Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-07

ent. to the county authorities. 1t is
provided, too, that they shall be apid
on per diem basis and shall have no
fees. And, in order that all agents may
get reasonable pay, there shall be but
one to each county; at present. in sew
eral OF the counties, there is not enough
for two agents to do. 1t is provided,
however-thus eliminating an objection
at the previous hearing-that agents
now serving shall finish their terms"
Mrs. Mary S. Burnham, state agent
for the protection of children of Port
land. objected to the per diem recon-
pense, which is SO a day.
IF this amendment is adopted" said
she, there will be no chance for any
agents to get more than SO day, no
matter how hard they work--and some
OF them are worth more"
ALSO, no provision is made for paying
these agents for clerical work When
the State board calls for reports requir-
ing clerical work we are obliged to pro-
vide them-but we must do it all our
selves, for nobody pays the bills
One of the committee pointed out that
the per diem recompense includes those
days on which agents make out reports,
as well as days in which they attend to
the protection and welfare of children.
In other words, if the agent has one or
two otherwise spare days he or she can
utilize them for reports and collect pay
therefor.
But / work seven days a week as 1t
is," said Mrs. Burnham. Il can't get
the extra day--the eighth day-unless 1
take it our of the hours after midnight"
A little later Mrs. Burnham said:
Deputy Sheriffs get So day. and we
all know that many Of them don't do
thing. We agents earn our money"
They have families to support" sug-
gested one of the committee.
WELL" said Mrs. Burnham, II think
we agents who seek out and protect hun
dreds of unhappy children have the big
gest families, after ALL
Besides" went on the committeeman,
"the deputy sheriffs can vote
20, Tn not suffragist," said Mrs.
Burnham tartly. You can't get me start
ed on that"
Arthur L. Thayer, a Bangor attorney,
objected that under section three Of the
original act, providing that Judges and
magistrates, on complaint. may take chill
dren from their parents and place them
in the custody of suitable persons" no
provision Is made for appeal. This, al
though it had nothing to dc with the re-
draft, started a very long discussion.
Mr.. Whitehouse held that, althougD
no specific right of appeal is specaned
in the act the charters OF pract1cally
all municipal courts provide right OF
appeal in every matter over which these
courts have jurisdiction. Attorney
Thayer's point, which he argued con-
vincingly, was that in most counties
there is no appeal except to the su-
preme court. This means months of
delay and subjects poor parents to many
expenses, such as the employment or
attorneys. which they can Ill afford.
II can cite you incident after Incl
dent" said Mr.. Thayer, "in which the
powers delegated to our police courts
in these juvenile cases has worked grave
injustice to unhappy parents. The very
poor cannot fight their cases in the up
per court; they have not the money,
and they do not understand th> inri-
cacies of the law"
But in every case wherein child.
under some strange combination of un-
fortunate circumstances. is taken from
a worthy home" said Mr.. Whitehouse,
imperative action is necessary to take
children from unworthy homes. You
think Of the hundredth case, which is
right and proper; but l fear you do
not fully appreciate the other side.
Think of children going blind through
inherited or contagious diseases whose
parents will not take them to physi-
clans; think Of other children dying of
starvation because their parents do not
want them to live"
Mr.. Whitehouse agreed. however, that
right of appeal should be inserted In the
act although to what tribunal was not
made plain. 1t was also agreed as
sort of compromise, that the minimum
per diem pay of county agents should
be fixed at $3.50. the maximum being
left to the county ojcials-so there
will be incentive for the hard working
agents, after all.
Hon. E. c. Ryder. representing the Ban
gor Railway & Electric Co., appeared for
an act authorizing this company to trans
port property as well as persons and
baggage" over it's city lines.
Is consolidate of the old Bangor Street
Railway Co., which operated about seven
miles within the city proper, and the fol-
lowing suburban roads: The Bangor.
Orono & Old Town, the Bangor G. Hamp-
den, and the Penobscot Central, which
runs to Charleston.
These suburban roads, once indepen-
dent but now operated as divisions Of the
B. r. & E., have authority under their
charters to transfer passengers and prop
erty. as provided by law But the old
Bangor street railway-the second, by
the way, ever built in the United States
was granted a charter in which it was
provided that its rights shall be no more
than are or may be granted by the city
council" And the council. by an ordi-
mace passed in 1887. stipulated that the
road should be operated for the sole
purpose of carrying passengers and bag
gage" Therefore. despite subsequently