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

| merit charge upon the State of Maine.
| TIE other bill is An Act for the re-
covery cf money improperly paid by
| the state for the support of insane
paupers. AS | understand the law, al
| the present time, when insane paurerS
are sent to the insane hospitals to be
supported at the expense OF the State,
it is the duty Of the town officials to
| ascertain whether or not those insane
| paupers are able themselves to pay.
and whether or not they have relatives
| or friends who are responsible for their
support.
| OF course, there is not much lncen-
| tive for the town officials to make this
/ investigation, because there is nothing
| in it for the town officials If those
persons are not found, why-the charge
| becomes a permanent one upon the
State and especially after the new law
goes into effect on Jan. 1, 1910, by
which all these insane paupers are to
be supported by the State. There will
be less incentive for the town officials;
and this act which accompanies the
| main hill under discussion also puts
the burden upon the State Board of
| Charities and Corrections to investi-
|
report to the State. and then the at
torney general is under the duty Of
obliging relatives and friends who
| may be able to support those paupers
of obliging them to pay to the State
! either the entire. or such prOpOrtionate
part of their support, as they may be
called upon to do.
| I think that these two bills are quite
| h. Sfot Of NJoi,
| the main bill-in fact. a much larger
sum of money is involved. At the pres
ant time per cent. of the entire pop
ulaticn of the State is pauper: and if
am correctly informed, it costs
something over $500 a year to support
an insane pauper: 50 you can readily
see that if only q few of these cases
are discovered every year by the state
Board Of Charities and Corrections. the
cost Of this commission will be very
materially reduced
| I think that every cent of the States
| money that is appropriated for private
| Institutions and hospitals should be
| carefully traced by the State. AMI
when YOU realize that s. private insti-
tutionS-I am not speaking of the In
| sane hospitals and other State nstitu-
| tiOns--Whnn you realize that 50 differ
| mt institutions have applied to thi;
Legislature for State aid. amounting
| 30 $3tG, 100 for the ensuing two years,
| it becomes q very material question as
| o who is to trace this money and to
see that it is properly expended. | 10
| not wish to question the sincerity OF
| integrity of any of these various
| boards. They are composed of mon and
| women who are sincere and earnest
! who come here and tell their tales ana
| toll their needs to the committee on
| lppropriations They are moved. out
| ii sympathy for them, but the State
| Zoos not know whether that money is
| wisely expended. / do not think amy
| body questions but that it is honestly
| eTpended-but it may not be wisely
and economically expended, and al
though they will not receive that en-
| tire sum they will receive a large pro-
portionate part of it.
The State has been spending the sum
in round numbers of $1,G00,000 n
year for its State institutions-its pri-
| vate institutions and it's county jails
| and aims houses: and the small sum
of $4,000 year only amounts to one
| half of l per cent. of this entire
amount. Is it not good business to APP
propriate the small sum of one-half
Of per cent. in an effort to follow
some of this money and to see that q
dollars worth of good comes from q
dollars worth of mney.
The list which the senator form Knox
| prcsClted-the trustees of some of our
institutions-I think might deceive the
| mao ,lnr Of
of those gentlemen favor this board
and want its advice and assistance;
and as the Insane hospital, across the
| river, as been referred to and as he
has called your attention to Governor
| Robe. who is chairman of that board
| | wish to say that Governor ROBBIE him
self is very anxious to have this board
| created. He has so stated by letter
| and In conversation and other men,
| rs of these different boards of trus-
tees which he has mentioned are also
| in favor of it.
Mr. GOWELL: Mr.. President,
think if the angel of the resurrection.
or angel Of light to which the distin-
gulShed senator from Cumberland has
| referred. ever appears to the bcknight-
ed people of this State, it must appear
| in the vicinity of Portland and Cum
ber!and county, for we would not have
known of the deplorable condition of
our jails or the great need we have
for this commission, if it were not for
our friends from Cumberland county
l understood my distinguished friend,
Senator Warren from Cumberland. to
say that this State appropriated large
sums of money for charitable purposes
over which we had no control and of
which we had no definite knowledge
as to the manner in which it was ex-
pended. / will say that the members
Of the Senate who have visited the
committee room of the committee on
appropriations and financial affairs
know that in almost every instance
the treasurers of the various inseitu-
tons are required to show their books
books and to exhibit to that committee
in what way the money is expended,
| and / will say just a word in regard to
what Senator Baxter said about bills