Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-14
Maine Legislature
CONTINUED from Page on.)

IL mas Oeeu CldlAACu IA1S ~ ~
an invasion OF state rights. but that
has a strange sound to- our northern
tongue, for the doctrine of state
rights, carried to the extreme, once
nearly disrupted the Union.
LAS to taxation, the taxes will go
on just the same, If we do not &C
cept the provisions of the act. for
they come out of the Federal IN
come tax. If we reject the act, then
the money that could have been
ours will be divided among the other
states.
Many falsehoods have been told
about this law, and one is that hlgn-
priced Federal agents will forclbly
enter our homes The only one that
enters our homes against our Wills
is the white-robed angel of death.
for we have a high rate OF infant
mortality"
James Q. Gulnac president OF the
State Chamber of Commerce and
Agricultural League, said he could
not, after reading and re-readlng
the maternity act, conceive why any
minded man or woman could
object to it, There is no chance of
Federal forces entering the home. .
he said. 1.-The bill Is guarded, it
seems to me, SO that there is no
l. ason to fear the Federal govern
L. ent becoming too paternalistic."
Mr.. Gulnac quoted paragraph by
~; ragraph from Governor BaXter's
i exclamation last summer declining
o accept for the time being the
u DIVISIONS of the Smith-Towner bill.
II rom reading the Governors proc
IL nation" he said. lone who does
know from actual touch with
! work of our State Health De-
tment. would get a very mis-
- ling impression as to what has
/ done"
Ir. Gulnac said there is at the
sent time $1O,Op0 to be had for
tn work in tkis State by simply
ng legislative action on this bill.
explained that although Maine
Ma been carrying on maternity
~ II has been greatly handi-
y, of funds. He de-
talic itclth work is
OPPOSITION an aid he
sorrs ut BUSINESS '"cn do not
greater inteVct II
quoted figures trrs..Iytt =
mortalt$ EatAsin ArooAv -,
lty and sN5 that many infant
ms are due to ignorance. lack
physicians and slipshod methods
airing for children. Speaking of
work of Miss Edith Soue, super
...eldent of nurses. Mr.. Gllnac said
she had accomplished much, but
had done it under very adverse con-
dltions and in spite OF them.
Quoting from the Governors
proclamation regarding Federal con-
troll over State affairs. Mr. Gulnac
said: II challenge anyone to show
that this bill puts any Federal con-
tro1 over the affairs of the State of
Maine. 1 didn't dream the Federal
government would appropriate
money as it has done here and put
as few strings on it as it has
Maine at no time ever had a bet
ter opportunity to get little money
for nothing than she now has" he
continued; maine tgets over $4,000
more than she puts in on this and
l CAN'T conceive Of any better work
along! the economy line than in this
instance"
Questioned by Senator Phillips OF
the committee as to whether he
could still favor accepting the pro-
visions of the bill if the LEGISLATURE
voted an appropriation for matern-
lty work, Mr.. Gulnac said he would.
Mrs. Rosellc w. Huddilston OF
Orono. president of the Maine Fed
Grafton Of Womcn's clubs. said she
represented membership of over
I.WW intelligent women and that the
Federation in its last meeting had
adopted resolution calling on the
Legislature to accept the Sheppard
IoWner bill. She said the Nationa,
federatlon of Women's Clubs had
worked hard for it in Congress. and
Huotcd long list OF women's or
CARNATIONS in favor of it.
MIS-. Althea G.. Quimby of Turner.
president of the Maine w. c. r. IL
ana vice president of the national
Mhite ribbon organization. said that
from being the most wastcful nation
IN the world we were turning to con-
ScrVItion and the members of the
w. =. L. L.. had long urged the con-
SerNatlon OF children along certain
lines. Now they favored it throuph
tHu medium OF the Sheppard Towner
Ell. 1T would be rather difficult to
tell what the life of a baby is worth
IN cold cash" she said. but we do
know that 100000 infants died last
year. a large proportion of them
nccdlcssly. We would not like to saw
what the life of a mother is worth.
measured by money, but we know
that 10000 died last year principally
from needless causes"
MIS-. Qulmhy informed the COM
mittec that the health authorities of
Maine could formulate their own pro-
grams for carrying out the proyis
ions of the act. although this would
ne subject to federal approval, and
she declared that there was no evil
dence that any state had been ham,
pcrcd by the government in carving
out its program.
When she had finished. Soma tor
CroXford, chairman of the commit
tee. asked Miss Conner how many
more speakers she had. and she re-
piled that she thought there would
be four. Then tie senator asked the
opponents of the measure to raise
their hands, in order that the time
might be divided as nearly equally
as possible between the two sides.
One woman and several men raised
their hands.
The brief but meaty arguments of
Mrs. +. +. Ross of Guilford, one of
the legislative committee of the
Maine Federation of Women's Clubs.
Mrs. C. w. Richmond, president of
the Bangor Federation of Women's
Clubs. and Mrs. Genevieve Campbell,
president of the Sangerville wom-
to commend them. "Such addresses
as those" he said. "are pleasing.
This is Il real old fashioned Metho-
dist meeting"
1T is this fifty-fifty basis that is
going to wreck us some day." declar-
ed former Senator Aaron B. Cole OF
York. in making the opening address
for the opposition to the act. "Some-
body gives us fifty dollars and we
match it with fifty" he continued
1--WE fool the towns in the same way
xr-;11 <rs,, -,
If they will match it, and then we
take it out of their poke tbooks. II
is useless for us to attempt all these
things until we grow, and we are
not growing. We are simply jackine
UP the old valuation and by and b.