The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-07

They make several suggestions leading to the infer
enee that your duty to provide by general laws for
matters appertaning to special private legislation
may be proftably exercised in matters relating to
the fisheries.
So many of our citizens dwelling upon our long
line OF coast dependent upon the products of the
sea; so great portion of the area of the state ia
water surface, which be utilized in other way;
many benefits to the people at large will evidently
accrue from making our widely distributed waters
the favorte hauns of food and game fish, that 1t is
the duty of the state to perfect the policy 1t has al
ready entered upon, for promoting fish-culture.
Legislation upon this subject should not, howeye,
overlook other and conflicting interests, but aim to
harmonize all with justice as far as possible
THE INSANE HOSPITAL.
The trustees of this institution advert with satis
faction to the Improvements made the past year for
the permanent benefit of the hospital and the fur
therance of the comfort OF the unortunates
for.
The new building, containing hall to be used as
chapel and an assembly room for amusement and
also apartments foEother purposes is nearly II not
quite completed and ready for occupancy. p&k Of
three acres has been enclosed with high fence and
affords safe and pleasant exercise ground where
patients may in suitable season, enjoy the curative
hnuOhVOs VI tue SUM- ar, anu scenety OI
sanitarium.
Valuable permanent improvements to the farm
roads, drains vats for the utilization Of sewage
have been made, and the trustees believe that is in
the way to reach high st ate Of productiveness.
The crowded and i'll ventilated state of the wards
has somewhat impaired the usefulness Of the hospt
al. Four hundred and three inmates now share ac-
commodations sufficient for but $50. The average
number for the year is 1893. The occupation Of the
chapel rooms will reduce the average number In the
main building to 373, twenty than can be
suitably cared for with regard to convenience and
comfort. 1t is thought by the trustees that the oper
alton Of the law of 1874, excluding dOts and incur
able imbecies" from the hospital, may effect such
reduction as to make it unnecessary to establish a
new hospital at present.
The trustees ask for appropriation Of six thous-
and dollars for the repayment to the hospital fund Of
the amount paid from it for boilers, and for furnish
ing the new building and the chapel wards. The
sources of the hospital above liabilities are $685.
g.
THE STATE BOARD OF PRISON AND JAIL INSPECT
ORs.
According to the report Of the Board of Prison and
Jail Inspectors, the State prison has been far af
fected by the prostraon of business that the excess
of expenditure over income has been $500. Some
needed repairs have been made and the institution
is in excellent condition in every respect
The workings of the Jail system inaugurated in
1873, beginning be manifest and they prove to
be mo st beneficial and admirable. An enlightened
community may well congratulate itself that much
needed reform has been made; that what were shell
tiers of idleness and nurseries of vice, have been
turned to places of industry and reIormatory induen
ces. The evening school well supplements the prac-
tical lessons of daily labor, and is esteemed privi
lege. Discharged criminals, going forth to take a
fresh start in lfe taking with them the valuable
qustions of trade and the rudiments of education,
cannot but have kindlier feelings towards society
ami reflect that, like the surgeons knife, it is cruel
| only to be kind.'
| THE STATE COLLEGE OF AGRIc uLrURE AND THE
MECHANIC ARTS.
The trustees of the College of Agriculture and the
Mechanic Arts report year "of faithful efforts by
the officers in immediate charge OF the college, and
substantial and most gratifying results to the stu
dents" They very earnestly renew and press upon
your attention the wants of the Institution and
pecally, the necessity for more buildings-a farm
house and building to contain chapel, assem-
blyroom, two or three lecture rooms, and for
the library, cabinet collections apparatus and other
valuable material; or, instead of building. they
would have building fer the chapel and lecture
rooms and one made fre-proof, for the valuable ma
| terial Of the college.
|
absolute necessity for building or buildings for the
purposes they specify is sufficient TO demonstrate
/ the need of such accommodations.
The state has formally under taken, a condition
precedent to the grant from the United States 10
provide sat least college, for prescribed objects
The very narrowest definition of such institution
must include among its essential component parts
those which are shown 10 be wanting and sought to
be supplied. The completion Of the college, and not
its enlargement is the object the trustees have in
view and which their duty compels them to urge.
ns % sf eJnsto2 %stsfE e % apd 4 hs
only from selfntelest the state should to 1t that
the college be placed in condition to do well the
| work for which it was founded.
The trustees declare that S23, $50 is the sum
| sary to meet the imperative wants Of the coll
| lege. In this sum is included So 500 for building
farmhouse and $4,000 for making bricks and other
preparations for the proposed structure. The sum
includes also s35OO for the payment Of outstanding
bills The resolve of the last legislature making
appropriation in favor Of the college was accompa-
MED with the provso that the trustees should not
"under any circumstances, contract any further
debts in behalf OF said college," The apparent de-
parture from the direction Of the legislature is
doubt, susceptible of satisfactory explanation by
| the trustees.
The report of the farm superintendent, giving In
exact detail of the experiments conducted
by him and by the students under his supervision is
of great interest and be OF direct value the
| farming community.
The college numbers one hundred and ffteen stu
| dents. Thirty-ive are in the last class admitted
the largest in the history of the institution. The ed
ucation which they receive not to be obtained ese
| where in the state. 1t is industrial educltion
and naturally attracts those stadents who are in
al;r in ind al
and the Mechanic Arts are the nstrumentalities by
which the resources Of Maine are to be developed
Through their quickening influences her fertile in.
tervals and hllsdes to be ade gardens and her
sterile rendered productive; her idle rivers,
forced to labor her railroads. laden to groanng with
the weight OF traffic. the rocks that rib her coasts
and hills, TRANSMITTED into god her winters. warmed
to summers. No atalistic trust IN the spontaneous
evolution of the forces necessary to work out the
| suits which are acknowledged TO be attainable,
should be permitted usurp the legitimate domain
of persistent, intelligent, well-directed effort.
| The method which has succeeded elsewhere, must
lead to here The history Of the past half GEN.
tury the golden age of Industry and wealth produc
ton, is filed with examples of the efficacy OF special
schools of the Industrial arts to directly promote the
| prosperity of country. The competition Of to-day
between countries and states is one Of skin far
| than Of natural resources.
The aggregate of the fifty young men whom this
college will annually send from its lecture-rooms,
laboratories and fields Of experiment, will In few
years constitute power in the state, sensbly stim-
ulatng all Its productive energies But they can
| use their acquired knowledge, and, what is more
WORTH their trained habits Of observation and pow
of intelligent study and experiment. for the bene-
fit of the state only in cooperation. There must be
combined effort in order to secure the symmetrical
development of all the energies and advantages at
command. Capital must exert itself to retain these
and other young men, by opening to them congenial
fields for the exercise of the various talents and cap
abilities which they possess and for which they will
seek profitable employment wherever it may be
/ found.
My belief that the policy Of the state In founding
this institution was wise one, end that the public
good demands its completion and support, leads me
urge you to look with favor upon the appeal which
j the trustees now make to you.
AGRICULTURE AND THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.
The fashion of decrying Maine IN agricultural
II u