Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-08
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL THURSDAY JANUARY g. 1925.


| to manipulation and to the building
UP Of a political machine. because
! of its existence q Governor is over
whelmed and annoyed with requests
for funds from this seemingly mex
haustible source, and departments
and institutions are tempted to rely
upon it to meet unauthorized over
drafts. 1t would be in the public
! interest and Tor the peace OF Gov
ernors to abolish this fund and thus
eliminate 1t from State politics and
| State business. During my admins
tration l should have had less dis
turbed existence and could have car
RED on the States work satisfactor-
| lily, including the rebuilding OF our
| Prison, had there been no such
fund. I believe it was grave mis-
take ever to have created It.
Blaine House
AS I am the first Governor who
has lived in the Executive Mansion
throughout his term, | want the peo-
rle of the State to understand what
it costs them to maintain the Blaine
House. The Governor receives
salary OF $1,000 and in addition
thereto he now is provided with
beautiful home completely furnished
and equipped in every detail. When
he moves to Augusta he needs only
|
hand bag and trunk; nothing more
is required.
The Blaine House lacks nothing.
It's furniture. furnishings and equip
ment are sufficient not only for q
Governors personal family, but also
for all his official entertaining. The
house is heated, lighted, cared for.
cleaned and kept in repair at the
States expense and the State pays
| VT
frees the Governor from the usual
expense borne by a Governor is his
grocery bill and the wages of such
domestic help as is needed. His
motor car is washed and housed in
the Blaine Garage and, while per-
sonally / have not required a
chauffeur as drive my own car. the
young man who cares for the State
House trucks always has been
available for special official trips.
$4,000 Year and the Mansion
| There is no State in New England,
not excepting the wealthy State of
Massachusetts, and there are few
states in the country, that treat
their Governor as literally as Maine.
This being so, it is no longer neces-
sary for y Governor to be a man of
Independent means because with his
salary of $4,000 and with n house
, furnished him as have described; he
,, can live both comfortably and APP
propriately. The Governor also has
Il $4,000 a year Governor and
. Council Contingent Fund" which, if
he desires, may be used in paying
for entertainment of official guests
for travelling expenses and for such
other items as he thinks it proper
to charge to the State.
Special Resolve Of 1921
, 1t will be recalled that in 1921 be-
fore l became Governor the Legis-
!, lature passed a special resolve CIV
!, ing the then Governor in addition
, to his $4,000 salary and his special
/, Contingent Fund of $4,000, an extra
q, stipend of S13,750 for the Legislative
year and S12,500 for the "off' year
: These items gave the Executive
. $2S,75O and $4,000 a year respective
~. a sum that was beyond all rea-
, son. The 1921 Resolve money was
, not to be used for maintaining the
, Blaine property for the resolve re-
: cited 1.-THE funds herein appropriated
are in addition to any sums eXpend-
; ed by the Superintendent of Public
y Buildings and Grounds for the care
, and preservation of the property to
, he occupied by the Governor as his
, official residence. and payments here
: under shall be made on order of the
Governor The Blaine House was
to be maintained for the Executive
apart from these several items.
:, l took office on January 31st, four
= days after the said special resolve
was signed, and shortly announced
that it must be repealed. The
: Legislature accepted my suggestion
, The circumstances involved in the
;. passage of this measure need not be
, reviewed. but | have reason to be-
lieve the Legislature did not under
stand its purport or possibilities
Had this resolve remained in force
a grave injustice would have been
, done the tax payers of the State and
a precendent established that would
have encouraged extravaganza and
!, been difficult to upset.
The expenses incident to the
q Blaine House and grounds have been
= paid from the regular appropriation
, | for maintaining the State Capitol
: The Superintendent of Public Build
1ngs, without hampering the other
, work of his department. by prudent
a mana cement has been able to care
for this property without asking for
=, an increase in his funds. In order
. that all may know what the
Executive Mansion has cost the
I
, Auditor prepare an account for the
a past two-year period which shows
a the expenses of the entire Blaine
property TO have been $5,S9S.49 for
a 1923 and S5,3lSS5 for 1924.
G The people Of Maine very properly
e are proud of, and feel a sense OF
:, proprietorship in the Governor s
residence. | have encouraged this
: sentiment in every way and have
[ been glad to have the house open for
+ visitors, great numbers of whom
S come each year. 1t is the peoples
\ property and, as Governor, l always
s have considered myself but its
t temporary occupant This gift from
t the Blaine family has proven to be
e most acceptable and the names OF
e the donors ever will be held in
8 grateful remembrance. AS matters
|, stand today no one can say that the
/ state of Maine is not liberal toward
its Chief Executive.
t Education: A Four Year Review
l The educational activities of the
e State during the past four years
. have been carried on with vigor
Especial attention has been paid to
, the development and improvement OF
our rural schools and today in
} Maine every community, no matter
t how small or far distant, is pro
t vided with reasonably good school
5 facilities. In order to show the i'm
. Provcment during this period !
} quote statistics prepared for me by
our Commissioner of Education.
l During the four-year period
: 1921-1924, more than 60 towns have
| built new high school buildings or
{ have repaired and standardized their
, old buildings. In 1921 the total