The Republican journal., 1909-01-14

There will probably come before the
next Legislature bill in favor of the
overseers and officers of the State prison,
who have served the institution for a
period of Is years. The object of this
bill will be for the retirement of such
overseers and officers at half paw at the
end of Is years service.
The profit per capita of convict labor
over and above cost of subsistence and
clothing was as follows:
Net profit of carriage department,
ST., 949; net profit of broom department,
81, 303; net profit Of harness department,
81, 1888; net profit of furniture depart
ment, $1,010; total 1924, 451.
The average yearly earnings of the
convicts was SIP. The net cost of sub
sistence, including insane department
and U. S. prisoners, was S., 1866. The
net cost of clothing, including insane de-
partment, was 81, 1888, the total cost of
supporting the prisoners being $3.50.
1t is recommended that a new prison
be built as soon as the finances OF the
State will permit.
STATE PENsIoNER' s REPORT.
In his report for 1868 State Pension
Agent E. C. Milliken says, in part:
'There have been 2, 1865 applications
filed and 2, ISL certificates have been is
sued; not so many of either as last year.
Increasing years and feebleness of many
of the applicants have seemed to make it
imperative that higher rating be made
in many cases. There have been a large
number of original applications filed and
many of these cases have seemed to de-
mand the highest possible rating. These
certificates, if paid in full, would call for
an expenditure Of SS7, 26S. The deaths
which have occurred and changes made
for other causes, the amount actually
expended with other allowances and ex-
penses of the Office paid from the appro-
priation, would balance the amount ap-
propriated by the legislature.
''There have been 65 deaths of which
| have received notice either from mu-
nicipal officers of towns, or that | have
obtained from the columns of the news
papers. Of the deaths which have occur
red, IS were widows, three mothers, two
fathers, one son and one daughter. %
were invalids, Is of whom left widows
who have applied for and been granted
State pensions; one widow remarked,
one daughter remarked and left the
State, the pension of one invalid has
been cancelled, he having received large
increase in United States pension; the
certificates of two widows have been re-
voked on account of receiving United
States pension, which also included quite
an amount of back pay, the certificates
of three widows have been reduced in
amounts when United States pension
was received; seven invalids have enter
ed the Soldiers Home at Togus and their
certificates have been revoked.
THE service pension act passed by
Congress, February 6, 1907, has relieved
the necessities of large number Of the
old soldiers in Maine, and as these men
severally reach the required age under
said law will result in still larger benefit
to them. The act passed by Congress
of pensions to widows $12 per month has
and want among those most worthy APP
plicants. Where persons by reason of
age were entitled to receive 500 per
month under the service pension law no
State pension has been granted unless it
was shown that the applicants pending
the granting of such pension should suf-
fer. There have been quite number of
cases where State pension has been grant
ed to such persons, to continue until the
receipt of increase in United States pen
sions.
Il know of no case where State pen
sion has been withheld where it was be-
leved that suffering would result in not
granting the same.
II have persons on the rolls from 366
towns, cities and plantations in this State.
We have the same number of applica-
tons for pensions for soldiers Of the
Aroostook war as in the year 1907, GER
tificates have been issued to each one of
the applicants. have had great many
letters from parties in connection with
the Aroostook war inquiring if widows
of soldiers in that war were entitled to
pensions. There is no provision of law
for pensioning such widows.
MANY inquiries have come to the office
relative to the report that the legislature
of Maine in 1907 adopted a pension law
giving all former Maine soldiers So per
month. No pension is paid by this State
to persons residing in other States.
Certificates have been issued during
the year to two soldiers of the war with
Spain and to nine widows of such soldiers.
There are on the rolls 813 invalids, 1892
widows, 20 mothers, three fathers, II
sons, "a daughters and 10 sisters"