Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-01-04
NO. a.


Of accomplishing such a result by SO slight mod
ihcation OF the law, warrants the change. if only
| ss q matter of experiment.
| The Free High Schools were about the same in
| number the past, as in the preceding wear. 1t is
not probable that any increase of the appropria-
tlon Tor them will be necessary. am still of the
opinion expressed by me on a former occasion,
that the State should exercise some supervision
| these schools by means of agents appointed by
| the State superintendent to inspect them. The
| High Schools would be benefited no less than
| those of lower grade by the elimination of incom.
petent teachers that would be effected by the pro
posed county board of examination.
| The Eastern Normal School and the Western
| Normal School are both in prosperous condi
| ton and are doing good service to the State. An
| annual appropriation of fifteen thousand dollars
from the school fund has been made for their sup
port. An inspection Of the Eastern Normal
School building by competent architect, at the
instance OF the trustees, has led to the making of
repairs on the building, and the strengthening Of
| some portions OF it. The balance remaining from
| the last appropriation will probably deffsy the
penses of the work.
The INSANE HOSPITAL.
| The reports of the trustees and officers of the
Insane Hospital give highly gratifying exhibit
| of the affairs of that Institution. am confident
that the Superintendent is amply justified 10 the
| declaration he makes that 'at period since the
| institution was opened for the reception of pa
tlens has it been in more prosperous and salts
| factory condition than at the present time" II
| contained four hundred and five patients at the
| commencement of the year. One hundred and
ninety-iour were admitted during the year, and
| one hundred and eighty three discharged. The
daily average number of inmates was a fraction
| over four hundred and eleven, thirteen in excess
OF the average of the preceding year. Seventy
| two Of those discharged are reported as recoy.
cred.
The value Of the hospital property has been
greatly increased, and the capacity of the insitu-
| ton for usefulness jadiciously promoted by the
| many improvements made the past year. The
water-works have been thoroughly completed,
| the main building has been provided with an ap-
| proved system of fues for ventilation, and the
laundry has been rebuilt and refurnished. The
| entire cost Of these improvements, including the
construction of The water-works in 1876, was
S22 620.23, all of which has been raid from the
| income of the hospital. The farm has been i'm
proved by laying underdrsins and making roads,
| and the grounds around the main building have
| been graded. The productiveness of ths farm
| has been lagely augmented within few years
and the entire estate is in the way to reach the
highest possible state OF cultivation and profitable.
| ness.
The price Of board has been reduced by the
trustees from $500 to S3.75 per week. 1t Is be-
lieved that this reduced rate will support the hos
pa without lowering the dietary of the patients,
| or trenching in any degree upon their customary
| comforts and privileges, and leave sufficient bal.
| auce, with the funds now On hand, to make such
| improvements as are now and may be from time
| to time required
| du constrained 10 invite your attention to the
necessity which believe exists for another no sp-
tal for the insane. You will perceive by the tab
| ulated history of the hospital contained in the
| ouperlnendents report thst the daily average
| uumber OF patients leaped from one hundred and
'iyty-seven IN the year 1880 6 to two hundred and
| four the following year, and that from that time il
| has steadily increased fIom year to year, almost
| without exception, until 1t reached four hundred
| and eleven the past year, more than double the
| daily average number of twenty years ago. and
| the highest in the history of the institution.
| While this marked increase in the number of the
| insane admitted 10 the hospits has been going on,
| the population of the State has remained without
| material change. Although, as the trustees in
| form you, 20 applications for admission have teen
denied, the capacity of the hospital has been con-
| tlnually strained to the utmost to meet the de-
| mands upon it, Notwithstanding the care taken to
comply with The restrictions OF the law in regard
10 the class of patients entitled TO admission and
treatment. 1t is the opinion of good authority
| that the maximum number of patients that can be
well cared for in an institution of this kind and
| under one SUPERVISION, 10 four hundred, and that
| II Is desirable IN every respect that the number
| should not exceed three hundred and fifty. Be
that as it may our hospital has reached the limit
Of lis accommodations and it behoOves the State
| TO anticipate the lime when the need oil another
| institution will become too pressing to be denied.
| The present number of patients has been reached
| Dy such gradual approaches as leave no room for
| the argument that 1t is due to temporary and ex
ceptiona causes. Even allowing that it represents
| the full probable proportion requiring treatment
| Tor mental disorder, it still remains necessary to
provide for the proportion due to the natural in
crease of the population of the State. Besides ex-
| perience may prove that the operation of the law
OF 1874 requiring the discharge of idiotic and in
| durable inmates who may, in the Judgment of ths
Superintendent, be discharged with safety TO
| themselves and the public, has caused the dis
| charge of some Who ought to have been retained.
| The Superintendent may have been or may be
under the necessity of advising discharges, about
| the proprety Of which he has msglvings, in or
der to make loom for more pressing cases. Fur
| thermoTe, | venture to express my opinion that
| considerations of economy and philanthropy i'm
pose upon the State the duty of supporting in part,
| at least and under its supervision the class
of uufOItunates which it now excludes from the
| hospital
THE STATE PRISON.
| On the thirtelh day of November 1876, the
| State Prison contained one hundred and SEVENTY
| one convlcts. The prediction of the Warden that
| the number would be increased to two hundred at
| the corresponding date of the following year has
| been more than verified. On the thirtieth day of
| November last the number of convicts was two
| hundred and seven. The event amply iustiies the
action of the islature of last year in making
| an appropriation for the enlargement of the main
| building Of the Prison. The extension wa. uds-
pensably necessary to relieve the overcrowded
| condition of the Prison and ensure the ssfe-keep-
| ing of criminals. 1t has been built 10 thorough
| manner and is now completed with the exception
| that about One-half the cells have not been pro-
| vIded with doors 1t contains sixty.two cells,
| thirty OF which are already occupied. The State
| Prison now affords ample accommodations for two
| hundred and fifty convicts aud in plan and ap-
pointments leaves nothing to be desired. 1t is to
be hoped on all accounts, that its capacity will suf-
| flee for many years. At the close of the present
| wear it has been estimated that there will be two
hundred and tweuty-one criminals within its walls
| This estimate is based upon the presumption that
| the number of commitments the current year will
be the same as last year, and that sixty prisoners
will be discharged during the year. Thirty eight
prisoners were discharged last year; forty-three
| the year before. If there be no increase of the
| estimated number of commitments the number of
prisoners will begin to diminish after this year.
The statistics OF the prison and Ais show a less
| ening tendency to crimes of the worst kinds. OF
| the slNy-four persons received by the prison in
1876, tweniy-three were under sentence for crimes
against the person. OF the seveniy-four received
| IN 1871, but fourteen were sentenced for such
| crimes. Four more persons were in the contne-
ment of the jals at the close than the beginning
| of the year. | have not had opportunity to
refer to the statistics which the Attorney Generals
report undoubtedly contains but am confident
that an examination of them will disclose the fact
| that the number OF persons in j,ils would have