Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-15
WORKING HARD,
Board 4 Trade Trying to Secure
HOME eT Feeble Minded For
WatTville==A Few Opinions.

| Will Watcrvillc ,citens unite in the
effort being made to+,cure the Home
for the Feeble Minded
| That seems to be TIL question most
aGitatinS the people oithc city now
| There is little time tooc wasted in
reaching Il general CONFUSION in the
matter as other citicslar making
strenuous efforts to Sccur this Home,
| believing that great advantages may
be derived thcTefrom. The Whole mat
ter has row been left in the,ands of a
competent committee and does not
seem possible that this committee will
| allow any other city to set fist favors
provided the people of aatervillc
want the Home. And it MAJ be pre-
sumed that they do. !.
Ever since the matter Wis first
brought to the attention of tk'Board
of Trade some of the more Zcedolks
members have been vigorouslyvu
the subject into prominence tfa' wv "
might be an unanimous rrove nj "HI
toward securing a location nue,,. lie
Home in this city and lily
the buildings which will 81 toulouse
the inmates. On the part of SOM there
has been lukewarm interestmani-
Tested which has tended somewhat to
dissipatc the efforts of those having
the active work in hart Tvs luke
WarmncSs may DC due u, { , causes,
first, a tacit opposition, ;ltlt second
lack of proper information sro pre-
cisely what benefit the " ne would
be to the city. -
So far as the Journal ca, find there
seems to have developed III prenounc-
ed opposition to the rrvemcnt of
having the Home located jerc.- ana it
is doubtful if any ever 1velo's. The
Journal has found. howfer. /. !, the
lukcwarnncss is due iyHarge M, sure
to the belief held by ssny that 10 is
not wholly desirable to ave the ii'sti-
tuition here on account of't.3.SSsa 1,ndt nee
on the moral life of the city. low far
these citizens arc justified in nlintain-
ing that the moral life of h. city
would be Influenced unfavorably by the
presence of the institution hre, is
largely a matter for speculation.
In the last few days the Journal has
been interviewing some of tho bust
ness men along lhain street, ana here
are q few of their opinions, with names
omitted:
You may say that | am in favor of
having the Home located here. | be-
ieve with Pres. Eaton that anyone
who would oppose the idea is fit SUBJ
jcct for the Home. | can't sec any rca-
son in the world for opposing the
movement" -t
There arc always some" said a sec
ond citizen, "Who oppose such an insti-
tuition on the ground that it brings into
a place hundreds Of unfortunate peo-
pie; but it should be remembered that
the Home is for housing these people
and that they arc kept within the
grounds ard none are allowed to mix
with the citizens generally. Citizens
will have no way OF knowing of their
existence"
The second citizen may Le in error
slightly in the ,,oint that the inmates
are kept closely confined. The worst of
them are, taking Wavcrly o.; c:lanple;
but as the women became better ed l.
Gated in the Home they are permit d
tn go into families in the town 4
sew. The parents Of the unfortuna s
visit the children frequently. There s
no high wall separating the grounds :