Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-01

fetal To keep there. Under these eircani-
stances, with the policy inxuZ urated by u
Legislature, with a lot already
,,,t reh ssed in Bangor. with no hospital Of
say Lind east OF the kennefec river in
,so sissrsls OF the territory of our State.
.p,sai 10 you in behalf of these Of MS who
have ayes, there and have stool by Your
Institutions, to vote in favor. not of
m ike-shift over here, but in favor of es-
.absishing in Bangor the nucleus around
v hieh We may baiia another hospital which
shall lie the priie OF the Stale of Maiae,
{ APp,amse.}
Mr. Morrill, of Madison; This is mat
Ter of humanity and economy. We under
stand that this plant across the river Is
fully equipped. II has board of trustees,
superintendent physicians AMI attendants
Which do no, believe are exceli@i by aps
other hos-l of any Other Institution in tfie
country. AT our last committee meeting
tie sups rin,eaien: Was asked where in his
ig,igmeat = further a,h!itioa should be
built here the insane could he the better
cared fer, at Bangor mr. across the river,
AMI he fnal, SAIL ,.la, he sfoa'i have To
admit that il wo9ll De better for the pa
tents across the river. believe il is bet
ter for this most unfortunate class TO be
where they can have the best advantages
and the hest treatment,
Mr. Sylvester of Lebanon; Thousands
of our people who have become insane are
farmers and hard working people. In the
present list there are IS farmers and some
81 people who perform manual labor. To
look over the list you find the people over
here are the working people of this State
They are burdened with over work. l do
not believe with buriening the people OF
this State with any unnecessary expense.
am for giving to every one in this State
what our duty requires, but let us not
spend money lavishly.
Mr. Diekey of Fort Kent have talked
here for the last forty years occasionally
upon hospitals. have listened 10 many
debates and the great cry has been expense.
Ny own idea is that yon cannot weigh e1-
penses against that unfortunate class OF
people. 1t always affects me TO talk upon
this subject. because have visited many
of my friends that have been here to that
hospital, and some who are members OF
this Legislature. In regard to location,
the center of this State would be near Lin
coin in Penohscot county. In that eastern
section we have grown rapidly. When
first went into Aroostook county there was
not "A road or bridge within Is miles, OF
where built mills. If you go there now
you will find as good roads as there are in
the State, as prosperous farmers
and an increased population who
did not speak one word of English
then, population that has in
| creased TO more than $4,000 from abou!
| 1000 that the Ashburton treaty gave us in
the ST. Johu river. The Eastern section is
| now the most thriving part of the State. II
is hardship to them to be compelled to
bring their insane so far. We have never
found man to go into that hospital who
could take care of more than 800 patients
as they ought to be taken care of. You
cannot get physician with large practice
to 90 into that hospital for the salary, and
since we have had more than 500 over here,
there has been lack of care--there must
| be. The insane people want plenty OF room
and air. They cannot have it over here.
appeal to you to build hospital down neal
the center of the State and save this cost
of transportation. In one case
recently it cost some S25 to bring patient
from Bangor. 1t cost our town last year d
| large sum OF money. The managers over
! here have told me that they had more than
| there ought to be in one institution, AMI
am satisfied that it would he an advantage
to the State to have an institution in tile
eastern section and | hope we shall give ON
support to the majority report of the com
mttee.
Mr.. Marston of Skowhegan; The ques
| ton of economy has been referred to. The
question is not whether we shall build fur
Their additions for the insane, but as tt
where and how. We can build two wing.
here for about SIPS 900 or we can build
part of the institution at Bangor for abou
| Sl50 900.
How long will it take for those accommola
tons to be filled up and this State again b,
asked to build an addition either in Baugu,
or Augusta? If we build here we add to ~
ancient structure that was built years az,
| and under old-fashioncd notions and IDEAS
and no one can say that it is not fire trap
Let US commence and build rightly, not onl,
for the present but for the future. Wha
shall We do in four or six years hence if W,
build across the river? hope the Hous,
will consider this question carefully anc
that the majority report of the committe,
will be accepted. Applause.
BY Mr.. Scott of l'atten: With somcthn.
like 1900 insane people in the State and
only about 100 in the hospital and with the
rapid increase of insanity, and with III pa
| tients sleeping on cots in the hospital oycl
the river. think all will agree with the
/ last speaker that the emily question with u
is as To where AM how we will provide for
! these insane. The question of econom,
should be considered not for the prescn
| but for the future. claim to be as much
in favor of economy as anyone here. |
belong to a political party which always,
/ in theor, at least, when the other party i,
in power, is in favor of economy. Laugh
! ter
/ There is not much difference in the
amounts that are asked for by these two
reports.
We have got to appropriate for new
hospital and have got to begin before d
! great many years They say that this mat
ter at Bangor IS simply an entering wedge
1 hut il you start there you will star, RICH,
AMI will have something that can be added
TO and that will adequately provide for jhe
| needs of these people. The gentleman from
East Machias said that we were sent here t.
! appropriate the peoples money, an ouI
record during this session will show thai
We have attended to that duty well. But
let us not draw the line at the insane of oui
state. We appropriate for everything thai
is asked for and are we going to refuse i,
to them?
Mr.. Garcelon of Lewiston As a men,
Der Of the committee desire to allude to
the difference in cost between Bangor anil
Augusta. The minority report calls fol
sll0, 900. the majority for $3.50, 900. The
buildings at Bangor are TO be absolutely
I hre-proof; across the river they are not
At Bangor you can start right across the
river you have got to attach 10 an antigua
ted builiing. The testimony of the phy-
sicians of the State seems to be in favor OF
dividing this institution. The State of
Massachusetts has ak or seven hospitals
Shall this State concentrate this hospital
Every addition to the buildings here Ia.
necessitsted a change in its internal ar
raDgements This institution is pablo OF
caring for about 500 people, and having
considered the matter carefully | fill to
find any good reasons for charging the in
stituiion across the river.
Mr.. Parker of Daufo.th This is one of
the measures of the greatest Importance
that will be discussed 1T this session. A
previous Legislature leci led that i, j. for
The beet Interests of the State to bnitl an
institution at Bangor. We claim that $50.
Val will 90 farther in the construction of
hniljings at Bangor than will $500. 600 in
Augusta. The gran,te is already there on
the sfeyn1. In that line we have All adj
vantage over the proposed buildings here.
of $4,000. II lias bceu sal that II costs
s25 TO bring one patient here from Bangor.
The eastern part of the Srate will
save in car fare four times what
II viii cost for extra officers TO run that in
stitntiou. The gentleman from Limincfon
spike of putting ihi. whole business on 10
tho Governor anil Council. think thew