Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-06

some plan of spending our State
money, the same as we spend our per-
sonal funds, for the things that we
need the most and not for the things
that for the time being we can per-
fectly well get along without.
The State expenditures for charity
for 1914-15 amounted to $4,000, for
corrections $4,000 and for charity and
correction, the State board, $1,000.
County institutions cost, as I said
above. $4,000. Cities and towns ex-
pended in aid Of private institutions
$3.50. They expended for poor re-
lief, $4,000 And. mind you, that does
not include any money which was re-
funded to them by the State on ac-
count of persons who had no legal
settlement in any town in the State,
that Is included in the figures given for
expenditures of State funds for char
ity.
Now let us get away from figures for
a few minutes and talk about some
thing that will come pretty near home.
We are now in a rural community
and the most of Maine is after all a
rural community. Poor relief is in
creasing in cost, and fast. 1t seems to
me, one reason for this increase is the
way we are administering poor relief
Our overseers of the poor are exsofficio
our selectmen; they are busy men;
they are ind-hearted men. They are
between two fires; they want to help
the poor if they need it, but they want
to keep the tax rate down.
What is the matter with the aims
house?" you say. 1t is all right II you
have a good one, people enough in it
so that you can afford to have proper
| conveniences for the care of the sick,
properly trained and paid people to
look after them. but if you had seen
as many little country almshOuses as
l have, only the conveniences of an
| ordinary dwelling house. and many
times a poor one at that to take care
of Old sick, infirm people and the
towns people unable or unwilling to
pay what it costs-and it costs good
deal to take proper care Of the aged
the sick, the lame, the halt and the
blind under those conditions-if you
have to pay good money for it instead
OF doing it because it is father OF
mother or sister whom you love and
for whom no effort is too great-you
| would not WONDER tnaC although we
have 1873 almshouses in the State, q
little more than one for each four
only about 100 Of them are open, that
they appear to be gradually being clos
ed up. One or two towns which have
had their houses burned within thu
! last year or two will not rebuild an6
others have sold them, closed them w
or rented them.
| When these 104 almshouses were
inspected last year, they had a tota
of S51 inmates, and about 200 of those
were in the almshouse of the city o.
/ Portland by far the largest in the
! State, approXimating the county aims.
houses or other states and having ade-
ouate facilities for the care of its in
mates Seven Of them had no inmates
I is had but one inmate, II had only
| two inmates, 50 or more than half, had
! four or less, 81 had less than 10, leav-
ing only II with more than 10 inmates
The State board believes that the So
! ultion OF this problem, is a county OF
| district atmshouse for those who need
! institution care and adequate relief in
+ their own homes, when we give such
/ relief with more service, study and