Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-29

! paign throughout the State for the
! prevention of disease and the eradica-
/ ton of its causes rather than the
mere control and cure of disease al
ready existing. The management OF
such department requires public
| health officer of the type just begin
| ming to be trained in states already
! having such departments. We are
fortunate in having secured in The
person Of DR.. l.. D. Bristol splendid
| official Of precisely the right tenn
permanent and training. At the re-
quest of the surgeon general OF the L.
! S Army, Dr.. Bristol has worked out 4
comprehensive program for dealing
with special health problems created
] by the war with particular reference
to returning soldiers. This service
alone will amply justify the existence
! Of the new department.
Education
Any war policy would be short
| sighted indeed if it failed to take
P, into account the vital necessity OF
| training the boys and girls to deal CT
/ fectively with tho problems which
might confront the nation after the
war is over. On account of Names
location and natural resources ard
because of the urgent food emergency
! created hv the war. the useful rela-
ton Of the public school system to
! practical agriculture is one of our
most vital educational problems.
/ This considerable ion. among others. lead
to the appointment as State SupeIin-
tendent of Schools Of DR.. \. o. Thorn
as who is one of the best qualified ex
perts in America upon this particular
subjeo> TO meet the proposals of Inc
United States Bureau of Education
for increased Federal and State CO.
i operation in industrial training, Dr.
Thomas has prepared program for
vocational training in ship-bullding
and other industries as we'll as aeTi-
!, culture This program has been
adopted in Washington as model for
i other states and places Maine in tne
front rank IN this important ana
timely branch of educa tiOnal training
Other. advanced steps include the eS-
adjustment of expert supervision fNr
all schools in Maine and the adoption
of State course of study which Will
, unity instruction and emphasize as
essential the old standby of all Am
erican citizens: reading. writing, spell
ing and arithmetic, and at the same
!. time will make provision for Cultura II
study in the beginnings of community
ciVicS and industrial training.
General Welfare Program
We have continued the recognized
policy Of the Republican party by
contributing literally to the support
of hospitals and similar institutions
: All State institutions for the care OF
the sick and the unfortunate have
{ been brought into closer touch with
. the State House through uniform
system Of bookkeeping and the pay
: ment Of all bills by the State treds-
: ,urer. The management OF the state
prison has been placed in the hands OF
: a prison commission for the purpose
Of securing a continuous management
. which will be undisturbed by politi-
= cal changes.
1 An effective loan shark law enforced
, through the bank commissioner Of
. fee prevents usurious rates of inter-
I est. The so-caIled peonage law which
l has caused much complaint among
: laborers in the lumber woods has been
= repealed.
= . Ballot reform. so-lone discussed. has
: row been accomplished by the adop-
ton of a law which re- ms the con-
$ venient features of the old ballot,
, abolshes the Objectionable "sticher
| and allows freedom Of choice betwee1
individual candidates with little dan
ger of Observation-Disclosures through
: failure to mark the ballot properly
I The Republican party was returned
, to power in Maine pledged through
q its platform and it's candidates to the
. rigid and impartial enforcement of
I the prohibitory law. That promise
4 has been kept. The honest efforts Of
. officials charged with the enforce
:. ment Of law in Maine. aided by new
: State and federal legislation have
, brought about a condition so salts
factory that all discussion Of the wis
= dom of the law is permanently ended.
Some of our jails are empty. All
. have rapidly dwindlns number or
. inmates. Arrests for all causes are
constantly decreasing.
< Both the prohibitory law and ITS
z rigid. honest enforcement have the
r overwhelming support of public opin y
NJ ION throughout the State. The pro-
g hibition amendment to the federal
f constitution will undoubtedly be rati-
e fed as soon as the Legislature can
: meet again and we should unite IN
e urging upon Congress the immedia'e
: enactment of law forbiddins the
| manufacture or sale of Intoxicating
e liquors for beverage purposes during
: the continuance of the war. AT
= time when the utmost resources OF
e the nation are required in the prose-
u cution Of the war the appalling toll
t levied by the liquor traffic upon the
: scant available supply Of food. fus
: and labor and even upon life Itself
+; should no longer be tolerated.
+ What ! have said to you has MAJ
: urally taken the form of an outline.
: necessa rily brief and incomplete. "f
b what we have been trying to do III
Z YOUR behalf, and. as we believe, in
the interest of Maine and of the na =
ton All my time and energy nav"
j been devoted unstintedly to this task.
+ | have tried to be where for the me-
/. ment ! seemed needed most. Finer
Z gencies croWding rapidly upon us
g have bad to he met without prece-
+ dents 10 guide us. important de-
$ cisions without number have had 20
4 be made have made my share OF
V mistakes no DOUBT. 1t would be
= strange If single man in this con-
/ vention found himself in complete
~ 1f In n