Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-12
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from page ~

the committee and the trustees. ana
cut down. and shaved down. We can
not tell what it will cost. We are not
getting money that way for fun. ii Is
business. and the condition across the
river is terrible. Everybody knows
it is terrible. the deaths two week
and a little over the past year-lo'
during the last year. Twenty-Five per
cent. of those deaths are OWING 10
the condition of that hospital. | am
trying to get that hospital arranged
so as to relieve those poor people over
there-thc wards Of the State that we
ought to take care of properly. There
is no giving an estimate, but there Is
need of money. If we have more
money than we require for furnishing.
that excess is not gone or lost. it goes
forward to help carry on the hos
pital for quite a while. There is no
revenue for perhaps four or five
months: but at the start we should
lie limited to that amount. We nave
already in the hospital a years sup
ply of coal. We have to pay for the
engineer the firemen and others at
work there. y superintendent is un-
der pay today. and it won't cost very
much more so far as heating is con
cerned. But what we are trying TO do
is to relieve these poor people over
there. for whom the State ought to ex-
pend money willingly.
Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Will the
Senator from Kennebec allow me to
ask a question? If the 100000 is APP
propriated today when would the
Eastern Maine Hospital be ready for
occupancy?
ought not to take over six weeks. II
should be equipped so that the COM
mittee can go over there early i'll
March. and see the hospital. and SEE
the patients there with good ac-
commodations.
Mr.. ADAMS Of Penobscot: hope the
Senator from Lincoln will not insist
upon his motion to lay this matter
upon the table. The Senators present
who are familiar with this subject. and
/ guess the most of them are. at any
rate the older members are. realize
the necessity of prompt action in this
matter. l also realize the fact that
there is no steal in it. that there is
no salvage in it. there is no way for
anybody to get a commission out Of it.
The whole thing is done under the eye
and care of the Board of Trustees in
whom the State have perfect conf
dence. We must have confidence in
them We have in times past and
shall in times to come. because they
have proved themselves worthy in the
past. and we know they Will in the flu
ture Now. as / understand this mat
ter, as the Senator from Kennebec
has stated. this appropriation, II mat
ters not whether much or little. except
that it be enough to furnish the build
ing and get the paraphernalia neces-
sary to set them at work. is necessary.
That should be done Immediately.
as soon as it is possible to get at work,
then, whatever balance there is left is
on hand to pay the running expenses,
so far as it may go. | can see no oc-
casion for delay in the matter. There
certainly can be no mouse under this
meal. 1t is straight. square thing.
We who have been here year after
year and have become familiar with it,
understand it ALL and | hope the gem
tleman from Lincoln will not insist
upon his motion.
Mr. McFADDEN of Lincoln: Mr..
President | recognize the honor of the
Board Of Trustees Of the hospital. I
DO not question that; but the whole
history of this poor world has shown.
and shows upon every page that the
only way of dealing with honest peO-
pie and upright people is by the same
rule as that with which you deal with
rogues: and it does not imply any in
situation that they are dishonest, to
apply that rule in dealing With them.
If this board of trustees has made an
estimate, they have figured it this
way. so many beds at an estimated
cost per bed. so many chairs. so many
rugs. and so many of this, that and
the other in the furnishing Of these
wards or rooms. | do not know how
else they could arrive at any estimate
ut all, unless they guess at it. Now
an officer in this state, for instance, a
collector of customs. who submits an
estimate to the treasury department
for furnishing and repairing his Gus
tom house is required to furnish a de-
tailed statement before his call would
be honored or considered, and those
things are generally small compared
with a sixty thousand dollar dem2 nd
Then there is another phase of this
matter | understand this estimate is
not only to furnish but to cover the
first three months. l know that the bills
in payment won't come in until the en-,
Of three months, then the patients
who are there as beneficiaries Of toWi
or State support, their bills will b'
paid. $2.50 Il week. believe it is from
towns and $50 is from the State 70
each patient that is not supported
properly. Well. if that money i
appropriated by the State. how is il
will the State be required at the end o
the quarter to pay it again?
Mr. ADAMS of Penobscot: DO the.
usually do that, do they usually pa.
bills Il second time? Make two appro
priationss for the same thing?
Mr. McFADDEN of Lincoln: TIL
time the State furnishes none,
to run il three months and then tn
towns. at the end Of three months vii
be called upon to pay the bills of tn
several patients chargeablc to tn
towns. ! think my motion was
reasonable one. | do not want to die
tate to the Senate. | am perfect
willing the voice of the Senate shoul
be taken upon it.
The question being put upon tn