Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-02-18
SENATOR H|NCKLEY
ADDRESSES ". G.. T.U.
. PUBLIC MEETING

Senator Frederick w. Hinckley Of
South Portland was the speaker at
a public meeting of the w. c. r. U.
held Tuesday evening at the high
school auditorium. Senator Hinck-
ley gave a most interesting talk on
the important bills now before the
Legislature. and gave his views on
them unmistakably with clarity and
firmness. In opening his remarks the
speaker declared that he was glad to
say that he had been a member of
the great organization under whose
auspices he spoke, for a ..reat many
years. Designating 1t as a military
organization he spoke of the wonder
ful work which 1t had accomplished
in bringing about the passage of
such laws as were best for the peo-
pie. In connection with this he made
"A spirited plea for membership in
the local Union. He brought a rip
that Intoxicating liquor, was good for
but two things to preserve anything
that's dead ana to kill anything
that's alive.
Senator Hinckley reviewed some
Of the things accomplished by the
Legislature in the past 10 or Is
years such as the Workmen's Com
pensation Act, the appropriation of
money making possible such inStitu-
tons as is at Pownal. and he advo-
Gated the continuation of this work
of the segregation of the feeble-
minded. Four years ago there were
scattered about the state hundreds of
boys and girls suffering from that
dread disease, tuberculosis. and
there were but two sanitariums In
/ ctDt nd n
owned. Now a law has been passed
and the state has taken over those
two institutions. added another, and
accomplished wonders in this great
work Of prevention and treatment.
He cited several other instances
wherein great things had been
brought about by the workings Of
the Legislature. and stated that as
| the taxes of the state increased the
state was fully realizing it's obliga-
ton to unfortunates.
In continuing on to the matters
| before the present legislature he
first dealt with the question. the Pri-
mary law, and declared that al
| the primary system he could not
help but believe that the officials
elected under that law stand as well
as those who were nominated and
| elected under the convention sys
| tenn, and that he proposed to vote
in favor of it. lie deplored the prac-
tice of as he termed 1t eleventh
hour conversions" and declared him
self in favor of having voters en-
rolled in the name of the party for
which they were to vote six months
| before the election. Another i'm
portant matter that is before the
| 7 ic1o L. "a bat ho
| kennebec and here the speaker said
/ that he considered that bridge at
Bath and bridge at Richmond were
! two entirely different problems and
that bridge was needed in both
places. In his opinion the Iegisla-
ture would vote to build a toll bridge
at Bath.
| In mentioning the water power
question he said that this year the
Legislature has heard nothing about
it, and that probably this was because
political exigencies did not require it
He paid highest tribute to the medical
fraternity and the nurses for their
wonderful work in the prevention OF
disease. and maintained that. due &c
their efforts. the average life OF every
person was increased at least 10 years
The final big question upon which
the senator spoke was the sectariar
bill. Two years ago, he said, he vot.
ed against the Barwise bill. and now
the same bill is in the Legislature, put
there by Catholic instead of by 4
Spiritualist. He said that both bills
were wrong. and that by the Barwist
bill presented two years ago the hos.
pitfalls which are doing such wonderful
work would have to close their doors
as the bill provides that no money be
paid to eectarian institutions. The
Barwise bill this year provides that nc
money be paid to sectarian educational
institutions. Senator Hinckley said
that the reason this position was taker
was obvious. namely, because of the
two Catholic academies. He declared
with emphasis that he would fight &c
the last ditch against one cent Of the
states money being paid a parochial
school or a private school in which ou1
young boys and girls were made snobs
and that until child passes the gram
mar school age the place for him is
the great American public school. He
further stated that he hoped ne would
never live to see the day when 80 Pro-
testant academies would be sacrificed
to get at two Catholic ones. He gave
the advice not to fear the sectarian
question. and in telling OF the solution
that was offered Of not calling the
academies UNCONVENTIONAL he said that