Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-23
Not the Governor, but the Town

Not the Governor, but the Town
A statement of how one mother Of
soldier, and there are many other such
cases, has been refused state aid.
comes to this office over the signature
OF Hon William Osborn of Pittsheld,
former chairman Of the board OF select
men Of that town and member Of the
Maine senate in 1911. The statement
follows:
At the last session of the legislature
an emergency resolve was passed
wherein it was stipulated that any
aged. infirm and dependent father
mother or other member OF household
of soldiers should receive aid TO the ex-
tent of "a per week. For the purpose Of
pa wing the above s. per week and for
other war purposes the legislature made
an appropriation Of 81 600. COO for TIT
governor and council TO spend at their
discretion.
Mrs Edith vinlng Of Hunnewel ave
nue.. Of Pittsfeld. on Jan. !. 1918, was
sick and confined 10 her bed the greater
part OF the time and has not been aple
10 work since that date nor ever will be
again. She is the mother of three sons.
all Of whom have seen fl to risk their
lives in defense Of their country and
one has already paid the supreme price,
having died while in the service.
During last winter Mrs. Vining. while
decrept and sick. and unable to work.
was denied the State stipend Of 81 per
week by order Of the governor and
council. through Mr. Norton. member
Of the committee on military affairs in
the governors council. solely on the
ground that she was not 50 years of age,
and she would have had to have been
helped by the town Of Pittsfeld, had 1t
not been for the generosity of the
neighbors and friends furnishing her
with the necessities of life.
The governor and council have ruleI
under the above law that no aged. in
lrm and dependent fathers and mothers
of our brave boys at the front shall
receive any State stipend unless said
father or mother. as the case may be.
has reached the age of 90 years. The
above cited case is only one OF hun
dreds in this Bangor CONNER
clal
We enjoy the personal acquaint-
ance Of Hon. VIM. NJ. Osborn of Pitts
field an honorable, upright man from
hoyhood, as we can testify. We have
no need to hunt up the case to dis
cover if conditions are as he has stat
edit he has been correctly quoted.
Mr. Osborn knows the law. its faulty
diction and the legal Interpretation.
He knows that no man as honora BILE
as himself or Governor Milliken
could act otherwise under the law
than Governor Millken and his Coun-
Gil have acted. He knows that there
is no conspiracy on the part Of the
Governor to rob dependent mothers
Of their rights at the hands Of the
States tax payers. He knows that
Governor Milliken has naught of Kul-
tur in his heart. Mr.. Osborn would
not insinuate in anyway that Gov
| ernor Milliken or any of his council
would knowingly carry privation or
grief to any human being without just
! cause. much less the brave mother of
| three brave defenders of this country.
! He knows that Governor Milliken is
| not a Hun.
Then why should an unfortunate
| instance be publicly spread so as to
deceive the public and wrong honest
men,
, The statement Of William NJ. o.
born is an indictment Of his town
Such neglect is a serious offense and
should be dealt with. We venture
that it would not have happened had
Mr.. Osborn been one of the town
fathers
Mr., Osborn does not declare that
there are many other such cases" in
the State. He is a practical and rea-
sonable, as we'll as an honest man.
He knows that such loose statements
/ are untrue. That was the CONNER
! ciars political profiteering venture.
II Pitts1eld has neglected to care
for Mrs. Vining under such condi-
tons and without making her a
pauper. regardless of whether or not
single dollar was to come back to it
from any source. then the rest Of the
State Is ashamed Of Pittsfield.
The State has denied Mrs. Vining
nothing it has denied Pittsfeld re-
endorsement until the law provides
for it. That is up to the next Legis-
lature, which will undoubtedly make
! special appropriation to cover such
! cases. Meantime it is up to Pitts
field to give Mrs. Vining every care
without a trace of the stigma of pau
perism.
We are sorry that Mr.. Osborn has
| been classed with the McGillicuddy-
McIntire- Newbert attempt to make