The Portland daily press., 1897-02-24
Bangor Insane Hospital Appropria'
ton Wiped Out.
COMMISSION HASN'T ACCOUNTED
FOR TT so FAR In DETAIL.
Resolve for an Appropriation for 100000
Tabled on Motion of Senator Walton
The Work of the Commission Severely
Criticized.
fspEc1AL TO THE PREss.}

Criticized.
fsPECIAL TO THE PREss.i
Augusta, February 23.-In the House
today, Mr.. Kaler of Scarborough, pre-
sented an act providing that whoever
within the limits of the town of Scar
boro takes CLAIMS between May 1st and
September 1st shall for each offence be
fined not more than $40 or imprisoned
not more than thirty days or both. 1t
further provides that the foregoing shall
not apply to the taking of CLAIMS by any
inhabitant of Scarbogo or any transient
perGon therein for consumption by him.
self and family, nor shall it interfere
with any law relating to the taking of
shell fish by fishermen for bait; nor shall
it apply to hotel keepers taking CLANS
for tho usa of their hotels; nor shall 1t
effect the provisions Of the generalas law
of the state except within the close tim g
aforesaid.
Mr.. Conant of Strong presented a
petition asking for law to compel
| towns to cut all trees except ornamental
and shade trees growing within the
limits of highways.
Mr.. Macomber of Augusta, presented a
petition for homeopathic treatment in
the Bangor insane hospital
Mr.. Husssy of Guilford, presented a
petition asking for the state college ap-
preparation.
Mr.. Walton of Skowhegan, presented
| nd
chapter IS. Revised Statutes, and amend
ing section 20 by striking cut the words
'sby" and "road" in the third line, and
tho words "highway surveyors on" so
that the section will read as follows:
''Towns may raise money for the repair
of bridges and ways and direct the same
to be assessed and collected as other
town taxes, to be expended for the pur.
pose by the selectmen or by highway
surveyors or road commissioners as the
town directs"
Mr.. Moore of Deerjng, presented a
petition of Cummings Brothers and
others for the annexation of part Of
Deering to Portland.
An order for the printing Of one
thousand journals of the session was
passed.
The following bills were passed to be
engrossed: Richmond Water company,
Hathorn Fancy Forging company, or
ganizat.on of plantation of Criehaven
Saint Lawrence Street Congregational
parish, change of name emitting word
"street."
| Mr.. Walton of Skowhegan, who got the
Eastern Maine Insane hospital resolve for
$500, 600, tabled February 18th, and who
assigned it for today, moved that it be
taken from the table today, and when it
was done, Mr.. Hamilton of Biddeford
recalled his amendment taking the
matter out of the special commissioner
hands and putting into the hands of the
governor and council.
Mr.. Walton then moved the indefinite
postponement of the resolve. He said
that since it had been laid on the table
he hud talked with great many people
throughout the state and had found them
of the opinion that such an appropriation
was unwise at the present time. He said
he had supposed there was burning
necessity for additional quarters for the
insane but had found there wasenot. He
asked if a great hospital should be COM
pleted because some people were not
specially provided for and argued that
none were left without care. He ad-
mitted that at times the Augusta hospital
WAS somewhat crowded but said that the
condition Of the people there is NO worse
now than it ever was and that there was
no occasion to call on the people to pay
the large amount mentioned in this re-
solve because there were few more iu-
mates than were wanted at the Augusta
hospital. Mr.. Walton said that it was
impossible for him or any other man to
picture the true condition of the people
of the rural and farming districts of this
state stree it became evident that their
property had gone down in value so that
a farm worth $1,000 six years ago could
not be sold for $500 now. For these and
other reasons he argued that the people
should not be burdened with further
taxation. The gentleman from Skowhe-
gan argued that the financial condition
of the country had SO effected the people
of Maine that 1t was a very poor time to
appropriate large sums Of their money
for pu blic institutions. He told how the
lack of snow this winter had retarded
business, and kept money away from
the working people. when we look this
list of resolves over" said Mr.. Walton
we find we have already increased the
amount of about every regular aDproprla-
ton we have passed. Committees have
reported an increase in about everything
referred to them. l have heard men pre-
sentiing their cases before the commit
tees, and have been surprised at their
ability to present the truth. For the
things that we appropriated S305, $50 two
years ago we have this year reached the
amount of S532, $50. Not only that, but
there are large amounts called for in re-
solves yet before US, and more matters to