Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-05

recommend the repeal of the so-callec
Peonage Law, now Section Il of Chapter
Us of the Revised Statutes. This law /:
| open to serious objections which In my
| Judgment far outweigh am practical use
fulness which it may have been found t.
possess. Further more. it was passed u
| meet an occasional and unusual emer
gency and is an unwarranted reflection
upon thousands of contented workmer
regularly employed in the pulp and lum
Der industries.
Your attention is directed to the exis
tence of considerable complaint regardin:
failure on the part of employment agen
tcies to observe strictly the existing laws
regulating their management 1t is pos
] sible that the Commissioner of Labor anG
Industry needs more definite authority ir
| this connection.
! Dependency
With the progress of civilization has
| come general recognition of socety's OBJ
/ legation to maintain decently and il
! comfort those unfortunates who have
! encountered defeat in the economic bat.
| tie of life. Care Of the INDECENT poor Is
managed in Maine through the town OF
| city almshouses. Experience in othei
| states has clearly shown that the county
| or district almshouse provides better care
| for the inmates at less average cost tC
! the communities charged with their sup
port. Forty states care for their paupers
| through county almshouses Rhode Island
and the District of Columbia each have
a m nd
are planning to consolidate their county
! almshouses into institutions serving
| even larger districts. l commend to your
J thoughtful attention the recommendation
| of the State Board of Charities and Cor.
| rectlons that some sort of district aims.
house system be established in Maine
| one of the most important and appeal
ing problems in connection with depend
ency is the condition of children of 9
widowed or deserted mother whose un.
aided earning power is insufficient to sup
port the family. In all cases where the
mother is worthy person of good char
acter, it !. evidently better to help hel
keep the family together and bring VI
| her own children than to attempt te
care for them in an institution at public
expense. Laws providing for State aid t
| dependent mothers have been in existence
| for some time in other states and are nc
| longer untried experiments. | recon
mend the establishment of such a pol
icy in Maine under the supervision OF
the State Board of Charities and Cor
roctions with the provisions that ap-
plicants' for aid must be recommended
I nv, no lnoa1 Of Il
that the expense be divided between
the town or city and the State.
The same principle of division of re-
sponsibility and expenditure between
the city or town and the State should
be applied to the administration of the
law providing for pensions for. the
needy blind, not only because it is
equitable that the local communities
should share the expense but also be-
cause such an arrangement would in
sure the automatic rejection of un-
worthy applicants.
State Prison.
| In order to bring Maine abreast OF
what | find to be the best prevailing
practice in other states the prison al
+, Thomaston should be thoroughly re
organized and separated from the in
fluence of partisan politics. l urge the
abandonment of the present dividend
and ambiguous system of management
partisan board of prison commission
ers to direct the reorganization of ouI
prison discipline. This board should be
authorized to arrange for the employ
ment of prisoners along the lines APP
t-yAT
labor such as the manufacture OF
commodities for State consumption
and labor on public works including
highways, State farms and forest re-
serves.
| Welfare of Children.
From any point of view the children
are the finest asset of our State. SC
| far as possible they must all have
equal opportunities for study and play
the rightful heritage of childhood. I'm
der wise leadership our schools have
advanced rapidly during the past ter
years and little new legislation Is
needed just now. You may we'll con-
slider the wisdom of encouraging fur
Their medical inspection and physica
training in the public schools, exper,
! supervision VI play SIOuIluS, dhu ehe
more general use of school houses fol
community purposes. 1t is also de-
sirable that the system of school,
supervision by district superintendent
be extended throughout the State as
rapidly as possible.
| A child who must leave school tc
enter the ranks of the toilers is es-
pecially entitled to the fostering care
of the State. He must even be pro-
tected from the ignorance or greed OF
his own parents. l urge that our laws
relating to the labor of children be
brought up in all respects to the level
of the recent Federal act and that you
consider further extension of the list
of occupations prohibited for children
Some more definite provision should be
! made for medical inspection of chill
dren working in mills and factories.
Usury Law.
! 1t is your duty not only to protect
our citizens from dangers to theii
physical health but also from unwar-
ranted invasions of their property
rights The loan shark who preys
upon the occasional financial need OF
the wage Garner should be restricted tc
a reasonable rate of interest.
recommend the passage of an ade-
quate law against uSury.