Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-08-19

fifty dollars. Was that the amount
of the 1915 balances in those funds
Is 1t a fact that over $4,000 of the
teachers pension fund was dropped
Dec. 31st, 1915 and only about $3.50
credited to the permanent school
fund and that done June 30th OF this
year?
What Hasn't Been Done?
Among the appropriations for pub
lie improvements made by the legis-
lature Of 1915 were the following:
Remodelling the State prison. $780,
900.
Remodelling second male wing. Au-
gusta State hospital, sS5.000.
Woman's reformatory. $4,000.
Central kitchen at school for feeble
minded, $4,000.
These appropriations were all for
| worthy objects and were available
about July l, 1915. Were steps taken
to carry into effect these acts and
resolves July I, 1915?
The State prison commission was
not appointed till April 18th. 1916, and
only s2,205.O9 of the s5o,0O0 has been
expended to Aug. 1, 1915. The bids
for the hospital wing were not call
ed for till May Slst. 1916, and moth
ing done yet, only about $50 Of this
appropriation expended.
Women's Reformatory commission
were not all appointed till Nov. a.
1915, too late to do much business
that year.
No work was done on the new
building for the School for Feeble
Minded during the year 1915. except
to excavate for the foundation.
You have stated as a reason for
the delay in the Womens Reforma- :
tory that you wanted suitable To-
cation regarding water, sewerage.
etc. This Is commendable, but is
hardly a good reason for delaying
the appointing of part of the COM
mission to July, part to October and
part to November. 1915.
Looking for a suitable site for the
location Of the reformatory was no
reason to delay the appointment of
the commission to remodel the State
prison till April 18th, 1916. over a
year after the Legislature that or
dered the work had adjourned
Neither could 1t have been the cause
at the Augusta Hospital.-bids for
which were not received till May 81,
1916. You stated in Bangor that the
State would save s150000 by the
change in new plans. AS the lowest
bid for this work was little over
100000, it would need some explana-
ton to see how the State by refus-
ing to accept a bid to complete a
building costing about 100000, can
save one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars on the transaction.
Chap. 391 Of Resolves Of 1915 ap-
propriated s85,000 for renovating the
second male wing Of Augusta State
Hospital, and making it a f1re-proof
building like the third female wing
which was remodeled, finished and
furnished in 1914 at a cost Of about
| 100000
The loss to the State by the delay
in carrying into effect the resolves
Of the legislature for those build
ings must cost the State thousands
Of dollars in the increased cost oi
material. This can be seen from the
loss to the State Of some $4,000 ir
the small job Of heating and plumb.
ing tnc neW at ToWHoi "HCIs
for some reason the bid for this work
was not accepted last fall.
! In consideration of this review OF
your statements, and administration
and like yourself alive to the com
mon interests Of our State. I am firm
| ly Of the opinion that our fellow citi-
zens will require something more
convincing than what you have thus
far put forth before accepting your
claim Of a good business adrninistra-
! tion.
Very respectfully.
T. F. CALLAHAN,
| Lewiston. Aug. 18, 1916.