Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-11-08

praAaon 20 carry out thnne inrtr,,c-
lions. The money fm tnis uurno.e
must come frum this cnntinr.rt
fund
a n1rd way In which rupney may
| De taken from this cuut1nxeut fund
Is TO meet an emergency. The law
autnor1zed the Governor and Coun-
Gil 10 expend money for such mr.
poses IN such case In 1877 +he
inspectors condemned the boiler AT
the State prison. That INSTITUTION
mad TO be heated during the winter.
yet there was no funds appropriated
Tor such work. The Governor and
Council regarded this an an emer-
gency and Immediately trznsferred a
suff1c1ent amount from the contin-
gent fund to the funds of the prison
To pay for the installation of this
heating plant
l nave tried. gentlemen, to make
clear TO you the ways in which
money can get into and out Of the
state contingent fund. I have here
with submitted to the clerk the de-
tailed statement of expenditures from
this contingent fund during the
period required. I will say TO you
that the figures for 1917 and 1918
have already been printed IN the
State auditors report and circulated.
Governor then read from the stem
ographic report Of the House pro-
ceedtngs Of Wednesday, the remarks
OF Rep. Pike N Introducing the or
! GERS calling for these statements and
saic: The figures which 7 submit to
. you and the fluctuations herewith
filed show 10 you that there was.
perhaps, a natural mistake by the
one who examined these accounts
for the balance On hand IN the con-
! tingenr fund was given 70 you as the
expenditures. These figures show
] that the balance of money on hand
IN the contingent fund on November
l, was SS11. 1858 and that the ex-
penditures since January I. 1919. was
S164 .z17.51 and not more than S346.-
, 00o as was sent forth in the remarks
which I have just read.
Vouchers for all this money so
transferred ara now on file n the
State auditors Office. These show 70
what accounts the money has been
transferred, but II IS not always
possible 10 show for what particular
items the money SO transferred was
expended. Il is a good deal as
though a man deposited a $1,000 to-
Gay N the bank. and did the same
thing tomorrow and the day after
and was giving checks right along
TO pay bills with. He could not tell
just which money paid any parLicu-
lar bill. At times. for instance. az
in the case Of the new boiler at tbs
State prison it could be shown.
So much for the State contingent
fund. The contingent fund Of the
Governor and Council IS different
From the beginning il mas been the
custom and since 1907 law that no
vouchers are required 70 be filed for
expenditures from this fund. ! do
not know the reason for this al
thoug. there are Instances. such as
money expended IN the detection of
crime. where such secrecy should be
maintained
Taking Up the request OF the order
for Information concerning the eX-
penditures on the Blaine House, the
Governor first read his letter TO the
Legislature on Jan. II, calling atten
ton to the generosity Of Walker
Blaine Beaie N giving the State the
use Of the mansion during the war.
He then read his letter commitment
i ing the deed OF gift of the building
from Mrs. Harriet Elaine Bcale and
the order of the Legislature accept
! ing the gift, as well as the legisia
tive resolve directing the Governor
and Council to renovate the mansion
as memorial 70 Lieut.. Walker
/ Blaine Beale and for use as an eX-
ecurive mansion.
I These. ne stated. he read To form
a background Of VIVA. he was about
/ TO say. This building, said he, Is TO
, be more than a residence for the
, Governor of Maine. II is to be u
memorial of james G. Blaine 10 his
grandson Walker Blaine Beaie.
! In reply TO your request for an es-
I innate Of the cost OF completing
/ these renovations. T will say. that
/ the contractors place it at SIS, 900
! There has already been expended for
/ furnishings between $4,000 and $4,000
/ II will be considerable more If you
/ leave US to go as we have planned.
. Ii Is for you 10 say. II is Impossible
for the Governor and Council TO fur
+ nisn you an estimate of the cost Of
maintenance of the house for 1920
/ We did not understand that we were
/ directed to take up this matter. We
! have felt that the occupant Of the
house. whoever he might be. would
occupy the upper floors. for this
building is TO serve IN a dual capa-
city. Il is to be a residence for the
Governor. as well as . public me-
moral.
! The alterations have been made SO
as TO provide residence for the
| Governor and also public rooms IN
/ GLIDING the study of Hon. James q.
| Blaine.
The Governor here read the SUM
mary Of the expenditures from the
State contingent fund and Of the
Blaine Mansion expense. as follows;
BLAINE MANSION
EXPENDITURES TO NOV. l. 1913
Wages OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ne ,1s ~
PURCHASE OF PROPERTY