Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-19

architect, because fe exhibited moro .Iri-
dividualisins. .,. afl s1u ~ Az rsCs!vsd az an
asen ssd sSSns sS ana HT had e Isl es tcs
"a blow at bangor. In October the first
work was done. after they had sper,t. over
k26O0, besides the. fees of the architect OF
oyer 5000 , ana q tne engineer Of 1892 g
nothing lone. They let the grazing out
to a man. That one man was at work
alone under contract of so much per
yard. and he worked until spring. and let
man From October to january, 1886, ii
cost S1335.27 for three months TO oversee
that one fellow that was there under the
civil engineer. The expense Of tie civil
engineer was going. right on. He had
charge of this man. but 1t was necessary
for some of the commission to be
there, at so day; Services $S55, and
expenses, $3.50. do not want the record
OF voting to continue to hire these same
men. If you have got parasite upon
your tree and you see the tree is going
to be killed, you had better cut your tree
down. You need not hire them for what
information uney have obtained, because
the architect has the advantage of that
and we are told that the plans Of the
building are drawn, and there Is nothing
more for the commission to do further
than there was when they drew $l335 81
when there was only one man to oversee
who had got contract for grading that
lot. Do you wonder that this hospital is
costing us $500 per patient when the
other hospitals outside of the State are
only costing on an average 1890 a pa
tient? There is the grand fact, and there
Is a reason for 1t. 1t Is the misappropri-
alton of the money. and this resolution
continues these men In Office, REFLECTS
them.
For the next quarter 1t cost the State
$1430 to oversee that work. The architect
was there and the civil engineer was
there but 1t was $1430. Here Is an i,em
in the bill of the commission: General
construction and cement. $1S.S47 ST." Does
anybody know where that went to? The
narrative of events does not tell us. / do
not charge this commission with dishon-
esty. l only ask. where is it? And the
people of Maine have right to know
how it was expended. Here Is ano Ter
item charged to the State by the commits
sion: Miscellaneous. $780," In the old
days when used to 60 to New York and
Boston and those places, l used to make
charges in the same way. Iaughter).
When | first commenced investigating
this matter | had no idea OF finding the
situation as find 1t. looked at the
cost of the hospitals in New England and
l looked at what this hospital was to
cost. | believe that the poor unfortu-
mates never will receive any benefit from
this resolve for the next 10 years under
this same commission. l want To make
another statement. II has cost over 30
per cent. of the S275,000 appropriated for
expenses. to find out how to appropriate
that money. do not propose TO vote for
such resolution. and nope there Is no
member of the House who has any regard
for honesty or economy or fair dealing
that will vote for this resolution. Jap
plause.)
Mr. Jewell of Hallowell: The gentle
man from Biddeford (Mr. Hamilton said
that the commission made no report.
They did make a report. and IL the gen.
tleman had attended the hearing in the
Senate chamber. he would have heard
that report read.
Mr.. Fogler of Rockland: This matter
of the commission was passed upon by a
vote of this House. yesterday and I do
not propose to discuss It at this time. BY
the terms of the resolve under which this
commission has acted, the compensation
of the commission was to be determined
by the Governor and Council: their bills
were TO be audited by the Governor and
Council; and the Governor and Council
have passed upon every item of those
bills; and l do not wish 1t to go out from
this House uncontradicted that the COM
mission has expended a dollar for which
they have not fully accounted to the Off
Gals to whom by the terms of the re-
solve they were to account.
Mr.. Pearl of Bangor: | have letter
from DR.. Sanborn. whose integrity we all
admit. Not being able to attend the
hearing before the committee. he wrote
me, at my request. and l wish to submit
II to you.
Hon. Charles S. Pearl, Member House OF
Representatives.:
My Dear Sir--I find that a severe cod
that has been affecting me for week
past prevents me from attending the
hearing on the Eastern Maine Insane
hospital resolve, this evening. at the Sem
ate chamber. Four years ago. the Legis-
lature of this State passed a resolve re-
questing the Governor and Council and
the trustees of the Maine Insane hospital
to investigate into the condition and
needs of the insane. A subcommittee for
that purpose was appointed by the Gov
Arrn v,.t. ttt..v Is -:zxIr m
bic and Gen. r. B. Shepherd of the pres
ent board of trustees of the Maine In
sane hospital. and Hon. +. NJ. Simpson
of the Executive Council. The committee
having the matter in charge made an eX-
haustive examination and. among otner
inquiries. investigated into the sleeping
capacity of this institution. l quote from
their report: Your committee made Il
and rooms of the hospital in order to as
certain accurately its normal capacity
for the proper care of its inmates. They
also made further examination of the
quarters of the several wards after the
patients had retired for the night. in or
der to learn by personal inspection the
exact number who We're occupying sleep
ing cots made up for the purpose in space
used by them during the day for sitting.
walking and recyeation. We find the nor
NAL capacity of the Maine Insane hos
pital for patients is: Total capacity for
males. 29O; total capacity for females, 800;
toteti Capacity VI liie ilospIldi o-J W. llIlu
sleeping on cots in the several halls. in
the male wards 81. in female wards 80; in
sleeping apartments used beyond their
normal capacity. %: total 1877. The hos
pital. according to its original design was
constructed for the care and accommoda-
ton of 529 patients We find Dec. 90 1894.
In the hospital 677 patients. so that there
would seem to have been at that date in
sufficient quarters for about 40 patients
This fact is more verified by our finding
1877 patients sleeping outside of rooms in
tended for that purpose. or crowding those
already occupied. The maximum number
of patients at any time in the hospital
during the past two years has been IA.
so that at this time there must have been
an over crowded condition of the hos
pital represented by 1856 patients"
The above condition of the hospital was
found after a most thorough investigation
of the hospital by the above named COM |
mittee.s representing in December, 1894. a
surplus of patients above the norma,
capacity of the institution to the extent
of las patients Since that period the
number of patients has gradually in
creased, so that since the first of
January of the present year the maxi |
mum number of patients has been 723. |
The probable average number of patients
since the first of the year has been 725. |
an excess of patients over
the normal capacity of the institution of |
1885, or with it's maximum number of pa