Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-12-18

to0y OF Iu0 6OaIO, or " AuSulolUuo
and organizations whose standards
Of caro- are approved by the state
board.
IN the light of experience in the
administration Of the law providing
for mothers with dependent children,
the board believes that this can best
be accomplished by requiring that the
State Board of Mothers Aid shall act
also as a State Board of Children's
Guardians and that Municipal Boards
Of Mothers Aid shall in their work
for the care of neglected children or
children who must be cared for out
side their own homes, be designated
as Municipal Boards of Children's
Guardians.
1.-The state board should be author
lied to approve bills of chiidren's in
situations and organizations and
where necessary of individuals for
the care of children committed to it
or to child welfare organizations and
institutions by order of the court,
such bills to be paid by the treasurer
of state after audit by the state
auditor, the treasurer Of state to re-
cover from the town or settlement the
amount paid, or such percentage
thereof as the legislature may deter
mine.
1T is recommended that the state
pay one half the cost, the same as it
re-imburses towns for one nalf the
aid paid to mothers with dependent
children, thus reserving to itself the
right to control the disposition of
the child, the right to say where and
in what sort of an environment it
shall be cared for, and on the other
hand insuring local community re
sponsibility and interest by the direct
financial share in the transaction. So
far as institutions or home finding
societies or even separate boarding
homes arc concerned. there will be
only one set Of officials to deal with in
the adjustment Of the financial side
Of the problem, which is certainly of
no greater and practically of not
much less Importance than are the
other factors in the problem.
THE law in relation to setting up
and bidding off poor persons at auc-
ton and making contracts for the
care of the poor is clearly not suffi-
GENTLY definite. Conditions in GER
tain cities of the state indicate that
the spirit if not the letter of the law
is being violated. 1t is recommended
that the making of lump sum con-
tracts or contracts for the care of the
poor for a longer term than one year
be prohibited: and that agreements
for the care of the poor may lawfully
be made only upon the basis of
fixed sum per week for such person
and upon a definite specification of
the kind of care and support to be
furnished.
"Ovcrseers Of The poor arc often
careless in making returns to this
office, necessitating a good deal of
needless correspondence. and even
then an occasional report is missing,
many arc incomplete. If there were
a forfeiture to be paid by the town of
q definite sum for each day that the
report was withheld, until the return
was made, as in Massachusetts, much
more prompt and satisfactory returns
would undoubtedly be received in this
Office.
time to time of the treatment accord
or to poor persons who are being as
sisted 10y overseers of the poor in
! their own homes or who arc being
boarded in some family or who arc
refused assistance. More direct au-
thority than is contained in the pres
cnt statutes for the board to inVes-
| tigate such complaints may or may
| not be necessary but the force of
agents which the board has available
i for field work should be sufficient SO
that such complaints can be invcstl-
gated and the truth or the untruth of
the allegations determined and made
public
| Undoubtedly men and women
misdemeanants and criminals should
not be cared for in the same institu-
| ton. 1t will doubtless, however, be
| necessary for the present to care for
women, temporarily at least, i'll coun-
ty jails, police stations, lock-ups and
similar places of detention. but at all
| times while under arrest they should
be in charge of woman. 1t is
therefore recommended that the
county jails be required by law TO
have separate entrances in their wo-
mems quarters. and that the officers
| in charge of any county Jail, munich
nal police station or other place of
/ detention shall provide matron who
/ shall he on duty whenever there are
women prisoners.
THE law now requires that all
plans and specifications for new
buildings or institutions under the
! supervision of the board shall be
submitted to the board for criticism
and suggestion. Manifostly, the law
should be amended to include plans
and specifications for alterations, adj
ditions or repairs which involve any
change in the design, character or
use of the building.
THE law now provides that the
board shall give its opinion as to the
advisability of the proposed organiza-
ton and incorporation Of all institu-
tions of a charitable nature which are
to be subject to its supervision and
inspection. 1t does not say to whom
this opinion shall be rendered. 1t
will be in accord with good super
visory policy il the law in relation to
the incorporation of charitable and
benevolent organizations Is amended
to proyide that they shall not COM
,,,;tbouf a certificate