Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-17
MAINE SOLONS FACE MANY
CALLS FOR APPROPRIATIONS
Continued from Page One)

preparation for that department is
now limited by law to s125,OO0 a
year, but this situation should be
remedied by the Legislature so that
S250,000 a year will be available in
order that the corps may function
efficiently in response to the de-
mands for service.
The appropriation for Mothers
Aid under the supervision of the
State Department of Charities and
Corrections should be increased from
| 100000 to $150,000 year in order
| that those who are eligible may re-
ceive financial assistance, Judge K.
c. Reynolds of Portland, chairman of
the board, and Secretary CRUDE B.
| Cornish declared. They also showed
| the need of increasing the funds for
the work of the State Board of Chill
| dren's Guardians If it should not be
| deemed advisable to make up def
cts from the State Contingent Fund.
| Increases of nearly $4,000 a year
| were sought by the State Depart
ment of Health.
| State Department of Health
| In presenting the budget requests
J of the State Department of Health,
| DR.. Clarence +. Kendall, commits
! sioner, asked for increases as fol-
lows: Salary and clerk hire, from
$4,000 this year to $4,000 for the
next fiscal year and 1900 for the
| succeeding year; general Office eX-
penses, from $4,000 this year to
| sd 900 and $26, 900 for the two COM
ing fiscal years respectively: district
health centers, from $3S,000 this
!, year to $4,000 and $4,000 for the
two coming fiscal years: treatment
| of venereal diseases, from $4,000
| this year to $4,000 and $4,000 for
the coming two years: welfare work,
from $4,000 this year to 500, 900 for
each of the two coming fiscal years.
The total additional amount asked
by DR.. Kendall figures to about $43,-
! 600 a year more than the appropria-
ton for this year and the year pre-
ceding it.
That the work of the State Iabora-
tory has increased 292. per cent and
constantly increasing demands are
being made on it, Commissioner
| Kendall asserted. He said in part:
For four years we have had 49,,
600 for salary and clerk hire and we
have been unable to do the work of
the department with this appropria
ton. For the last year and a half,
the Rockefeller Foundation has been
giving us $1,000 annually to hire
! extra help in the Laboratory and
to help pay the salary of the sani-
tary engineer. This matter was
taken up with them and they real
lied the need of more money, and
| therefore, made this appropriation
for us. which aid stops on June so,
1927, after the legislature has met
and has had an opportunity to in
| crease our appropriation"
| DR.. Kendall explained that the
| workers in the laboratory have dur
| ing the past year put in more than
| three months overtime, with no in
| crease in their pay. and he said:
| I'VE have lost, because of Inadequate
salary, one of our leading workers
in the laboratory. which puts us in
a very hard position, as we cannot
replace him by a skilled worker for
| the salary allowed. We have sew
eral people in the department who
| have worked from three to twenty
years for meager salaries and there
people must be paid larger salaries.
When they leave. we can only re-
place them by paying larger salaries
than would be necessary to retain
| them. ..... DIR. Thompson left in
1921 because he could not get an In
| crease of $500 to his salary, and to
replace him we had to pay 5000
more than DIR. Thompson asked.
Skilled help Is absolutely necessary
in our laboratory work. We must
I know that when our reports go from
the laboratory they are as near ac-
curate as they can be. A mistake in
giving reports would be disastrous
There is no place in the department
of the State which needs skilled
help more than in the laboratory
! and where the danger is so great If
| wrong reports are given"
DIR. Kendall stated that the new
immigration law has very greatly in
creased the work in the vital statis-
tics division of his department. the
work having increased between 90
| and % per cent during the past five
year period with no increase in per-
J sonnet.
He explained the increase in the
department of District Health CEN
tiers by stating: I'VE are advertising
Maine as Summer State. If we
are to entertain the people in the
State of Maine, we must provide
suitable, sanitary accommodations
for them in our hotels, rooming
houses and roadside boarding places.
| We must provide clean food, han
| died by clean people in clean places.
| This means that they must be super
vised by some agency and as these
| matters pertain to the health of our
summer visitors. 1t means that the
Health Department must see that
! hotels, rooming houses. roadside
eating places, automobile camps,
etc. are inspected and properly
looked after. If one summer visitor
should become sick from visiting the
| State of Maine, and develop typhoid
| fever or some other disease, 1t would
hurt the State more than all the adj
vertising that might be put out for
ten years could help it. If we are
| to do this work In the State of Maine
and protect our summer visitors, as
/ we'll as our own people from the
! summer visitors. we must have a
larger appropriation. as it will take
seven or eight men to cover the
State satisfactorily during the sum-
mer MONTHS
| Charities and Corrections
Speaking in behalf of the State
Board of Charities and Corrections,
| Chairman f. c. Reynolds recon-
mended salary increases Of $3.50
per year on account of the increas-
! ing and more exacting work. Re-
| ferring to Mothers Aid he showed
that there are now 107 cases on the
waiting list and If these cases should
be accepted 1t would require the sum
of $19260 in addition to the appro-
priation. Municipalities are with
holding applications. knowing that
there is no hope for favorable con-
sideration during this fiscal year. A
| 1,ts, -
needed to grant cases that may be
filed in addition to the number now