Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-07

Docs the gentleman be.
iieve that this commonwealth in the flu
ttlre is not to be as ably represented as 1t
is today 1t Is for them to say whether
we shall appropriate hundreds OF thous-
ands of dollars in the future speak in
behalf OF my city and the citizens of
Waldo county when tell you that they
are for the hospital at Bangor Applause }
And when the vote is taken. let 1t so -
on record that we have voted a hospital
ON that beautiful site on the Penobscot
river in the Queen City Of the East. CAP.
plause).
Mr.. Parsons OF Foxcroft said that this
WAS n matter in which he was interested,
not rs u citizen of Pcnobscot county, but
of Maine aud of Eastern Maine ] did
not intend to take any particular part in
this discussion and shall be very brief.
This matter has been before the people Of
the State for more than two years, and
two years ago especially it was discussed
fully in this House. And the members
of this House understanding it fully then
and fully now, believe, are capable of
doing right in this matter. As l have
Investigated this matter, | believe have
duty TO perform, to express here not
only. my own views but the views of the
majority, l may say, of my constituents
in Piscataquis. (Applausc).
Two years ago this measure went
through this House by a majority of 40,
and the taxpayers from one end of the
State to the other sanctioned the action
of the Legislature, two years ago. And
today they expect us to do what we ought
TO do, not to be mean, not to be penurious,
not to do a wicked and wrong thing for
chat unfortunate class, but provide for
them in the best manner.
The committee that Investigated found
an overcrowded condition in the hospital
in this city. This is admitted by all.
There are 200 unfortunates there that
should be taken care of better than they
are. In other states they made an inves
tigation In very instance that commit
tee have told us that everybody, the ex-
pcrts of lifetime, were in favor of small
numbers under one management. Modern
thought and experience all tend to small
numbers in one establishment under one
management. The committee which in
vestigated that hospital across the river
say expressly that they are not called up
on TO express any opinion as to the desir-
ability of charging the hospital across the
river The Governor of Maine recon-
mended another institution on the grounds
owned by the State in the city of Bangor.
(Applause). In my community l do not
know of single individual who is opposed
to this hospital at Bangor. They say it
is waste of money to expend more across
the river already accommodating more
than they ought to- III the hospital is
built at Bangor, and Maine by her Legis
laturc keeps abreast of the times, you viii
find that no fault viii be found on the
part of the taxpayers OF the state of
Maine The State Of Maine being far
removed from the scenes and the turmoil
of war and vet led the Union in defence
of the honor and integrity of the country
md hcr free institutions, and bearing the
old flag in the din of battle, loves the in
situations, | say, of her own State,
especially the needy institutions of Maine.
No fault will be found by them, unless,
add, there is waste OF money across
the river. (Applause.)
Mr.. Dickey of Fort Kent said that he
had been familiar with this hospital
ever since it was built We have had
trouble with this hospital across the river
in the Legislature every year that !
remember You cannot build a hospital
at Bangor or in Westbrook or even at
Fort Kent where there would be more
censure than has been against the hospi-
tai across the river. There are troubles
and there will always be trouble in hos
pitfalls for the insane. There are GER
tain threatening things that the
insane do that no human brain that can
be bought for $4,000 year can control
I ital i
large as we want, and is fully equipped;
the State has done it, and has done it
literally. Now we have to build new
hospital. and folks say that if we build it
at Bangor it will be cheaper TIL;
don't amount to shucks! Applause
The fact is that we want hospital where
it will accommodate the people, and the
Eastern part of this State wants it
at Bangor. There is no
doubt about it,
When you come down to the suffering
of the insane, / have seen some of my
best friends go into that hospital, and
never think of them but what feel that
we may all finally reach there and if
there is anything that can be done to
relieve them and their suffering by build
ing new hospitals, then let us at once
vote to do it and do it generously for
the suffering of that poor humanity.
(Applause).
Mr.. Lawrence of Lubee said that he
agreed with others that something must
be done for the unfortunate people of the
State in the matter of enlarged accommo-
dations for taking care of the insane, but
the question was, where can we get the
best results and do it the cheapest:
l believe in keeping the hospital
here until we reach the limit that all
states claim they may reach before the
capacity of one institution is overrun.
We have in this country 11S hospitals,
public and private OF these lis, of which
so are in the larger states of the Union, ac-
from 1900 to 1900 patients.
AS the most eastern representative in
this House my people do not
believe that it is good policy for this
Legislature to start another institution
at Bangor They say it is but an enter
ing wedge. 1t means in the end an ex-
penditure of a million dollars. The
gentleman from Dexter says you can
build a hospital cheaper in Bangor
than you can here. AS a man who has
been in the building business a little