Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-06

| tory. IN cOnuactlOnAwttn the state norma
! school at Gorham, and the normal school
building at bennington. have been com
| pleted and properly furnished for use
| Both buildings are all that could lie re J.
| sonably wi ed for to serve the purposes
| for which they were intended.
| An additional building has been con-
! structed in connection with the indus
trial school for girls at Hallowell. Also
| there have been marked and much
| needed changes. improvements and re-
| pairs in and about the state house.
| especially in the senate chamber. TIE
| moneys appropriated to be used for these
| purposes about the state house have
| been very judiciously and economically
expended ! Colonel Stevens. the SUI
perintenden of public buildings.
| The train.ng school at Fort Kent has
been so altered as to better serve the pur-
poses for which it was established and IL
| is doing most excellent and much needed
work in that section of our state
The last legislature made no appropri-
| alton to continue the work on the Eastern
Maine insane hospital. 1t merely placed
at the disposal OF the governor and co,in-
ell the sum of $500 per annum. to he used
in caring for it. Only part of that sum
has been expended in so doing. The state
| has already used a large amount Of
money purchasing. locating and inprov-
ing grounds for this hospital. and in The
partial erection of buildings thereon. SO
far as the work has progressed. 1t has
been most thoroughly and properly done.
The site, to my mind. is an ideal one, and
the location is in the central part of the
state. easily accessible by rail.
This institution was determined upon,
and the work upon it has thus far been
carried on, in response to a well settled
conviction that more. and perhaps bet
ter, in the light of modern improvements.
accommodations should he provided for
the unfortunate insane. AS ii was the con-
viction of former Legislators that already
AS many insane persons were aggregaie ed
and treated in the insane hospital Mt
Augusta as il was prudent or desirable
people are peculiarly the wards Of the
state. Every humane consideration
urges and demands that they shonid
not only receive the best possible care
nursing and medical treatment, but that
their every surrounding should be made
pleasant and comfortable. They should
not be too closely crowded together
The number of patients now in the in
sane hospital at Augusta Is 49,, an in
crease of some 20 within the last year
certainly all and perhaps more than Gal
be suitably and properly cared for as
this number is $50 in excess of what thu
buildings We're intended to furnish prop
err accommodations for
I believe that this humanitarian en-
terprise. the building of a new insane
hospital at Bangor. which shall contain
all the best known modern improve
ments. and sanitary methods. in it's con.
struction and equipment. should not be
abandoned or any longer neglected.
'Yherp bN he a Of lao .,Yre
thousands of dollars appropriated. in
somewhat small sums. for objects and
purposes. very proper. no doubt
not nearly as urgent and deserving as
this one. These expenditures this year
may well he called upon to wait a~l
permit the money to be applied to tt IS
philanthropic work. so urgently need ID
by the state. I desire. therefore to i,-
press upon you the truth that this f.a.
crn Maine insane hospital is stale
necessity.and institution for which there
is pressing need, and that it should re-
ceive at Your hands such aid as shall fit
1t to receive patients at an early day.
Its management could be under the
hoard of trustees of the insane hospital
at Augusta. if you should deem it best to
place it there
SCHOOLS.
AC IVPol Is VI the superintendent VI
public schools will furnish you with
much valuable information and sugges-
tons upon subject of vital Importance
to the welfare of our state, and the per-
petuity of free republican government.
refer especially to our cOmmonschools
They were never in more prosperous
condition than at the present time. We
are obtaining better results with each
recurring year. and more competent
teachers. Especially is this true in the
rural districts. The state, cities and
towns expend very large sums of money
to maintain and advance our educational
interests. The object and necessity fully
justify all the outlay.
The number of teachers which our
present normal schools can graduate.
even if they all remained in Maine. and
followed the vocation of eaching. are in
deed very inadequate to the demand.
Normal schools have ceased to he an
experiment in this and other states. They
have become recognized and estab-
lishcd factor essential to promote the
best interests of education. especially
to furnish teachers for our common
schools. Mindful of this fact. and also
desiring more fully to supply the call
for more teachers. the last legislator
authorized the governor to appoint a
committee of three persons to examine
and decide upon the desirability of es-
tablishing a normal school. or schools
in the northern and eastern part of the
state. and also to determine as to the
place or places where these schools
should be located in case they believed
them necessary.
Acting under this authority. appoint
ed committee of three gentlemen. the
Hon. Frederick s. Walls General John
Harper and Albert r. Hawkes.. persons
of large business experience, good judg-
,nent and sincerely interested in the
subject of education. They accepted the
trust. have visited the several localities.
have examined into. investigated the
workings and results from normal
schools in our own and other states. and
also the desirability of establishing
more, and their conclusions, embodied
in their report. and also their recon-
mendations. will be placed before you,
and should receive careful attention.
The University of Maine. formerly the
Maine State College Of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, which, in fact Is Names
chief school of science and technology.
during the past two years has had a
lsAge and constantly increasing attend
ance, and is doing an excellent and much
needed work. The results obtained, l
have no doubt, fully compensate for the
outlay and expense which the state has
incurred in its behalf. Its faculty and