Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-22


pacity.
School for Girls
Mr. Hinckley said the 100000 ap-
preparation Of 1917 for a new build
ing at the State School for Girls at
Hallowell was sufficient. The building
is nearly complete. the bills audited
and the cost is $4,000. The trustees
ask $500 for 1919 and $500 for 1920
for a start on a laundry plant. which
$500 for hospital. With girls bring
ing conta gious diseases it is impor-
tant that they be isolated and remove
the danger of contagion from the
others.
Asked by Senator Walker if the
building erected was as good as
planned, Mr.. Hnckley said it was not
quite SO large. but admirably fitted
for it's purpose.
Miss Gertrude l.. Macdonald, SUI
perintcndent of the school, said the
laundry work was now done in the
old fashioned way, in two rooms in
each of the cottages and it took about
three days Of each week to do the
washing and ironing, with from 1900
to 1000 pieces per week. She didn't
know what the complete plant would
cost. but thought a good start could
be made on $500, with additions from
year to year.
They have about 125 girls at the
institution and with the new building
and the release of certain rooms in
the others, about 25 more girls would
be accommodated. and a correspond
ing increase in the force. They also
hope to get a resident doctor.
State Prison
Edward w. Wheeler. chairman of
the State Prison Commission. was the
first to appear on behalf of the State
prison. He said the matter of appro-
priation would be taken up under two
heads. one of which would cover the
general and ordinary expenses of the
institution and the other extraordin-
airy expenses called for by the PRES
ent dilapidated condition of the State
prison at Thomaston. The appropria-
tions called for under the head of
special appropriations, said Mr..
Wheeler, would be discussed by him
self leaving the other and general
items of expense for the warden, Mr..
Ham. to present.
The problem starts at the prison it.
self. Notwithstanding the many calls
for money the question of the state
prison was an important one and one
that could not he longer delayed. The
needs for the other institutions. how
ever great. should not be allowed to
prevent this, the most neglected of
the States institutions, from receiv-
ing what it should have obtained
years ago.
The state prison was built soon af-
ter Maine became n State and was
modelled after the Massachusetts
prison which the National Commits
sion last year reported to be tho
worst in the country That commits
sion never visited Maine. otherwise
another story might have been told.
At present the cells are mere cubby
holes in the masonry and contain
about $50 cubic feet of air while the
Massachusetts cells, which have been
recently doubled. contain more.
III I\cW lOIh liSy tIdlIiI lfdl Is
necessary to have 400 cubic feet for
each prisoner. One of the two plans
which have been made to settle the
prison problem in Maine was to
abandon the present site of the pris-
on at Thomaston and build another
prison in n more central part Of the
State. The other plan was to re-
model the present prison and this has
been partially done. Some remodeling
has been done and it was planned to
have each Legislature add to the
work.
The appropriations for extraordi-
mar" work to he done at the State
prison would fall under four heads.
One was the remodeling of the old
wing to provide &c new and comfort
able, cells at n cost Of 500, 900. The old
cells to be removed and to be re-
placed with steel cells. The old boiler
had been useless and sum of s1O.-