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

committed to the state prison, how long
they were there for and for what reason
they were committed" Now I presume
that this board could obtain a large
amount of information like that. And 1t
might be of some assistance. But 1t oc-
ours to me that $4,000 is a large amount of
money with which to procure statistics
Of that kind unless we are to be sure
that it would be of some material advan-
tage to the State.
1t has also been urged that it would
save the State quite a large amount of
money in having the different towns and
cities prove their pauper claims, / have
not had very much experience in cases
of that kind; but we have had two or
three up in York county, and 1 thought
we were very fortunate when we received
our money through the proper channel.
| believe the State of Maine. through the
Executive Council as an advisory board.
| requires every city and town in this State
to prove their cases absolutely; and after
proving their cases they sometimes have
to wait several months for their mon
| cy. ana II is Iny opinion THAT lfltI punt
| is well taken.
| I will not take up the time Of the Sen
ate. There are several gentlemen here
| who are perhaps more familiar with all
| the details of this measure than l am;
| but believing as I do that it is not
| business proposition, that the exigencies
of the case do not require the creation of
a new board to come under the jurisdic-
ton of our State, I move, Mr.. President,
that this bill be indefinitely postponed.
Mr. LOONEY of Cumberland: Mr.. Pres
dent the bill before the Senate, Senate
| Document No. 1l9, assigned for special
| consideration this morning, IS what is
| termed: A bill for the establishment of Il
| Board of Charities and Corrections.
| BY the terms of the BILL if the bill be
| comes law, the Governor is to appoint
a commission of five, one of whom shall
| be a woman, and that board shall elect
| a secretary who shall be well informed,
skilled and educated in matters pertaining
the charity and corrections; in other
words, what is termed a charity and cor
rections expert. The scope of the bill is
advisory and not of control. But. as you
will see on a reading of the bill, Section 3
of the bill provides that the commission,
at any time it deems it necessary for the
public welfare. shall institute an inquiry
and investigation in all of the charitable
and correctional institutions of the State.
| After an exhaustive hearing, and after
| patient careful and discriminating con-
sidoration Of the case. the judiciary com
mittee came to the conclusion that the
highest interests of the State demanded
Ne enactment of this bill; and SO the bill
| comes before the Senate with the unani-
nous endorsement Of the Judiciary COM
mittee, there Being not one dissenting
voice. It also appeared at the hearing
| that the officers of all Of the State insti-
| buttons with the exception of one, and
that was only partial, endorsed the bill.
| 1t also appeared that the people in the
| State of Maine who are interested in
charitable and correctional work clergy
men Of all denominations, prominent edu-
Gators and philanthropists, all PRACTICAL
| ~ without exception endorsed the bill
| and favored it's enactment.
| 1t appeared in the discussion Of the bill
before the judiciary that every state in
| New England, with the exception of Yer
mont and Maine, las bill practically
| similar to this. 1t also appeared that y
states Of the Union have similar bills.
Massachusetts enacted its law in 1865.
| New York enacted its law i'll 1867. / be
lieve the state Of Nebraska is the only
| state which. after having enacted the
law, repealed it; and that was done for
| political reasons.
Gentlemen of the Senate: In order that
| we may understand the serious nature Of
| the problem which confronts us and with
| which this bill deals, in order that we
may know how to solve that problem. |
desire, with your permission, to call Your
attention to a few figures; and call the
attention of the Senate to the report Of
the commission to investigate the advis-
| ability of board of charities and correc
tions. Page 50. During the year 1907 the
| State expended for public institutions
| S4l1. 152 As. which extended to aid private
! institutions in that year $9S,350. 1t eN-
pended on the State prison, $l00O1S. There
was expended on aims houses the enor-
nous sum of 100000; on jails 100000;
making total of 1,409, 5S07S. The
secretary says that these amounts are,
II course, constantly increasing, as is
shown by State aid to private insti-
buttons increasing-an | desire partic
ularly to call the attention of the Sen
ate to this-increasing from s66.400 in
1905 to sos, $50 in 1907; the cost OF pub
lie institutions increasing from s345. 769
III 1906 to $4l1,152 in 1907; and of the
state prison from $76,S09 in 1905 to $780,
01S in 1907.
The State auditor has kindly furnish
cd me with additional data relating
to the years 1907 and 1908; and from
his figures it appears that, during the
year 1907 in this State FOR public and
private institutions which Will come
under the provisions Of this bill S724-
SsS and for the year 1898 s4S3, 2S9 or
for the two Yeas $1,20S,14S.
This present Legislature mas appro-
priated money for private institutions
doing charitable work s197 900; and
there is now pending before this Legs-
lature other appropriations for similar
purposes to the amount Of s159900 or
for the years 1909 and 1910, for private
| institutions only the sum of $356,900.
l think the members of the Senate
| iS. t1,a