The Portland daily press., 1899-03-17

told that 1t was not thought necessary to
equip this school as others are eauippd.
The committee thought that the equip
nent should be even better than in
| schools attended by children who nro
surrounded with good home Influences
and SO expressed themselves. l am glad
TO be able to say that this year we found
great improvement In this respect. The
school Is under the control OF private
| corporation. To IL girls may be sent for
any crimes except those OF muir er and
arson. ! understand that after they are
once committed they are under the entire
control of the trustees. who may discharge
them II they see lit. Recently when two
of the girls confessed to setting the build
ings on fire, am Informed that the trus-
tees held their written confession for
eight days and then discharged them be-
fore the matter was reported to the au-
thorities.
:Mr. Chase-I will say to the gentleman
that he was misinformed.
Mr.. Burns-I had IL from reputable
gentleman OF Hallowell.
MIR. Burns further stated that the trus-
tees asked for $4,000 to repair the burned
buildings and now they found that they
could get along without It, They may
have made other mistakes.
MIR. Webster OF Chesterville said that
It seemed to him 1t was the State of Maine
which was asked to stand and deliver
not the trustees
" ,..I ~.tu
tical objections to the plan proposed by
the committee. He said that they pro.
posed to do In four lines what wo Id re.
quire two acts of the Legislature. 1t was
doubtful II the trustees had the authority
to make the transfer In the way provided.
They must first have tho power given
them by an amendment to the charter of
the school The transfer would require q
carefully drawn instrument. Proceedings
under the resolve would either defeat
their purpose or result In an appeal to the
courts. There were deeds and requests
which might be affected You cannot do
1t this way, gentlemen. said Mr.. Webb.
At this point motion to adjourn cut
short the debate.
A fter the adjournment, Mr.. Walker of
Starks renewed the discussion. He said
that In addition to the 100000 the state
has paid the institution, the towns have
paid about $4,000 annually. Mr.. Walker
thought that the House should deal with
this question. He did not believe 1t
should be referred 10 the governor and
council. He hoped the report OF the com
mittee might prevail.
DR.. Peaslee, another member OF the
committee, emphatically denied that the
reflect on the trustees. The committee
recognized the valuable services of the
trustees but they thought that the trus-
tees should be willing to turn the
property over to the state which would be
a kind mother and father to these girls.
This is not an. orphan asylum, said DR..
Peaslee. 1t is prison to which girls
are sent by process of law. and the trus-
tees can discharge them whenever they
are sick of them. These girls are as bad
ana perhaps worse than the boys who are
sent to the State Reform school. They dc
not behave now as they should. Could
the people of Hsllowell appear here they
would make this statement These girls
need the rigid discipline which they
would receive under state management al
the institution. 1t had been suggested
that there might be complications and
legal technicalities, questions OF deeds
and requests. If there vera such why had
| ~
trustees SO reluctant to give up the insti
| tutionp The committee had taken legal
advice and were assured thai the course
proposed was legal The intimation that
this was a matter into which the com
mittee had gone hastily was not true
The matter had been carefully considered
by the committees Of the Two preceding
legislatures and by the present commit
| tee.
There WAS some further discussion
daring which MIR. MacoInbeI OF Augusta
asked what would be the effect II tn,
trustees declined to deliver the prope tJ
| or found that they could not legally do SO
Would these seventy girls be turned int,
the street?
| DIR. Peaslee declared that the philan
thropic people who are in control of thu
Institution would never take such 1
course.
The question came on the amendment
to strike out Of the resolve the require
ment that the property be transferred to
the state. The amendment was defeated
IS to 10. Then the resolve was placed up
on its passa &c.
| Mr.. Virgin of portland raising tn,
same point as that mentioned by Mr.
Macomber offersd.an amendment to adj
to the resolve q statement that the tran S
fer should be made If requested by the
governor and council. He said that with
that provision the money could be paiS
and the institution maintained II tn,
trustees did not make over the property
The amendment was lost and the resolv
was passed to be engrossed.
When the resolve appropriating $4,000
for repairs to the burned building cam,