Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-02

emergencies tnat arise after the Leg
islature adjourns. 1t should not be
used as fund from which the Gov
crnor and Council may make appro-
pristions just as the Legislature ap
propriates money, and we have been
obliged to refuse most of the calls
made upon US. This fund is made
I'D of uneXpended balances of APP
preparations, and it should be used
only in accordance with the prov;-
sions of the law creating it. In years
past large sums have been taken
but I believe that the Legislature
which raises the money should be re-
sponsple for its appropriation, and
so in so far as / have been able to II
so this fund has been protected, and
will be used only when a real emer-
gency arises.
An example of such an emergency
is the case of the appropriation for
dependent and neglected children.
Secretary Bagley of the Charities
and Corrections Department some
weeks ago informed me that the de-
mands upon him for these children
largely exceeded the funds made
available by the legislative appro-
priation, and he told me that he
would be obliged to give up caring
for three or four hundred children
unless some provision was made for
them. 1t appears that the State has
assumed the responsibility of caring
for about nine hundred dependent
and neglected children. and that this
total is increasing by about three
hundred children each year. The
Legislature made provision to care
for about five hundred children, and
the Council and myself were una1-
imously of the opinion that the care
and relief of the additional four hum
dred children constituted u real elncr-
gency. We could rot have allowed
this work to stop, and so We took
enough money out OF the Contingent
Fund to carry it on. I believe tho
people of the State will approve our
action.
Farms.
The farm industry OF the State
should at all times receive our most
careful consideration. Maine is al
agricultural State and more than
| one half of our popula ton live upo1
! farms. The burden of taxation rests
heavily upon the farmer, and this il
so because all the property of the
| farmer is in plain view, and every
/ thing he has is out in the open. When
one studies the figures OF Maine
! farms the prospect is not cncouraG-
!! ing. The number of farms lInd,r'
cultivation has decreased in the ten
year period between 1910 and 1920 by
| HTS. When one goes more deeply
| into the figures 1t is seen that forty
| years ago. in 1880, 100000 acres of
| land in Maine were under cultivation.
| and that but 5,40n, 600 acres was un-
! der cultivation in 1920. Farm life at
| it's best is hard and anything that
! can be done TO relieve the strain Will
! Eelp the entire State. The condition
| in the shore counties of the State is
more critical than elsewhere. for they
| havesmore abandoned farms than Tie
other counties, and beside these
abandoned farms there are altogether
| too many on which the buildings are
not properly maintained. In Aroos-
! took Countys conditions are very dit
| ferent. | doubt if You can find any
abandoned farms in Aroostook and
we all are glad that this year has
: proved a most profitable one for the
| farmers Of that splendid county. One
of the difficulties of the small farm
| problem is the lack of An adequate
market, but good work is being done
| by the County Agents 6nd the repre-
,s.,t - -, 4
| riculture in aiding the farmer TO
| standardize his products and TO dis
pose Of them at favorable prices.
Education
! There Is one branch Of our govern
ment which makes an especial appeal
. to me and that is the education of the
| young people OF the State. | want 10
urge the authorities of our munici-
palities to do everything in thcjr
! power to provide adequate huildinsS
| and equipment for educational pur-
| poses. | have just returned from
, trip to the northern part of the State
/ and have seen schools of all sizes.
grades and conditions Improvements
| are gradually being made in some Of
! the school buildings and many really
modern buildings have been erected.
| There is no expenditure of money
/ which produces greater dividends
than that spent upon education. Each
| generation should try to give bet
| ter start to the generation succeeding
| it and the superintendent and teach
ers of our public schools need the
| encouragement and the backing OF
| the business men OF the community
| like yourselves. The State is liberal
| in the aid it grants for educational
| purposes. and our department will
cooperate with you in every way.
| Roads
| The question of good roads is 4
vital one to us all, and am glad to
| say that the road situation in Maine
| has improved very much during the
| last few years. We have made great
strides in the maintenance Of our
roads, and the outlook for the future
is promising. Personally believe that
we should not build roads any faster
! than we can maintain them, and I
| am of the opinion that you Assessors
will agree with me that this Is the
policy that should he adopted.
| Forests
| Many Of you Assessors come from
sections Of The State where the pop-
ulation is largely dependent upon
! harvesting and manufacturing the
! products Of the forests We must
! protect the forests in every way from
| fire and disease for without our tim
| her resources our railroads could not
continue to operate and a large por-
| tin1n of ,nnn,11 q tim Il