Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-18

ton, and the Governor ana Counc1l
have made her work . permanent Di-
vision OF the Health Department.
DIR. Kendall stated that in Maine in
1920 there were 1898 deaths of chill
dren under one year of age, as COM
pared with 1876 in 1921. He be-
Iieves that this reduction Of az
deaths is due largely to the increased
activity Of the nurses under Miss
/ Soule's supervision. In 1920 there
were $50 still-births in Maine, as
! compared with $50 in 1921, reduc-
ton that he also attributes to the
nursing division.
| It was brought out at the hearing
! on June 23rd that the maternity and
/ child welfare work that would be
| done in Maine under the Sheppard
Towner Bill would correspond to that
/ now being carried On by the State
Health Department on it, own re-
sponsibility.
The States Appropriations
! The State of Maine is doing health.
maternity, child welfare and mothers
aid work to an extent that is not I'M
derstood by citizens in general. and
| the figures in connection with this
are interesting. The last Legislature
/ appropriated $s32.750 to be expend-
ed for these branches of the States
| activities, and although this amount
I is larger than was ever before appro-
priated 1t has proved insufficient to
meet the demands. The Governor
and Council haye arranged to provide
enough money to supplement the leg
/ islative appropriation, taking 1t from
/ the State Contingent Fund under the
/ Emergency Clause, SO that there will
be no interruption IN this work. The
! total amount to be spent will prob
ably exceed one million dollars. This
I money Is used for the board and care
OF dependent and neglected children,
cleaning up the milk supplies OF cit
( les and towns in order to prevent
( milk from tubercular cows being sold
within the State, State aid to needy
mothers with families Of children,
/ and the general health work already
| outlined herein which is now being
done by the Health Department.
"Federal Aid"
| When the United States Govern
ment offers a state a certain amount
Of money on condition that the state
accepts the provisions of the Federal
Bill under which the money is offered,
/ it is termed Federal Aid" In ac-
cepting Federal Aid a state must
comply with all the conditions i'm
posed by Congress upon that state,
and in doing this a state often is
obliged to surrender to Congress a
certain amount of control over its
own internal affairs. Federal Aid"
already has been accepted by Maine
/ for use in several Of its Departments,
such as that OF roads, schools, for
ests, National Guard, and agriculture
and where power has been expressly
delegated by the state to the Federal
Government there can be no criticism
of states receiving Federal Aid.
The Sheppard Towner Bill now pro-
poses that the Federal Government
be given certain authority and su-
pervision over the care OF mothers
and children within the state.
The Federal Aid' now received by
our State was accepted before I be-
came Governor, and consequently
the present status as to these depart
ments cannot be changed. In my
| opinion, however, the practice of
granting Federal Aid to states limits
! the sovereign rights of the states Of
the Union, and should be extended
only in cases that Enthusiastically come
within the provisions of the United
States Constitution.
At the hearing on June 23rd the
advocates Of the Sheppard -Towner
Bill admitted that the United States
Supreme Court might declare the bill
unconstitutional thus making the
$4,000 "gift" to the State an unlaw-
full use Of the public funds by Con-
gress. Notwithstanding this, these
advocates urged the State to accept
| the money because other states have
done So" The weakness of this ar
eument is apparent, and the State of
Maine will take no money unless it
has clear title to it.
I believe the time has come for the
states of the Union to hold to a prin-
ciple and to carefully scrutinize all
offers Of Federal Aid" before accept
ing them. Having no doubt as to
what my duty is in this matter, I de-
cline to accept the Sheppard Towner
Bill and this State for the time being
Will stand with New York, Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island, the three
states that have rejected it. The State
Of Maine will not sell it's birthright. |
and principle not expediency, has
! been the discriminating factor with
me in the solution of this problem |
The financial aspect Of Federal Aid is |
interesting. The preferred $4,000 |
has been referred to as "free gift" |
to the State Of Maine, while in reality !!
the Federal Government is taxing the |
state to raise this money, and now in |
order to help our mothers and chill |
dren offers to pay back to the State |
the trivial sum Of less than two |
thirds Of one cent for each inhabitant. |
At the present time over $4,000, 900 |
is annually taken in taxes by the |
Federal Government from the people |
OF Maine and less than $1,250,0O0 is !
returned to the State in the form of /
Federal Aid. This $1S.000,000 of |
Maine money is paid into the Fed |
eral Treasury at Washington, a large |
portion being absorbed in heavy adj
ministration expenses at the Federal !
Capitol, and small fraction being |
returned to the State.
Federal Encroachment
during the World War the power Of |