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

tuesdays Budget nearing OCCO-
pied three very busy hours. from 20
5 O'Clock. in the Senate chamber in
/. the presence Of one Of the largest
crowds that has ever attended a
hearing. The Northern. Central and
Western Maine Sanitoriums, the
state School for Boys and Girls, the
State Prison. the Womans Reforma-
tory. and the Bangor and Augusta
State Hospitals were all given OPP
portunity to explain their estimates
for the coming two years and the
cases were all ably presented.
Adjournment was taken to II
o'clock Wednesday morning The
State Normal and Training Schools
and the University of Maine, with
others will be heard.
Tuesdays session of the Budget
hearing started at o'clock instead of
$50. as had been planned. This was
done so that the officials of the Maine
sanitorium could be heard as to their
need and yet permit the committee
to take up the requests which came
from the State Hospitals.
Central Maine Sanitorium
DIR. T. f. Hardy Of Waterville.
president of the trustees, presented
the claims and needs of these insti-
tutions. first taking up the estimates
for the Central Maine Sanitorium.
DIR. Hardy prefaced his specific
statements regarding the various
items of the estimates with a gen.
eral statement as to what had been
n1tchod
lie said that they endeavored to keep
track of what patients discharged
did and how they prospered after
, leaving the hospitals. Their records
showed that 81 5-1Oths of these dis
| charged patients are working at
an average wage of 1926 week.
which would make total earning
capacity for them of 100000 per
year.
1t would he noticed. he pointed out,
that the estimate for maintenance
cost was $l5 per week for each pa
tient of the capacity of the Central
Maine institution. This was an in
crease of 81 per week. In view of the
constant increase in the cost of liv-
ing the trustees felt that this was a
reasonable expectation Of additional
cost the coming two years. 1t was
also felt that if the children's build
ing which was asked for was allowed
this extra s. a week would help in
meeting the cost Of caring for. the
additional number of patients which
would be received.
The need of such children's build
ing at Fairfield was shown, he en-
pla:nec, by the fact that 20 per cent
of all patients admitted to these in
situations were of school age. so hat
from 30 to 30 of the inmates were
school children and must he cared
for. The matter of their education
was Of much Importance. Up to the
present this schooling had been at
tended to at the Hebron Sanitorum.
where the children We're in close
proximity to adults. This was not
advisable for either the children or
the adults. At Hebron an old shack
was used and school maintained
during fail and spring months. To
the trustees it seemed wise to have
this schooling at the Central Maine
institution. So far it had been shown
that the expense Of caring for them
was less at the Central Maine than
at Hebron. The cost OF school
building would be $4,000 and for its
equipment with manual training and
domestic science apparatus would
cost $4,000, q total of $4,000
Councillor Fay-Are there arv
children cared for at the Central
Maine?
DR.. Hardy-Some there and some at
Hebron.
Councillor Fay-With special
building they could all he cared for
at the Central Maine sanitorium"
Or. Hardy-Yes; as it now is wo