Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-06

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to some of them the light of reason.
Rebuilding wharf. $500. Perhaps some
of YOU gentlemen know that wharf
building is very expensive luxury.
think that is nothing more than Is
right. Repairing coal pocket roof,
$4,000. When you come to coal pockets
you have got to have some strength
to your structure and it costs a lot of
money. ! think that item is very rea-
sonable. For building slaughter house.
$500. / understand they are trying
now so that they will have a public
slaughter house. Repairing comman-
der's house and residences on Arsenal
grounds, $500. l never saw an Did
house yet but what it cost twice as
much to remodel it as was expected.
l think that item ought to pass.
No. $50 he would have passed.
No. 251,. $4,000 for 1909 and $4,000
for 1910 for the use of the Maine In
sane hospital for the purpose of renov-
ating the second or central male wing.
He says he don't know who the archi-
tects are. There has been a bill on its
| passage here for Maine architects to
| do the whole OF this. | want to say
| to the gentleman from Auburn that
| his friends across the river in Lewis
| ton are the architects for this place,
| Coombs & Gibbs, and for the Eastern
Maine hospital it is John Calvin Stev-
| ems of Portland. So that settles who
the architects are. Uaughter.) So /
move you that these resolves have
their second reading.
Mr.. WELD of Old Town, Mr. Speak
err, | will dctain the House but Il mo-
ment. | wish to say word in re-
gard to the salaries. Connecticut pays
her superintendent $4,000 and living;
Vermont. $500: New Hampshire,
$4,000: Rhode Island. $4,000; Massa-
chusetts, 10 hospitals, $4,000 EACH Ore
gon. $4,000: Michigan. $500: Missouri,
$4,000: New York State hospital. $45no:
New Jersey, $500. The State of Maine
pays $4,000. So the salary list is way
below what these other states are pay
ing.
Mr.. REDLON of Portland: Mr.
Speaker, 1 do not presume that the
gentleman from Auburn believes that
it is possible for a committee of TINS
House to become personally acquaint-
ed with all the details of a business
like the criminal and pauper and 9TH
er insane OF the State of Maine III
three months, but a committee COM
posed OF intelligent men could not be
in company with the officials of the
Eastern insane asylum in the course
of their duty without becoming more
or less familiar with that institution.
The ground has been covered SO thor,
Oughly as to a great many of these
details that it seems almost unneceS-
sary for me to say anything; but dlt-
fcrent men have different minds and
their thoughts run in different chan
neis. It has occurred to me that L
might explain perhaps the reason why
the report of the trustees did not com
ply with the regulations and be placed
upon our desks on the first of January.
1t wa, not the fault of the trustees. as
I understand it. They held their meet
ing according to law. ordered the re-
port printed, and it was the delay in
getting the reports from the printer
and that only which caused the delay
ard is the reason why the members DID
not get them until yesterday.
Something has been said in regard
to the letting of contracts. 1t IS fact
that contracts are let by competitive
bids and to the lowest bidder for the
buildings in the case of both of the in
sane asylnns. at the same time in
stead of paying the usual architects
fee cf 5 ner cent. for plans and super
intendence / am Informed that it has
been the custom after the bids have
been let that the superintendent of
the building has been done by the
steward and treasurer, especially at
the Maine insane asylum. thereby saw
ing the State IL per cent for superIf-
tendence. AS to the supplies, there mas
been some complaint that they We're
not bought of certain firms. / believe
from the testimony that was produced
in the committee that many of those
supplies are purchased as cheaply as
the PEOPLE who wish to sell the goods
to the Maine insane asylum can buy
them AS 7 said before, it is not eX-
nected that the committee would know
| an the details Of an institution like
the insane asylums. but your commit
| tee looked these bills over carefully, in
| uuircd about the resolves. had meet
| ings with the trustees, took their IDEAS
Of what they wanted reduced them IN
| size and at the request or with an I'M
derstanding with the Governor that 1t
| might be possible to get along without
extra wings at the Maine insane asy-
| lum we omitted that appropriation OF
s120. 600 entirely. And it is fact, gen
tlemen. that there are 225 cots put up
| at the insane asylum at Augusta every
| night for the accommodation of pa
i tients in the wards which they use to
exercise in during the day. But in def
! erence to the wishes of the Governor
that item was omitted. as was also
resolve asking for an appropriation OF
$40. 900 to renovate one Of the male
wards there and put it in sanitary con-
dition and make it practically fire.
proof. The cost seemed perhaps more
than the state could stand at the pres
ent time, and that has been omitted.
| And as to every item I desire to say
that the committee has gone into them