The Portland daily press., 1897-01-08


condition and wants of our sohools, i
would refer you to the reports OF the
present State superintendent IN wa fnd
| the whole subject is exhaustively treateu
The evils that heset our present system
and the advisabflity of attempting TO cor
rect them, or to Esake any important
Ss n a thf % wl yo
| mittee on education by gentlemen muon
more familiar with the subject than my
| self. ,, -
Every humane consideration DEMANDS
| that the insane shall receive the greatest
possible care, and the best known treat
| ment. These unfortunate people are Pc
/ cl1Iiarly the wards of the State.
am confident that in the Insane Hos
| pital at Augusta everything is done that
| fhe crowded condition permits, that all
natients cared for there have humane and
| kind attendants, that the medical staff is
| competent, and we may well congratulate
ourselves that under the wise and careful
| tees there has been no whisper OF any
nractices, such as have been discovered in
| some kindred institutions in other states.
The number of patients has so largely
Increased of late, and the necessity OF
another hospital In the near future was
so apparent, that several years ago a
of Bangor for that purpose. Before doing
| This additions have been made to the hos
pital in Augusta, from time to time, until
# was deemed unwtse to continue this
nolicy further, or have any more patients
aggregated in one place.
The oyer-orowded condition of the hos
pta at ,o Aug e ste the agsa
propriate Sl50.000 towards erecting the
Eastern Maine Hospital on the lot which
had been. purchased for that purpose.
This hospital is intended, in it's construc-
ton and equipment. to embody all the
best modern thought and improvements.
A committee authorized by the Legisla-
ture was appointed by Gov. Cleaves to
| ,o~t<,t low ~
business experience and integrity, they
have, / think. faithfully and wisely ex-
pended the sum appropriated. It was not
supposed that the sum of $780, 600 would
complete this undertaking.
1t was well understood that the grant
would have to be supplemented with
other appropriations. The report Of this
committee will give you in detail full
particulars of what has been done, ana
what they will require to properly con-
tinue the work during the years 1881 ana
appropriation should be made. It is for
you to decide what sum you will give
them to expend this year, and also what
sum for theTlext.
The report of the insurance commits
sioner and his recommendations deserve
special attention. This question of insur-
n is one in which many ybcs
can reduce the annual loss must I'M
doubtedly bring lower rates of insurance
in time. We are dependent almost wholly
on foreign companies for insurance, and
the present rates, especially on farm
buildings, are SO high as to almost pro-
hibit placing policies upon them. in most
cases.
There has been considerable legislation
on the subject Of insurance, and yet l
doubt If very much has resulted there
from to insurers or insured.
1t would seem that the only way we
can hope to obtain the much desired
lower rates Is to reduce the average loss
so as to satisfy the companies that they
can give 1t to us and yet make rea-
sonable profit
And then have a personal interest not
only in preventing fires, but in ferretlng
out and Furnishing any persons who shan
\ amounts insured thereon.
STATE PRISON AND REFORM
SCHOOL.
| Your Joint committees will visit the
! State prison and the reform school, and
| thoroughly examine everything connected
with the workings of these institutions.
The reports of the officers who have
| charge of them will give you full insight
into their condition, the number of per
sons therein, and the terms for which
they have been committed. ME- general
| methods of conducting and governing
both should be carefully inquired into.
Not that | doubt the excellence and cor
rectness Of the management in all the de-
partments, but do believe in prisons, re-
| form schools, and insane hospitals, moth
| ing should be taken for granted.
In this connection / would call your at
| tention to the fact that under existing
ter 142, a boy Of only eight years of age
may be, for no very grave offence, sent
to the reform school until he Is twenty
one. 1 believe that no boy eight, ten or
vocably sentenced to that institution for
so long a term: and submit that It
might be wise to try. at least IN case, case OF
youthful offenders, the fnde1lnite period.
| TNnTJCTPTAT, SCHOOL. ETC.
The industrial School for Girls will
doubtless receive your favorable copsid-
| Grafton and such assistance as shall en-
lent lent work it is now doing. Nothing can
be more meritorious than to help young
persons in starting rightly in the race OF
The State of Maine should continue to
| literally provide for and educate the I'M
| fortunate deaf, dumb and blind. and also
| willingly aid IN caring for the children IN
| @here are other Institutions. hospitals
and infrmaries WHICH are doing Rhilan-
thropic and humanitarian work. alleviat-
cannot properly care for themselves, that
are deserving Of judieioHs and discrimi..
| mating assistance. doubt very much If
is best to a, an increase tSai e IN
expensive and better results might be OBJ ~
| located, easy Of access, Where the best
| professional skill could be relied upon.
MAINE STATE COLLEGE.
| The Maine State College has been estab-
| Iished little more than thirty years.
| Those who rocked the cradle OF its strug--
| Cling infancy amid doubts, hopes and
| fears, must feel gratif1ed at it's remark
able and unprecedented growth.
It's trustees snd faculty have been IN
| ceeded beyond their fondest hope.
| In 1898 there were 1863 students perusing
| the several courses of instruction. AT
| present there are 316 with a certain pros
| pect of still further increase in mbers,
Notwithstanding the requirements for adj
mission have been raised to some extent.
| This institution Of learning was founded
! for the express purpose of promoting
knowledge of agriculture and. the me,
chanic arts, and to enable the industrial
classes so-called, to procure practical
education by reducing the expense SO that
/ it would be within their reach. 1t Is, in
| fact, a school "of science and tech
| nology," where students who desire
| sound and useful instruction that shall
fit them to enter successfully upon the
practical duties of life, rather than to sit
under the shadow of q great name like
that of Harvard or Yale can obtain it at
very reasonable cost. 1t is emphat-
| ically a college of and for the common
! people. Tt deserves, and will receive, just
The State of Maine when it accepted
the land grant from the general govern