Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-02-10
STATE HOUSE.
Charities and Corrections
Boards Annual Report.
Asks Confidence and Coopera-
ton with Chance to Prove Worthy.
Important Bulletin Issued by De.
Important Bulletin Issued by De-
partment Of Agriculture.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council Will Be Held at 10 A. M.
Thursday, Feb. 26.

I
Council Will Be Held at 10 A. M.
I Thursday, Feb. 26.
THE board realizes full we'll that
while it's creation was desired and
earnestly sought by the great major
ity of the trustees and officers of
charitable institutions Of the State.
and earnest philanthropic workers.
nevertheless the proposition had it's
honest critical opponents who feared
friction from it's interference and
doubted the advantage to accrue from
its labors," say the members of the
State Board Of Charities and Correc-
lions in their annual report which
VAS fled with the Governor and
Council Monday.
Continuing the report says:
For these reasons partly and also
because in the nature of things it is
necessary and desirable that the board
should feel its way gradually, acquire
thorough information and act only
with fun knowledge, the first motto
which the board has adopted for it's
guidance is to go slowly. investigate
/ carefully and act tactfuIly. The board
posed its organization with good faith
| in their opposition. The board be-
lieves that they stand ready to well
come criticism and suggestion for
| Improvement when made in like good
faith and to recognize and adopt such
suggestions as are made upon their
merits, and to all such the board says
| merely: Give us an opportunity. If
| we can help yop,s allow US to do 80,
in order that the State and its in
situations may be benefited and its
moneys expended to the best advant-
age. If we cannot, then. at least, we
propose to see to 1t that our endeav-
ors have done you no harm. We ask
| for your confidence. We shall seek to
! get acquainted with you and the con-
ditions under which you are doing
| your work. We want to meet you,
and we hope You will meet us, in the
right spirit. and to work with you in
/ harmony for the advancement of thei
/ true interests of charity and philan-
thropy in our State,
LAS to what the board may be able
to accomplish for good. it can only
point at present standing as it does
on the threshold of its work. to what
has been accomplished by like organ
izations in other states. where boards
OF charities and corrections have been
tried for many years and demonstrat
ed their efficiency.
AS a result Of the questions an
swered by the various institutions and
the overseers of the various cities and
towns. the board has obtained much
necessary data which will enable it
to become familiar with the needs of
the several institutions under it's SUI
pervision and to work in harmony
with their trustees and resident Off
GERS and to be helpful to them
"All of the institutions under the
supervision Of the board will be visited
during the next year, either by the
secretary or some member of the
board. 1t is hoped that the secretary
will be able to visit allsof them and
that he will. in most instances, be ac-
companied by some member of the
+ board residing in the section of the
State where the institution is located.
I The larger State institutions will each
be visited by a majority of the board.
Recommendations, suggestions and
criticisms which may be made by the
secretary or members of the board,
as a result of their visits will he sub
mitted to the full board and where,
after careful consideration, any ac-
ton seems necessary, the desire of the
board will be communicated in writ
| ing by the secretary to the institution
or institutions concerned.
"Seasonahly before each biennial
| nf T ;cta be a,,1
! desires to be informed by the several
institutions under its supervision of
| the amount Of any appropriation which
they propose to ask from the Legisla-
ture, the purpose for which the money
is desired and the reasons on which
| the request is based, so that the board
may be prepared to give to the Legis-
| lature such information as it may
seek in relation to the comparative
necessity or ACCESSIBILITY Of the sew
eral appropriations requested. The
board invites from the public, or from
any source, information of any pro-
posed request for appropriation by the
Legislature for charitable or correc-
tional purposes, together with infor-
nation as to plans, purposes and cir
, cumstances which seems to make such
request advisable.
THE board proposes eventually to
recommend to the several institutions
| system of fiscal accounting in har-
mony with the requirements Of the
State auditor, which will enable them
to keep track of each department or
activity during short periods Cat least
quarterly in comparison with CORES
ponding periods of prior fiscal years,
suggest methods Of economy in the
purchase of supplies and furnish uni
| form data to the board for purposes
Of comparison.
.'It is proposed to make the board.
Its secretary and its office, so far as
possible, a central bureau Of Informal
ton, and to collect statistical facts
and ideas from any sources from
which information can be obtained,
that will enable the board to answer
such questions as may arise in the
charitable and correctional work of
the State, In any case where the in
formation desired Is not on file in the
office of the board, effort will always