Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-10

tions have not been true for the past
three years at least. There are many
statements about the various aims
houses Of the State that are absolutely
untrue today"
He further points out that in the
opening paragraph Of the department
devoted to Maine there are three OBJ
vious errors. The first sentence of the
paragraph reads: with but six coun-
ties Maine has 100 poor farms in
which are maintained 701 paupers, an
average of seven to the farm" Sec
rotary Cornish in his report made pub
lie last February declares that the
records Of his department show that
there are but SO almshouses and
daily average of 900 inmates. The
number of counties stated is. of
course. wrong.
ton Journal in it's article of last
evening and with reference to the
Augusta City Farm is given below.
In the main it follows the wording
of the report although there is a
difference of few words between
the report here printed and the one
printed in The American Poor
Farm and its Inmates"
With the Endorsement Of the
American Legion and the American
Federation of Labor a survey has
just been completed and published
Of the social welfare institutions of
the country and the care of the poor.
Three glaring instances Of neglect
and disgraceful conditions were
picked out from the entire country
in the administration of poor farms,
the report made public today said.
One was in Virginia. One was in
Ohio. The other was the city poor
farm of Augusta, Maine.
The report gives the following de-;
scription of conditions at the Au-
gusta poor farm:
"An DID, four-story building. not
fireproof; inmates sleep on third and
four floors; no fire escapes; building
in last stage of disrepair; walls,
ceiling and floors in wretched con-
dition; the place filthy; vermin;
toilets awful; every mattress should
be burned. Two years ago. follow
ing disclosures of vice and immor-
atty that shocked the town, the SUI
perintendent was discharged-and
the place forgotten. A good matron,
now. but she can as easily sweep
the cobwebs from the sky as she can
clean the place. She spends two
hours day nursing and dressing
one bedsore inmate who should be
in hospital"
With regard to the conditions at
the Augusta City farm. two men,
bers of the official visiting commit
tee, one a Republican, the other
Democrat, last night issued the fol-
lowing statement in which they de-
clare that an injustice has been
done. The statement:
September Q, 1926.
The visitors to the City Farm, Au-
susta, feel that a great injustice has
been done by the article appearing
in the Thursday evening papers. This
article fails to give the date of the
national survey which describes such
bad conditions. The last Augusta
City report publishes the following:
ANNUAL REPORT
Augusta, Maine.
December so, 1925.
The Hon. Ernest l.. Mclean,
Mayor of Augusta.
Dear Sir:
We have the honor to report the
conditions good at the City Farm.
We have found the house clean and
tidy.
With the cooperation of the nurs-
ing committee of the Augusta Pub
lie Health Association, Miss Marion
Dibblee, chairman, we have arranged
for the public health nurse to visit
| the farm when required.
We recommend the purchase Of
a cold mangle.
We suggest that suitable old mag
azines from the Lithgow Library be
sent to the farm.
Respectfully submitted,
MARION HAYDEN.
EMELIE RANCOURT,
SARAH NJ. BEANIE,
JENNIE B. MOORE,
MABEL CONNOR,
MRS. E. ]. PHILBRICK,
Per NJ. Connor.
In the interests of fair play, let
us admit that the conditions of i'm
morality and presence of vermin oc-
Cured some years back, under Re-
publican administration. One of the
committee has recently visited the
farm and has found the conditions
good and the employees efficient. The
present overseer of the poor is great
ly interested in the welfare of the
institution.
MABEL. CONNOR, Republican
MARION H. HAYDEN, Democrat.
A careful perusal Of the publication
fails to show any official connection
between it and the American Legion
and the American Federation of La
Dor other than that spoken of in the
introduction which says: 1.-Two years
ago, Secretary of Labor James ].
Davis attended the National Conven-
tions Of the Loyal Order of Moose.
The American Legion. the American
Federation Of Labor. the National
Fraternal Congress and the Ameri