Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-02-24

burned up some 1--WE or six persona
| friends Of mine in my younger days. Thu
legislature was then q Democratic Lsg
not not necessary 10 have a hospital for m
insane. We discusSed this question foi
days. and finally. sent for Reuel Williams
washington a. = senator and talked Z
| us In COMMITTEES Of the whole f0rNa
hour. and he talked with tears In Nil
eyes for the suffering and unfortunate Q!
sympathetic discourse he aucceeded y
gettfnF vote and the hospital was bull
up. have carried many pntients to that
communities or the State perhaps al
much as any man; and let me say here
that the hospital IL overcrowded. Every
knows g r the nesSnx
side OF skowhegan or Somerset. but there
~ something elsewhere. Now. gentle
men. ! only ask that this hospital appro-
and It Is for the interest of suffering hui
manity. and say 10 you that when you
spend money to relieve suffering human-
win wi "a applaud IT. Il and viii thank God that
1t has been appropriated. The friends OF
this resolve have asked no more than is
necessary. Let US appropriate that sum.
to 1t when he sees the suffering in his
own neighborhood. There are insane peo-
pie all oyer the State who. want treat
three from Fort Kent and shall probably
bring more. Insanity Is a disease that
comes upon people and they should re-
ceivs the .,, best ,o q care, s hope that the
Mr. Pattangall of Mathias: 1t seems to
me that the burden of proof is on those
who urge an appropriation of $4,000 for
this hospital. TO prove not only the neces-
sity but the immediate necessity for this
appropriation. | submit that the only
sources of information which are open to
dition of that hospital across the river
come from the report OF the trustees OF
that hospital which has been laid upon
the desk of every member of this House
find what | was surprised TO find. that
there were "a less patients admitted to
that hospital last year than the year be-
fore and that you must go back TO the
year 1887 to find as small number admit
ted as were admitted last year. Ii seem
to me that that would go to show. if
anything. that the number of insane pa
ticnts In the State was on the decrease
rather than on the Increase. But the
thought came to me. as II may 10 other
members. that possibly on account OF
admitting all patients who applied for
admission. and took pains to go TO the
place where was sure OF getting reliable
informntion-not 10 my district nor to
members of this Houae-but TO DIR. San.
born who has charge of the hospital
there. I asked him Ii In his charge OF
the hospital he had ever refused to admit |
2 patient on account Of the hospital be-
that M TO the present time every insane |
person In the State OF Maine who has de- |
sired care has got II: and there was. as |
! said. "a less applications for admission |
last year than the year before. and the /
smallest number since the year lSss |
Now. withstanding that. the attend |
ancc mt the hospital Is slowly increasing 1
because the amount of dismissals from, |
the hospital has also decreased. Since /
1882 the insane there have increased Is
~ number. ! think the question before
the House Is not whether We will make Il
further accommodations for the insane.
but whether. considering the financial /
condition of the state and considering |
the number OF insane patients now ii,
that hospital and the demand for room
there. there Is an immediate necessity for |
making this appropriation mt this time
over and above two years from now. II
the increase In six years has been but Il.
Is there any reason. with the number fall
ing from ga admissions TO 240 last year.
to expect that the number of patients in
increase any more than that natural ratio
of 8 or or II And If II increases but :
or 8 or Z, Is there any immediate necessity
proven for going ahcad with this appro-
priatiOn of $W100? | visited that hos
pital. have been in every ward with the
exception of one or two OF the private
wards. and ! have seen In some of the
wards provisions made in the corridors
for patients sleeping on cots; but think
that the gentleman from Rocklaud GER
tainly has been misinformed IL anybody
has told him that 200 patients in that
hospital are sleeping on cots. ! think
the gentleman from Rockland or any
body else on investigation would fail to
find 80 cots. hardly think he would find
there. He certainly would find n very
small number. Now. although / know il
is easy TO say that the Republican party
in the State OF Maine will appropriate
money Tor good nllrn0SpS ygbofbar xv.s
have 1t or not. II seems to me proper for
members of this House to examine briefly
the financial situation. ] will not go into
details but | want to call attention to the
fact that the treasurer's estimate of the
receipts for the next year multiplied by
two to give the estimate for the receipts
OF lsss. and with s242. 600 added. If the
State tax Is going to be q. mills. would
give this State an income for the next |
two years of s3.l5l 600. call attention to
the fact that we have already appropri-
ated 81, 43l.000 of that amount and tina,
81 10000 must be appropriated for the
ordinary running expenses of the year
iS%; which would make se.6sl.oco. Sub
tract that from the total income of the
State and 1t leaves $4,000. Now the COM
mittees have already reported s532 900 for
appropriations: There are s2s0.Oo0 appro-
priattons that have not vet been reported |
making $4,000 with $4,000 to pay il.
Does any Republican or Democrat pro-
pose TO- raise the State tax to such point
over 2a4 mills as would take care of the
difference between $4,000 and $500. 900. a
difference of nearly $500 600? Ii YOU do
propose that then 1t seems to me that
this is the time and the place to make
your declaration. and vote for this resolve
and pass IL: and then | ak YOU, in the
name Of reason. can you shut down on
any appropriation that Is asked for pro-
vided 1t Is shown you that the money il
to be wisely expended? If that is the
criterion you must pass every appropria-
ton that is on that list. for In not a sim
gle instance can any member l think,
snow one dollar that is asked there but
what will be wisely expended 1t seems |
to me that the same rule should apDlr
here that would apply to mans private
business. that when you know your In
come you certainly ought not to expend
very much more than your income And
II you pass this resolve and then provide
for the needs of the schools and the
needs OF the towns and other matters in
this state. you are going to bring up with
deficiency of about SAN, OO and Won
cannot get around 1t by figuring 1t in any
possible way. Now surprising this re.
solve waits two years. As I understand
Il the state tax will be raised to 2,s mills.
With this resolve out there is no necessity
for raising 1t above az mills. If that is
30 raised the years 1890 and 1900. the two
years that follow these two legislative
Years. will find an added income Of !
$l T0OO. and that coming as an increase
Will amply provide in the next two wears
for tho poinr ahoad ~ Ait, /