Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-17

charged. under Section "A OF Chapter
l43 Of the Revised Statutes. with sI,oV
per week for their maintenance Inc
towns themselves pay the balance OF
the board rate. which at present IS -
per week SO, should rthe amendment
Of the gentleman prevail. the sum
which the State itself is obliged TO pay
would not be In any sense lessened. II
| it were possible for the institution to
| be managed at less expense, anu II
were proper for them to receive pa
| tents at a less board rate tnan -
week, the sum saved would go TO the
Gowns.
The second class, made up as II II
of patients who arg committed py ther
friends, and whose expenses are pau py
| eirfriends. have of course. at the pres
er,t time. no bearing upon the question as
| their expenses cannot be In any sense
charged to the State. There are, De-
lieve. in that class at the present time
| about Is or the first class, who are
committed by order Of court, the state
ia obliged by the law to pay the entire
charge.
| In regard to the possibility Of there
being a sum in excess of the nctual
needs OF the hospital / wish TO explain
that the entire sum collected is about
$50. 900. That sum Is made up of the
weekly board of over 700 patients. II,
is not possible to determine In advance
exactly what will be required In case
there is a contagious disease which
breaks out among them the expenses
OF the hospital are greatly increased.
If this should happen during recess
| OF the Legislature no recourse can be
had to the law making branch for re-
dress and the trustees must neces-
| sarily have reasonable fund I'm their
possession at ali times. because the
added number Of nurses and the added
care would increase the cost per pa
tient to much over 81 per week. l UNI
| ders.and that the board. three years
ago. was reduced to $3.75, but it was
found on account of the Increased cost
| Of material. that that was not suffi-
cient to pay all the expenses of the in
stitution and that they We're going be-
hind. and the board rate was advanced
| to 81 a week so there might be a GER
tainty that the institution could prop
erly take care OF the poor unfortuna.es
| who were committed TO it,
But even if ii We're possible TO save
! money. to accumulate 1t. that money
accumulated Belongs to the State. 1t
| is expended by the board Of trustees
made up from different parts of the
State, men who have served the State
in different capacities and who are do
ing noble and charitable work. They
give 10 the hospital. their best energies.
and thhSa ~ h,a lanlnd.a,i
upon in their aggregate capacity as
| trustees. or. as we all know them In
their individual capacities, TO see tina:
every dollar goes 10 the benefit of the
insane.
In conclusion | would say that even
IL they do accumulate and that sum re-
mains in their hands as IA surplus,
should this appropriation he cut down.
should the estimate be scaled. the sum
stil would DE due 70 the institution
under the law; and If. therefore. it is
the desire of the gentleman from Dover
| (Mr. Guernsey to lessen the amount
that the State pays, it should be done
by amending the law and providing
that the State should pay less than
Sl.50 a Week for those patients for
whose maintenance 1t is charged.
Mr.. Guernsey: wish 70 ask the
gentleman from Bangor whether or not
ii is not fact that the Sos. 900 set aside
in this appropriation not only includes
the amount of board which is fixed by
| law. but also the amount that Is paid
10 the institution for expenses. which
depend on the income and expenses?
Mr.. Parkhurst: AS l understand it
this sum appropriated can find its way
into the treasury of the Insane hospi-
tai only by reason of there being
enough patients there to demand 1t.
| The custom is to make out. at the end
Of each quarter, board bill charging
the State with $3.50 a week for the
actual number of patients that are
| there. Should there not be enough to
take all OF these appropriation it re-
| mains in the treasury. Not q dollar of
1t can find its way into the treasury
| of the Insane hospital unless there are
enough patients who are by law to be
supported partially by the State at ST. 80
a week. or entirely so when committed
by the court, to take from the State
under this quarterly bill, the sum which
has been appropriated. Should there
be more then enough to take it the
State is charged and must make up by
| deficiency the sum that is due
/ Mr.. Guernsey: In examining the ne
counts. this morning. found the State
was charged with an amount of board
for SO many patients and then at diff
ferent times through the year there
were sums of $4,000, paid in Jump
sums. to the treasury of the Insane
hospital for the purposes of expenses.
Mr.. Parkhurst: ! believe those sums
| were the amounts due the institution
under specific appropriation for add
ing buildings. which | understand have
been 100000. and each payment. there
| fore, has been $4,000
Mr.. Guernsey: Not only was she ap-
preparation of $4,000 paid to The insti-
| tuition. two years ago ard last year.
fur the purpose of beard and and for
| the purpose of general expenses. but
also 100000. which the gentleman from
Bangor refers to. was paid outside of
! that. | have not got the two amounts
| mixed.
Mr. Manley: I beg to differ with the
| gentleman. There is another separate
appropriation which goes to the Insane
hospital. which will be in the second
| appropriation bill. was in the last an
| OrOnriat iOO hill nf tbx la.t