Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-18


| have a local pride in that matter and
| think it is safe to say that no money
| is wasted when you give it to them.
| Every dollar is accounted for. They
| lock after that. The women have help
ed you too We know they are interest
| ed in these hospitals; and do not be-
+, lisve that any money has gone to
| waste, and 1 think that we need no
such board to look over those institu-
lions. The senator has called attention
| to the jails of this State. There may be
! something in that: but can we not get
| after the jails in different way than
by creating a board of State correc-
| tions and charities to go over this
| State? Is it not a small matter to put
| in an act here that will straighten out
those affairs? And if we need more
laws to clear out our jails and correct
those affairs, can we not do it IN
more simple manner than by creating
this board?
| 1 believe. fellow senators, we can;
and therefore 1 am opposed to this
measure.
| l had a pamphlet sent me and some
of the good points of this board are
outlined in this pamphlet. 1t says IRE
ferring to pamphleD it would prevent
the erection of new structures upon
old-fashioned and out-of-date plans.
| Hundreds of thousands of dollars had
| been wasted in some states in this way.
| Gentlemen, is that not weak? Are
we living in this 18th century and do
you suppose that any county, or any
municipality would erect new struc-
| MIA a
moment. They would have the best APP
proved plans and would erect their
buildings accordingly. 1t also gives the
number of thousands of dollars saved
in the several states as enumerated by
the senator from Cumberland-in Ne
braska $4,000; Ohio 100000; Indiana
$4,000 saved in one year. Does any
gentleman in this Senate believe there
is 100000 wasted in the State of
Maine? If they do, we can get at it
very much easier than by creating a
board of State charities to go over this
State. All we have to do is to appoint
an inspector or a commissioner to dig
into those institutions. 1t would not be
necessary to have a board of five men,
bers to do that 1t could be very readily
done But 1 do not believe, as / said
1
tutions are run on an economical and
fair basis. There are many other SIM
liar suggestions that bear along the
same line, but [ cannot find one that
| appeals to me as strong, or reasonable,
or right, or of sufficient Importance to
| warrant the creation of such board.
VIII not weary you with any eX
tended remarks; but 1 believe that we
Should go very carefully in this mat
ter OF creating a commission. AS
said in the beginning, I believe this is
one of the commissions that can be cut
out and l believe it is our duty as
members of this body to see that this
is not passed.
Mr.. WARREN of Cumberland: Mr.,
President, | suppose the principal OBJ
lection to this measure that exists in
the minds of most of us is the fact
that we have, in our Governor and
Council. and boards Of trustees that
lave been created, a sufficient num-
ter of men to control our public in
ftitutions, but for lack of expert
knowle 6ge and of information it must
be, to some extent their work Is
formal and perfunctory. I have no
doubt. on the whole. our institutions
are well managed; but there is always
room for Improvement; and it would
seem to me that. through this board
which it is proposed to create, some
men would 30 in who would be experts
and the suggestions that they would
give would De welcome | think that
many of them would, I know that
some of them would. I believe that
it would be for the common good that
: our institutions should be unified by
such Il hoard as this; but beyond all
this, allowing that these Institutions
are we'll managed now. we are giving
large and increasing sums 20 inSti-
tutionS that are not under the control
of the State, and over which we have
II" control and for the money that
We give them they make no account
ing We do not wish to interfere with
.hr work. which seems to us to be
good ana yet we are all Of us voting
money to these institutions while feel
ing that we are lacking in the in
formation that we ought to have and
which we should have through such
a board as this, which would. have a
right to inspect those institutions and
bring to us their advice and the
would be of great value to us and 1t
would tend to prevent the duplication
Of gifts to the institutions that need
it for those purposes. But there is,
beyond this, a large and UNEMPLOYED
f!t Id that is nearer to us; l mean our
common poor This is a part of the
work which affects the most people
which costs us the most money-whch
IL nearest TO us, and yet of which we
know the least "rhe poor we have
always with US" and whenever we
viii We can do them good. We are
too apt to forget that. For one thing
| would like to see something done
that would remove in some measure
the stigma that exists in regard to
our poor houses. 1 believe on the
. whole that this work is we'll done
that our cities and towns 90 not in