The Portland daily press., 1901-02-06
R. R. TAX BILL.
cen,Inn.a frem Flr.. rsge.


is too great q burden. lie urged the COM
mittee to make q provision that nurses
should not for the first two or three years
after their graduation charge more than
x1s week. These institutions, he said,
were practically run BY state aid and the
state had the right to say what the grad
uatss shouId charge. he said that at the
present time no one could hire agraduate
nurse for less than SIS or Ssl week. The
farmers, the carpenters and the mechanics
could not stand this; nevertheless II they
wanted a nurse they could not get one for
less. The hospital staff of every institu-
tion, he said, compelled its graduates 90
charge these prices. II anyone wanted
nurse and cculdn't affored to pay the
amount asked, the nurse would not CO.
Many OF them were forced to remain iuIe
for this reason. He was not speaking Oh
himself; he was able to pay as muen as
was demanded. He was speaking for the
great common people who paid the taxes
which largely supported these tnstitu-
tions. These people, he thought, should
have some voice as to the prices charged
by the nursss who were trained ut the
expense of the state. lie thought that
graduates OF Institutions receiving state
aid should not charge more than $ls
week for the first two years, after leaving
their hospitals. Indeed, he didn't think
they were worth more than that. len
wears ago he had employed better nurses
for $40 a week than were now demanding
BIS and S9l. He cited the case OF q car
penter VINO was working for him. Inc
oaruenter s wife had an ahscess which re-
ouired slight surgical attendance. The
carnenter found that he could not get
trained nurse for less than three dollars
day, The man was getting but ~ oo
day himself and couldn't afford to nay
what was asked, so he stopped working
20 stay at nome and care for his wife.
Dr. Charles ID. Smith of Portland,
member of the staff OF the Maine 6eneral
hospital, said that he had never before
hard the point raised, He denied that
the medical staff of the institution In any
way influenced the nurses in liking their
charges The medical staff had no more
to do with the matter than this faculty Oh
Bowdoin college had to do with its grad
uatss after they lett the Institution. The
nurses themselves settled what they
should charge.
Mr.. Bass replied that the medical STAN
had made the charges compulsory. II
was highway robbery, he said. There
was a com bination hacked up by menu
bers OF the staff In the different hospitals.
He knew that some of the nurses and
physicians objected TO the present high
prices. but they become the rule.
President VIM. IL. Brownson OF the
Maine school for the Deaf, spoke In favor
of the usual appropriation and an addi-
tioual appropriation OF $500 for each oil
the next two years The additional ap-
uropriation is wanted to provide extra ac-
commodations, ths present facilities of
the school being taxed to the limit.
Representative Thompson OF Bristol
then made an appeal for the preservation
of Fort William Henry at Pemaquid. He
was followed by Rev. DIR. Ii 5. Burrage
Of Portland, representing the Maine His
torIoAI society and the Society of Colonial
wars DIR. Burrags protested against the
system by which the ruins OF fort
which antedated the settlements Oh
plymouth should be fenced and an ad-
mission fee charged.
In reply to this statement, J. IL. Cart
and OF Pemaquid, the custodian OF the
place, declared that he had letter from
Hon, James z. Baxter, giving him au-
thority co do as be had done. MIR. Cart
land said hi uncle gave the property TO
the Pemaquld monument association. Ii
the property had not baeD protected relic
hunters would have carried 1t oil piece
meal. The fence around the property was
only temporary but 1t was necessary. He
hoped the time would come when the
fencs- would be replaced by stone walls
reproducing the lines OF the fort as near
as possible.
When asked by one of the committee
how it happened that an admission was
charged to property given to the state,
MIR. Garland reiterated the statement
that he had his authority.
DR.. Charles ID. Smith, the president,
and De A. Young, the secretary Of
the State Board of Health spoke in favor
of the resolve appropristipg $1,000 for an
epidemic ana emergency fund.
He spoke of the outhreaksof sma pox
two years ago, of the danger Oh its intro
duction into the state and the need of
having fund with which to combat
IL.
Then Or. Smith spoke of the bill to
establish state laboratory. he said /:
''The board appears because IL has been
made its duty TO suggest and advise We
do not ask for increased authority, but
for more ard better facilities for doing
our work creditsnly, economically and
for the better protection of the public
health interests.
'It any apology were necessary for ask
ing favorable consideration for proposal
which carries with 1t an appropriation,
the only one we have to offer is that
the amount asked is for carrying on to
better advantage the legitimate work
OF state department. We submit that