports by departments for fiscal year, amended. Section two of chapter sixty-nine of the public laws of nineteen hundred and twenty-one is hereby amended by adding thereto the following: 'Provided, however, that this section shall apply to the state highway commission only so far as it relates to a report of its fiscal affairs and the report of its highway and bridge construction and maintenance work shall be for and cover the calendar year next prior to the date of such report which shall be transmitted to the secretary of state on or before the thirty-first day of December in each year,' so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows:

'Sec. 2. State highway commission to submit report of highway and bridge construction for calendar years. All departments now required by law to submit an annual or biennial report shall, beginning July first, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, submit such report annually or biennially as required by law for the fiscal year or years, defined above. Provided, however, that each department required to make an annual report shall on July first, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, submit a report for the eighteen months beginning January first, nineteen hundred and twentyone, and ending on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, and each department required to make a biennial report shall on the first day of July, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, submit a report for the eighteen. months beginning January first, nineteen hundred and twenty-one, and ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and twenty-two. Provided, however, that this section shall apply to the state highway commission only so far as it relates to a report of its fiscal affairs and the report of its highway and bridge construction and maintenance work shall be for and cover the calendar year next prior to the date of such report which shall be transmitted to the secretary of state on or before the thirty-first day of December in each year.'

Approved March 21, 1923.

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Chapter 64.

An Act to Amend Section Thirty of Chapter Fifty-six of the Revised Statutes, as Amended by Chapter Seventy-six of the Public Laws of Nineteen Hundred and Seventeen and by Chapter Fifty-three of the Public Laws of Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen, Relating to Branch Railroad Tracks.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

R. S., c. 56, sec. 30; 1917, c. 76; 1919, c. 53; relating to building of branch railroad tracks, amended. Section thirty of chapter fifty-six of the revised statutes, as amended by Chapter seventy-six of the public laws of nineteen hundred and seventeen and by chapter fifty-three of the public laws of nineteen hundred and nineteen, is hereby further amended by striking out all of said section as amended and substituting therefor the following:

'Sec. 30. Authority to build branch tracks; public utilities commission may order branch tracks built, and may order alteration of existing ones; expenses of building and alteration to be paid by petitioner. Any railroad. corporation, under the direction of the public utilities commission, may locate, construct and maintain branch railroad tracks to any railroad station of another corporation or to connect with another railroad or to any mills, mines, quarries, gravel-pits, log landing or yard, warehouses and storehouses, educational institution, or manufacturing establishments erected, or in process of erection, in any town or township, through which the main line of said railroad is constructed, but not within any city without the consent of the city council, and for that purpose said corporation shall have all the powers and rights granted and be subject to all the duties imposed upon it by its charter.

The public utilities commission, upon petition of any party interested, after notice and hearing, may order any railroad company to construct, maintain and operate such a branch railroad track to any such mill, mine, quarry, log landing or yard, warehouse, storehouse or manufacturing establishment owned or operated by the petitioner, whenever said commission shall find that such track is necessary for the reasonably convenient conduct of the business of the petitioner and is warranted by the volume of business to be handled thereon and can be so constructed, maintained and operated with due regard to safety and the reasonable operation of the railroad; provided, however, that no such order shall be made by said commission unless the petitioner shall provide, at his own expense, the right of way for such portion of said track as is not located upon the land of the railroad company; shall pay all the expense of the construction and maintenance of said track; shall furnish such security for said payment and shall comply with such conditions as to fire release and the operation of such track as the commission may prescribe. Said commission shall also have authority upon petition of any party interested after notice and hearing to order any railroad company to alter any exist

CHAP. 65

ing branch railroad track, whenever in its judgment such alteration is necessary for the reasonably convenient conduct of the business of the petitioner. All expenses of such alteration shall be paid by the petitioner. The commission, upon petition of any party interested, after notice and hearing, may permit any party owning or occupying premises adjacent to any track, constructed under this section, to use such track for receiving or holding freight in car-load lots upon such terms and conditions as it may prescribe, including the payment of a part of the original cost of such track and of its future maintenance and suitable fire releases.' Approved March 21, 1923.

Chapter 65.

An Act to Amend Sections Sixty-three and Sixty-four of Chapter Eight of the Revised Statutes, Relating to Maine Forestry District Taxes.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Sec. 1. R. S., c. 8, sec. 63; relating to advertising lists of assessments of lands in Maine forestry district, amended. Section sixty-three of chapter eight of the revised statutes is hereby amended by striking out the whole of said section and inserting in place thereof the following, so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows:

'Sec. 63. Tax notices may be sent by mail to known owners; lists of assessments of unknown owners to be advertised. The treasurer of state shall within three months thereafter, notify in writing the owners of such lands so assessed by sending to each by mail at his last known address, a statement of such tax containing a brief description of the land assessed and the amount of such tax, and the date when payment is required, and shall send like notices of such tax for the following year within three months after one year from such assessment. In case the owners of any such lands are unknown instead of sending notices by mail he shall cause the lists of such assessments to be advertised for three weeks successively in the state paper, and in some newspaper, if any, printed in the county in which the land lies, and shall cause like advertisement of the lists of such tax for the following year to be made within three months after one year from such assessment. The land shall be held to the state for the payment of the tax so assessed, with interest at six per cent per annum, to commence six months after such tax is due as herein provided.'

Sec. 2. R. S., c. 8, sec. 64; relating to redemption of lands assessed and advertised, amended. Section sixty-four of chapter eight of the revised statutes is hereby amended by striking out the words "and advertised" in the first and second lines, so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows:

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'Sec. 64. Advertisement of lists of assessments eliminated. Owners of lands so assessed may redeem them by paying to the treasurer of state the tax with interest thereon, within one year from the time when such interest commences. Each owner may pay for his interest in any tract, whether in common or not, and upon filing with the treasurer of state a certificate showing the number of acres, and describing the property on which he desires to pay the tax, and where the same is located, and paying the amount due, shall receive a certificate from the treasurer of state, discharging the tax on the number of acres or interest upon which such payment is made. Each part or interest of every such township or tract upon which the tax hereby imposed and so advertised is not paid, with interest, within the time limited in this section for such redemption, shall be wholly forfeited to the state and vest therein free of any claim by any former owner.'

Approved March 21, 1923.

Chapter 66.

An Act to Amend Sections Forty-four and Forty-five of Chapter Ten, of the Revised Statutes. Relating to Taxes in Unincorporated Places.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine, as follows:

Sec. 1. R. S., c. 1o, sec. 44; relating to advertising lists of assessments of lands in unincorporated places, amended. Section forty-four of chapter ten of the revised statutes, is hereby amended, by inserting after the word "thereafter" in the second line the words 'notify in writing the owners of such lands so assessed by sending to each by mail at his last known address a statement of such tax containing a brief description of the land. assessed and the amount of such tax, together with the amount of the county tax on said lands so certified to him, and the date when payment is required, and shall send like notices of such state and county taxes for the following year within three months after one year from such assessment. In case the owners of any such lands are unknown instead of sending the notices by mail, he shall,' so that said section, as amended, shall read as follows:

'Sec. 44. Tax notices may be sent by mail to known owners; lists of assessments of unknown owners to be advertised. When the legislature assesses such state tax, the treasurer of state shall, within three months thereafter, notify in writing the owners of such lands so assessed by sending to each by mail at his last known address a statement of such tax containing a brief description of the land assessed and the amount of such tax, together with the amount of the county tax on said lands so certified to him, and the date when payment is required, and shall send like notices