Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-03-03


disease. Il is necessary that there saonl
he in this hospital rooins for that purpose.
The number OF iasane in the hospitals 100,
the number of rooms is isS. Some of the
rooms are occupied by three. and sonlc by
tso and some by even more patients. Be
sides this there are III who have no rooms
al all, and who are sleeping a; night ia the
corridors.
It has been said that great many Of -
patients could be sent home or to .,..n.
houses. What would be the consequence
of thatg We have seen what the conse-
suence would be by an awful example III
New Hampshire. 1, wouli be cheaper to
poison all our patients than to burn then,
up. la the interests of humanity il would
not be safe to semi these people away. As
Governor Robic said, il Is not humane. it Is
no, treating our neighbors rs ourselves :
pablic morals demani that We shoa!i do
every thing in cur power TO take care of our
insane.
don't want to take up too much time.
but want To look at what the trustees said
before the committee. Gov. Robie said
that new hospital or an addition 10 the
hospital at Augusta should be made.
He had no doubt that the citizens OF the
State would back up the decision ot the
committee whatever it was. MIR. Hunt,
says he agreed with the other trustees that
something ought to be done to relieve the
crowded condition at present existing, AMI
if expense was not to be considered he
should advise the building of hospital a,
Bangor.
MIR. Oak was very much in favor of
hui of IT,. t;.y,, as
the ground at Augusta was against building
an addition there. The only way to meet
the emergency was to build at Bangor.
And we must also remember that the
number of insane will increase in the
future. Imagine building occupying two
acres of ground. Are we going to crowd
more people in there: Think OF there being
thousand people there in case of fire.
Now, will try to confne my remarks as
far as possible. What are the objections
to building at Augusta: In the first place
it would cost as much to pnt two wings up
on the hospital at Augusta as to build the
hospital at Bangor that we ask for.
Mr.. Thatcher then gave estimates show
ing that these two wings and the necessary
connections of water pipes, etc, thereto
wonld cost Sl50,000 at the least. Contin-
uing he said;
1t couldn't be done any cheaper, SO the
architect says. AT Bangor we have al
ready piece of ground with house of Is
to Is rooms in it, which would serve
as quarters for the superintendent and his
force. We could have everything complete
for Sl5e,000 10 carry on tn at institution for
a number of years. do not. of course,
include the furniture, neither does my esti-
mate of the addition at Augusta include
the furniture.
We propose to put the hospital at Bangor
under the same direction rs the one at Au-
gusta. They would have no more help
there. and would require no more assist
ance than they do in Augusta.
Mr.. Warehouse of Cumberland As one
of the members who signed the minority re-
port perhaps an explanation is in order.
Shortly after this Legislature assembled the
committee visited the insane hospital. We
were shown all over it, inside and outside.
After this inspection | felt proud that
the State of Maine had so well managed an
One thing was shown on our
inspection, and that was the over-crow1ed
condition of the hospital, and | came to the
conclusion that something must be done to
relieve this institution. The question was
what, and that is where the committee di-
yided. The more | looked into the matter
the more | became convinced that the hest
thing to do was Ia enlarge the
present bospitaI. Then we had to
consider the question of humanity and the
question of economy. So far as the oues-
ton of humanity is concerned I will agree
" itb all that has been said. that we OUGHT
to do everything that can be done and
everything that NAV be necessary for the
comfort and convenience of these moor pco-
pie. So far as the question of economy is
il seems to me that there can be
no question but that il would he cbeaper TO
enlarge the present hospital. Everyone
knows that the principle is being largely
adopted everywhere m order to save ea-
pense, and firmly believe that it would be
less expensive. to run one plant than two.
and think the Senate will ngrec with me.
A large number of patients can be safely
under one management.
The State of Massachusetts has in her two
largest insane asylums one third more in
each than we have across the river, and in
Connecticut. which is stated TO be far ahead
in this matter, they have 1864 patients in
lHtlT Hs3 iufDl III AliNlttlDU.
| do not know that any further remarks
from me are necessary. | only wish 10 en-.
force as far as possible upon the minds of
the senators the fact that this Legislature
must not adjourn without something being
done for this unfortunate class of people.
Mr.. Mayo of Penobscot: lam consciou
that this subject is no new thing to the
members of this Seuate, and know thu,
every member has thoroughly analyzed mn,
more or less discussed this subject, and |
have no doubt arrived at a conclusion as to
which way he shall vote upon il. But | feel
that | must give some of the reasons wlv
the majority report should be adopted.
Twas not able to hear the testimony given
before the committee, so | must fall
hack on the report of the committee. The
10 men composiny that coumittee have re-
ported what! That some legislation i. nec.
rss,ry to alleviate the present condition of
our insane people in the asylum. They all
report that something must be- done Twelve
of ibem have declared that n new bosn;ta|
il desirable and seven that the ramolv
shoah be an addition 70 the old bospitai
A fur.her ana1s sic NJ Tho comm;,,aa sho,ys
mo that ,berc .re six nhvs;c;,ns unot i,
which is eminently proper, and five OF these
have signed the ma ai,ri,y report.
Now, as TO the ones,ion Of the locality q,
this new bosni,aI Ever since / earn, II
,he Legislature / have heard il said ,ha,
Dangor i. cIamor,ny for This bosnital
th;rL ii il NOT .air IN mn, IT upo, the g,ound
of locality. am not going IN cav that ,be
county of Penob.cot 4. not Interested in IN;
,,,,,er Tbey orc and 1, ia nn,b;,, ,o ,be;,
ci.credit ,ha. thav shonl1 be-
Again I snalvza the committee and
find that 10 of The iG counties of tho S,,,,
are renra,en,cd. OF these sevcn arc ron.
resent Il on ,he maioritv renor, Ave- y,
that of the minor;,v- Cnmhcyland b,. m 4,
mon botb .;ies The oues,jon of Ioc,l,,