Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-04
in part TO those receiving free treat
mepf in hOspitalS

bEI6I UleutOH OIliJ Cdn NO iioOC VI
the many items that Mr.. Gardiner IL
lvminatingly touched on. as the boards
Of regulation and control Of law, med
icine. optometry, dentistry. osteopathy,
nursing. chiropractic and veterinary.
Explaining briefly the functions of the
attorney general, the county attorneys,
State assessors and State auditor, he
said the latter Is in charge of all sta
tistics and is now engaged in an in
quiry into the amount of intangible
property in the State. He mentioned
the fund for loans to farmers, 100000
BEING at present loan in farm mort
cages. The States bonded indebtedness
is a little over S12.000.000. We are
soon to pay off the bonds for the SOL
diers' bonus. Our courts, Mr.. Gardiner
said. are operated at minimum cost
to the State. After briefly mentioning
their functions and those Of the eight
justices. he spoke of the fine work of
our probation officers. recent devel-
opment, as giving much better chance
to hayward children than the old re-
form school ways. They do so much
good that, in the speakers opinion,
Juvenile courts are not at present
needed in Maine. The adjournment
court, among other things. has women'S
compensation In it's jurisdiction. He
spoke of the bank commission, which
safeguards the peoples investments
dealing with fake securities, etc.) and
supervises the banks and insurance
commissions. providing standard poll
cies, and generally the public in fnsur-
ance matters. Under charge of the re-
cent and growing Public Utilities Com
mission are water, gas. and electricity
and transportation, grade crossing also
coming under this commission.
Under the adjutant generals depart
ment with expenditures of $4,000
come all our military matters. There
are now 220O men in our State Ma
tional Guard. drilling once a week. and
having an annual fortnight in camp.
This pay comes in part from the fed
eral government. National Guards I'M
der the federal program are to be in
creased within the next three years.
AS an example of their Importance,
Mr.. Gardiner cited the recent serious
fire at the State prison at Thomaston,
two militia companies We're called in
from Rockland, safeguarding the pris-
oners and did admirable work.
Under the department of labor come
all laws and regulations of conditions
for employees. There are 10000 per-
sons employed in manufacturing in
Maine. and about the same number in
mercantile pursuits. Mr.. Gardiner said
it is pity that the federal workers
for child labor regulations had con-
fused our last years referendum.
which did not pass the 4S-hour law
for women and children. into our child
labor laws. and had consequently given
the State a black mark which it did
not deserve. No child under Is can
work in manufacturing pursuits in
Maine. and none between j. and 16 can
work more than eight hours, and each
must have a permit stating that they
have passed the sixth grade. eOur
child labor conditions are now COM
parable to those of almost any state.
The Inland Fish and Game, Sea
and Shore Fisheries, and Forest Com
missions, have in charge respectively,
our fish and game laws. the regula-
ton of our inland waters GncludinS
hatcheries), the regulation of fish
canneries, and the charge of our for
ests.
The State Pier at Portland was
built for the benefit of the public to
reduce transportation charges. and 1t
has already saved 100000 for the
people. The State Library has $50
900 per year, and does wonders with
it. Every public library in the State
Is helped, ours in Gardiner receiving
$50 per year Our State Department
Of Highways is large and efficient.
There are 10000 miles in the State
Highway Programme. of which 1000
are already built. 5000 miles of the
second class roads, there are State
Aid and are already built Over $50
000, 900 has been spent on our roads
during the last ten years. There are
1000 miles of road under the control
of the State for maintenance, at
cost Of little over S1.000,000. Much
of this is under daily patrol. for
which a town pays 81 Der day.and the
State SO. This department also CO.
operates with the counties and towns
in building bridges. Our Indians, he
| said should be our first charity
speaking of our responsibility toward
them and as we have made what was
their land such that they can no long
err live on it unaided. We have two
tribes of indians, the Passamaquoddys
and the Penobscots. of about 1000
persons each at the state Reservation
at Oldtown. they are IN charge of a
commission. and about $4,000 per
year is spent for them. They have
good schools. and some local govern
! ment which they manage well. and
laugh was raised when the speakN'
remarked that they beat the rest OF
the country in managing their poll
tics.
The Department Of Agriculture has
an appropriation of $4,000, and has
five divisions under that administra-
ton. lectures and speakers on Agri-
| cultural subjects. addressing 400 au-
diences in the State each year, and
| $4,000 according to regulations. must
be spent in aid TO State and County
FHrs. Under the Division of Inspec-
tfbn comes inspection and regulation
OF Food, Drugs. Canne,ies, Slaughter
Houses. etc. We ought in the speak
er's opinion to have cold storage reg
! ulations, like those of the other states
! as food condemned elsewhere is some
times sold in Mainel This division
also inspects foods and fruits ship
ped out of the State enabling up 10
Keep up our high standard in apples,
| analyses ice cream and other foods.
This cummings up can give little
idea of the clearness and force into
which each detail OF this great total
was set forth. To the listeners. the
time elapsed seemed half its duration,
| and it can safely be said. that no
, member of the audience went home
without a wonderfully new and wider
grasp OF. and confidence and pride in
the State of Maine.