Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-04


| be the first one to speak of 1t. The
members of the Governors Council
| have been to the Institution and in
spected 1t carefully. |. myself, have
| done so. and have gone from one end
of it to the other. This institution Is
a credit to the State. and l wish
every woman here would go there
and look 1t over. 1t is true that the
institution has needed a number of
| things done to it for some years past,
but that was before the present ad-
ministration. and the Councillors and
| myself have responded to every ap-
peal and have done everything that
| the Trustees have asked of us. New
bathrooms. new hot water systems,
| and sanitary arrangements have
| been installed by direction of the
| Council, and the money has been
taken from our emergency fund. Not
an item has been neglected.
| Up to the time of the present ad-
ministration the institution in uues-
ton had one nurse. BY order of the
| Council we now have three. There
was a time. some years ago, when
the Institution had a resident doctor.
but when 1 came into Office a local
doctor was being employed. Some
| time ago the Council authorized the
employment of a resident physician
and although that Doctor left last
week we now are looking for an
| other. For the first time in the his
| tory of the State, our Department of
| Health has taken hold of the matter
vigorously, and DR.. Coombs. who has
! charge of our special disease work
| for several months has been devot-
ing himself to this school and now
Is giving his entire time to clearing
up conditions there.
In years gone by when a girl en-
tered the institution. one physical
| examination was made. and this was
not followed up as 1t is today We
| now know Just what conditions are,
| and although the records would
show a larger number of afflicted. it
| is because OF our present thorough
scientific methods and records. and
| because we face the situation more
frankly and openly than ever has
been done before.
Infrmary
The last Legislature appropriated
| $4,000 for an infirmary and I pocket
vetoed the bill. This money, how
ever. is in the State Treasury, is
available If the emergency warrants,
and the Governor and Council can
use 1t If need be. This tnfirmary
|
much within a year, and has nothing
/ to do with conditions that exist at
. Hallowell at the present time. To
| build an tntirmarY now would be to
lock the door after the horse has
| been stolen"
The State School Is doing good
work. and there is nothing there
| concealed from the public. Careful
, investigation will show that the
present administration has done
much more for the Institution than
ever has been done before. We have
nothing to be ashamed of. Most of
| the girls from the Hallowell School
go out into the community and lead
We're not the case. the institution
would be a failure. OF all the wards
| of the State none need to be cared
| for as carefully and as sympathetic
! ally as the girls at Hallowell and the
women at Skowhegan. If there has
| been any fault in the way the insti-
tuition has been managed, it certainly
is not that OF the Governor and
Council. There is a board of
| Trustees appointed to care for the
! institution and I believe they too are
doing their best to help give these
| girls a fair start In life. l welcome
| hllN III tSllSdllCil any DpuE CdISS "
make. If there is any unwholesome
! growth. any cancer in our State de-
partments or institutions. I want it
promptly removed so that it will not
| spread and affect the whole body.
Another Whispering"
Another whispering story that you
all have heard is that the present
| Governor is Roman Catholic. This
story has been spread in an unde rhand-
cd way ali over the state. for the pur-
| roeo of stirring up bitter religious diff
fcrcncce and affcrtir. political sitla-
| tione. Il )orcr~ad 10 ho church ro-
! ferrod TO ,'io"r.1 l., nro,id If il. and
gladly would e,eol I.cyo aud tell YOU
! so. AS a mattcr OF f,c. | was horn
and brought up in tho ,ronrrc~ationa |
church and have attended il Ell my
| life. II is nv church and alG.avs viii
| he mine Rainq a Coprregationalict 7
am not a Roman Catholic nor Meth
! odist noranythinr else but a Conprepa
tionalist II is unforturate and rrun,
| that anyone should he So eyilminded
as TO make deliberate mis-statomnnts
| for the sole nurnose Of Undermining q
| fnllow-citjzen who occunies tho birb-
est Office in the Gift Of The naon1e In
! tbie cacc II is esnccioIIv crt+irg 20
have these false renorts started and
| circulated largely by certain bitter
! personal enemies who attend my own
! church in Portland individuals who
! will stoop so low as to knowingly mis-
lead their fellow citizens will stop at
nothing.
| In this free country of ours there
! should be no religious animosities ::
! each group should be allowed to wor-
! ship God according to the dictates of
conscience. Any man who lives up to
| the principles of his church. be it
| Catholic. Protestant or Hebrew. is a
good citizen and never need be