Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-21

ed some Of the members to come in
and oppose it. but you did not come
in although we held it to the very
last minute.
The SPEAKER pro tenn: The ques-
ton before the House is on the mo-
ton OF the gentleman from Auburn.
Mr.. Wing. to indefinitely postpone
House Document No. AIS, An Act re-
lating to salaries of 'Androscoggin
County Commissioners. Is the House
ready for the question.
The question being called for. and
viva voce vote being doubted, q
division of the House was had.
Seventy-seven having voted in
favor Of the motion to indefinitely
postpone and 81 against it, the motion
to indefinitely postpone prevailed.
On motion by Mr.. Chalmers of
Bangor. It was voted to take from
the table House Document No. PA.
just tabled by that gentleman: and
that gentleman yielded the floor to
the gentleman from Orrington, MIR.
Phillips.
Mr.. PHILLIPS: Mr.. Speaker and
members of the House: 1 move the
indefinite postponement Of this re-
solve, and. Mr.. Speaker and members
of the House. 1t is with considerable
reluctance and hesitancy that I make
this motion for l am well aware Of
the feeling, the sentiment. in this
House favoring the passage Of this
resolve: but I do this in order that
I may be fair with you and fair
with the people who have sent me
here.
AS part of the machinery Of this
HnnSp have q
preparations and financial affairs.
Perhaps some of you do not Know
that this committee exists as they
have not been very conspicuous so far
this session. and the responsibility
for the makeup of that committee,
as of all committees. rests with you;
also the duty is to whether that
committee and all committees are
functioning properly rests with you.
Through circumstances 1 happen to
be your House Chairman Of this COM
mittee. and it seems to me that
would be derelict in my duty did
not call your attention to some of
tic financial problems as they present
themselves to us at the present time
AS you probably all know. when this
Legislature convened we were mort
gagged to the extent of five and one
/ half mills; in other words. five and
one half mills of our state tax had
been spent by preceding legisla-
lures. If the resolves now pending
before the various committees are
, finally passed, we would go away
from here with approximately a nine
| mills tax rate.
OF course we all know that there
must be cut. but where and how
much. depends upon the members of
this Legislature. Practically all of
these resolves seem worthy and al
| most necessary. l will mention a
few of the more prominent ones.
, The Committee on Sanitoriums ia
vors the passage of a resolve calling
for 100000 for fire escapes at the
sanitorium at Fairfield. Are you
aware. gentlemen. that this sani-
! torium is located without the fire
| district of the town of Fairfield, and
! that there is practically no fire pro-
! lection? At any time a fire may
break out in that institution causing
loss of life and the destruction of
the building.
This committee also favors the
| passage of a resolve for children's
dormitory at Fairfield. the now
/ northern Maine sanitorium. The con-
ditions there, according to the COM
mittee which has investigated. are
! bad. The children are mixed with
! the grown people. having no chance
! to play. no chance for segregation,
! and of course we all know that the
! greatest strides in combating this
| terrible disease of tuberculosis must
I be made with youth.
| Then the School for Feeble minded.
| Oh, the pathetic. economic possible
| ties that this class, OF patients pres
ents! Here a new dormitory is called
for of S140. 900 and an administration
building OF 100000. Our insane hos
| pitfalls are calling for approximately
d, $3.50. 600 for new buildings. You have
already denied the State Prison new
construction. and many of our State
departments are calling for large in
creases in connection with their de-
| partments.
In view of these facts. can you
| justify an expenditure of $4,000 for
| a new building in Massachusetts?
| have not mentioned our schools
| Do YOU not think that $4,000 could
! be used to advantage in our public
schools, especially in the rural dis
tricts: I believe that it could. How
about our academies? Nearly all Of
us have a pet academy. and ! am
| mighty thankful that we have for l
| do not believe that there is an edu-
| cational institution in New England
| that can compare with our academies
in the State of Maine. l have my pet
| academy-Hampde Academy. located
across the river from Orrington.
! This academy is nearly century old
| and if | remember correctly they
| have only once before come before
the State for an appropriation. This
| year they are asking for $1,000.
| They are asking this on the demand
of the Department of Education here
in Augusta. This department has
told them that they must rebuild
lator system. Now if they get one
half of this I think they will be
! lucky. Do you not think that a part
! of this $4,000 could be used to ad-
| vantage here and for some of our
other academies?
| Last, but not least. in our Educa-
! tional Department is the University
| of Maine. Year after year they have
come before the Legislature calling
for large sums of money for repairs
and for new construction. This year
| they aree asking for large sums for
repairs. and from personal observa-
ton they certainly are sadly in need
of them. They are in need of new
| construction. Can we JUSTIFY our
selves by expanding money for a
building like this in Massachusetts.
and neglecting our University of
| Maine?
| Perhaps I have said enough about
these financial problems. Let us look
| for moment at the building itself.
The proposition, as I understand IT.,
| it for $4,000 to be appropriated by
| the State of Maine for a building in
Springfield Massachusetts. This
appropriation has been very attract
| lively set forth, both in the press and
| b,, ,,arcopa1 ropracoptatiop and If