Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-11-06

as an abstract ideal or unrealized theo-
ry Of pnlanthropic reform, but from
the state Board as an accomplished
fact and an established institution,
actually created by law organized
with its five members and it's secre-
tar.', and performing its duties in
the State of Maine at the present time.
Incidentally | wish to say that to my
mind ii is a significant and interest
ing fact that during the last session
|of our Legislature the demand for the
creation of a State Board, Which cul-
minated in the passage of the law,
came not from the small band of en-
thusiasts who had originally been the
proponents of the measure and had
loyalty stood by and supported it DUR
ing the six years last past, not from
outside the Legislature, in other words,
hut from inside that body and among
its own members and committees.
Certain members of the appropi ia
ton committee and particularly MIR. /,
Leon f. Higgins, representative from
Brewer. Me-, who presented the bill
and courageously and energeticaly !
supported and procured its passage
through the two houses, feeling the
greeat need Of the assistance of such
an institution To aid them in the per-
fcrinanee of their difficult task OF ii
portionng the State appropriations
among the many charitable institu-
tions throughout the State seeking
State aid, invited the introduction oil
the measure which had three times pe-
fore been presented to the Leglsia-
t,,o without success. and thus out of
tho worry exigencies of the situation the
hoard came into being in the State oil
Mainc
"at the risk If sraversing srouhh
winch NAV be familiar To some OF yoa'
| hut which / feel suite is rot wholly Id
| rili;ar to many of you here, toh'sht'
| I wish to explain at the outset very
briefly inst what "a state Board Is anu
then iqi describe the nature of our own
law creating such board, the organ
izatiop and personnel of obr own board
iust what institutions within our STATE
como. under its supervision, what its
d,,t1ek are. what such boards lave ac-
complishcd for Improvement Oh cil'si
table and correctional work IN othef
| states and some OF TINS thli6s "'@''
we nope, gradually, but ultimate3, ~
he able to accomplish in that uifectioi'
for the benefit of the State Oh Maiie'
| ..Jn the first place: | wish to make
Iit clear to you that the institution
l,,noyp as the State Board of Charities
a,a Corrections is no longer an eN-
ro,.,,ncnt in this country, but that II
ione ago passed that stage. Massachu-
sctts having had such boara esei
sinee 1863. and New York ever since
1867. Briefly, the State Board may pe
detined as Il board or committee COM
| nosed of anywhere from three to =
mamhers. as YOU will, having sklileo
and expeIt secretary specially auaii-
fled bv study and experience N phii-
lantbropic and charitable and corfee-
tional work, whose duty IL is 10 su-
I neryise or instruct the charitable anu
l correctional institutions OF Staee
ubich are supported wholly or In par.
Inv State appropriations and either lo
direct or advise as to their eonouct
,,a mana cement and to report anhu-
ally to the State Legislature. state
Daaras u will be seen, therefore, are
., two kinds. those which on the one
/
manage the state institutions ahe
those. which merely advise as To theli
: man,yement. OF the states of tue. Chi-
Ion there now remain but "a which no
No Do.rd of Charities or Corrections
Eight states now have Boaros VI ''N
Iforncr class, known as BoafaS u W"
ltroi while q states. including ha1''e'
thaye advisory boards. Two states, we"
'ttIyt =
Jersey and oklahoma, nave one Nohi
missioner of Charities. The siHSe com
missioner and the Board OF Goil'roi
have not proved as successful III tieii
loneration as could be desired Tor s"o
rc,sons first. because they are saia-
lr;ad officials and the position becomes
|, ,ob or political plum which erlfss
the institution into the arena OF pom
t;cs and lessons it's independence and
i,,na rtiality and, secondly, because the
lyeetirr of the actual management of
ali tho institutions of a state under the
,o,trnl of single board tends
TO limit the Know ledge OF PM
la,thropic and institutional work III
La given state which comes from
lactual experience in the condecl ol
institutions by taking away all power
from the local boards of trustees and
concentrating it in the hands of
few men, The advisory boards or
charities are, therefore, those which
most meet with the approval of tho
students of scientific philanthropy at
the present time. Consequently l am
/ glad to be able to state that the law
creating the state board for the state
of Maine has established board OF
/ the latter class, or an advisory board
/ only, This law is modelled ON the
best and most approved laws of the
other states of the Union and has
passed through the cruciblc of erih-
cism and discussion in this state be-
fore many of the Legislatures ana
public meetings for the last six years,
and it is believed to be one of the best
now in force in any state OF TINS
| country. 1t creates nonpaftlsah
board of five members, at least one OF
| whom shall be a woman, who Shaii
serve without compensation, and who
shall elect a president and a secre-
tary, the latter to be qualified by spe-
! ciaI knowledge and experience III