Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-24
STATE CONVENTION
Of County Commissioners
Held at Augusta.
Many important Matters Brought Up
! and Freely Discussed.
Close Confinement, Cold Water and Bread
the Best Remedy for Tramps.


ncbec court house, Wednesday and most
interesting session it was. Those present
from the various counties were as follows:
Androscoggin, Seth Chandler, Lewis
ton w. b. Beals, Turner; Arc stock, J. r.
Thurlough, Fort Fairfield j. W. Ambrose,
Sherman c. e. Dunn, Amity; Cumber-
land, W. b. Allen, Yarmouth Franklin;
g. n. Coburn, Weld; NJ. b. Pottlc, King
field; Hancock, f. B. Aiken, Ellsworth;
Naham Hinkley, Bluehill;P. W. Richard
son, fremont; Kennebec Samuel Smith.
Litchfield; j. S. Hamilton, Hallowell;
R. C, Burgess, Vassalboro; Lincoln, A.
B. Erskine, Alma Pcnobscot. ". I. Wood,
Corinna ANDREW Hammond, Milford; W.
l. Leavitt Plymouth; Piscataquis, W. L.
Rogers, Greenvillc; Sagadahoc, r. W.
Carr, Bowdoinham; Somerset, Albert
Leavitt Athens; H. G. Weber, G. II.
Chester; Waldo, M. S. Stiles, jackson,
S. c. Payson, Belfast; Washington, G. H.
Coffin, Harrington York, S. S. Andrews,
DluuClolu, lShuO 1ialoNOili1 lLCDdilOL.
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman Smith of the Kennebec board
of commissioners and Seth Chandler of
the Androscoggin board was chosen chair
man of the convention and Gen. W. S.
Cloate, clerk of courts of Kennebec, was
chose secretary.
n,,, otto g NIT Of n1Nn
committee of three was appointed to pre-
pare the order of business for future
meeting and the committee was composed
OF Smith of Kennebec, Wood of Penobscot,
and Leavitt of Somerset
A matter of considerable interest was
"How to employ our prisoners, especially
tramps and persistent DRINKS so as to dis
courage them in their desire to obtain
shelter and sustenance from our several
counties by being sentenced to our differ
cnt jai:s?"
This subject was spoken of by Beals of
Androscoggin, Ambrose of Aroostook,
Andrews of York, Coffin of Washington,
Wood of Pcnobscot, Stiles Of Waldo,
Thurlough of Aroostook. The general
discussion was in favor of the establishing
of stone yards and that where they had
been provided good results have been OBJ
tanned and the number of tramps and
common drunkards reduced. Several of
the counties having workshops said that
they would not advise the introduction Of
these in the counties not having them, n,
the results were not satisfactory. The
expense of caring for these fellows called
tramps has been very large in many Of the
counties. Aroostook county said that they
had no trnmps but all were DRINKS and
that these were worked hard in the break
ing of stone and other counties said that
no distinction was made between tramps
so called, and DRINKS, but all were
worked Knox county's meth cd of chain
ing them together and parading thom
through the streets of Rockland was
effective and hurt the feelings of the pro
fcssional dead beat. Hennebcc's means
of % hours close confinement to the cells
was thought to be good. A suggestion
was made to have only cold water ard
dry bread served.
After quite lengthy discussion OF this
question the following vote was taken:
Voted that it is the sense of this con
vcntion that the best method of dealing
with professional tramps is giving thcm
close confinement and bread and water
Another important vote taken was as
follows:
Voted that it is the sense of this con-
vention that workshops in jails, as they
have been conducted have not been sue
cess.
A matter referred to the next convention
was ssShall there not be uniformity In
the different counties in the matter OF
compensation for the services of county
coronors. This subject was quite freely
discussed and much valuable data pre-
sented.
Is it not needless expense besides
bcinga reflection upon the honesty and
integrity of county commissioners IN
obliging them to publish their individual
bills each Year, was another question
literally considered and referred to the
next convention.
1t was voted that it Is the sense 81 the
convention TINT the laws Of the State
should be so changed that the trial Jus
tices and judges Of our municipal courts
should have discretion in the matter ana
where the punishment is Imprisonment
for second offence for drunkenness, II
should be optional with SAID trial justice
or judge of Maine courts to sentence by
fine not exceeding SO or Imprisonment
not exceeding so days.
The matter of paying deputy sher,ns
for attending agricultural fairs was re-
ferred to the next convention
A resolve was passed that it was ths
sense of the convention that the proposet