Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-27
See that you get DANA'S.

See that you get DANA'S.
the State any Indian of that tribe can
adopt white person; and they have been
doing this, and the practice has led to
split in the tribe. This scheme was gotten
up to bring these two parties together, ana
was intended to fix it so that they could
not adopt white children, but could only
adopt them if part Indian. l would ask
the senator from York to suggest some
amendment If he thinks this bill is going
to open Il wide door,
On motion of Mr.. Shaw ~the bill was
laid on the table, and specially assigned
for Friday of this week.
On motion of Mr.. Nickerson Of Lincoln,
Senate document No. 120, bill an act to
authorize the building of a fish weir in
Sand Cove, was taken from the table,
read second time and passed to be en-
crossed.
On motion of Mr. Hovey of Somerset,
House document No. 40, resolve in favor
of the Maine Insane hospital, was taken
from the table.
Mr. Hovey said that he noticed that the
appropriation had been cut down by the
House from &c., 900 to $4,000; and that
while he did not care to place Instructions
in the way of the passage of this resolve
as amended, he had objections to this
method of carrying on a farming business
on such an extensive scale in any State
institution, such as is done at the Insane
hospital, and which takes away business
from the farmers of the vicinity. He did
not care to place distractions i'll the way
of this resolve and therefore moved that
1t now take it's second reading and pass to
be engrossed.
Mr.. Hume of Washington: 1t seems to
me that this is matter of sufficient inn
portance to merit some discussion. have
no desire to have it assigned for a special
day if there is any member of the com
mittec present who can give me some IN
formation on the matter of why this in
sane asylum should go into the business
of farming Is that the purpose OF the in
stitution? ! do not think it is. 1t seems
to me that they have 10 authority to
go into this kind of business. | under
stand and it has been asserted strongly
that the trustees of that institution pur-
chased that farm over there without one
scintilla of authority. | say that it Is
high time that we began to look after our
public institutions and see that they do
what they are authorized to do, and do
not do what they are not authorized To
do. and it was for that reason that
offered the order the other day that COM
mittee DC appointed by the Governor and
Council to inquire into the condition of
the State College of Agriculture. Is this
institution over tho river established for
the purpose of taking care OF the insane,
or for the purpose of raising hogs?
Our State institutions are not as they
ought to be. They have become personal
institutions in u great measure 1t Is
known fact that the former superintendent
of the Insane hospital had not only horse
and man for himself, but q horse and man
for each of his boys. Even now it IS
simply n ease of press the button and al
most four in hand from the hospital will
be here to take you wherever you wish to
go. / say to you, gentlemen, that this Is
not the way the thing ought to be done.
am panied to see on the floor of this
Senate at the present time the head of one
of our great institutions He has no right
to be here Nor has the superintendent
of this hospital any business to be in the
lobby of this State House when this re-
solve is being considered. 1t is the duty
Of the heads of these institutions merely
to make their recommendations TO their
trustees and it is for the trustees and for
this Legislature to act upon these recon-
mendations and to pass these resolves. |
want to see new order of things.
have not the slightest doubt bur what
this pggery is needed. but want to know,
for one, why our public institutions are
being diverted from the courses they were
established to pursue The gentleman
from Somerset has touched chord here.
Why should this State institution be run
in opposition to the farmer. Suppose you
had a farm here in the vicinity, and you
found your market flooded with prodcce
from the State hospital tor the insane,
and could not sell YOUR produce. Would
you not have right to inquire whether
that was the purpose of the institution,
and whether they had any authority to
carry on n farming business
/ shall make no charges against the
people connected with these Institutions.
/ have no doubt of their honesty. but
say that IL is high time that the carrying
on of these institutions for personal needs
should be stopped. We should have a
State auditor, a man who would go over
all these accounts. and who would save
the State hundreds of thousands of dollars
year 1t is time that the people of the
State should know where and how their
money is being spent.
i Mr.. Day of Pcnobscot: would like to
ask the senator from Washington if he
really means that the president or head
| Of any of our State institutions has no
right in this State House
Mr.. Hume replied that of course as psi