Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-27

law expressly forbids that public
funds be used for such a purpose. AT
any rate. Dr.. Thomas admits the
fairs will lose all state aid If the Ma
her amendment is adopted.
Another long list Of institutions
which can no longer receive aid from
the state or the towns, in the opinion
Of DIR. Thomas, are the following:
Children's Aid Society, Belfast; East
ern Maine Orphans Home, Bangor;
Girls Orphanage, Lewiston; Healey
Asylum, Lewiston: ST. Elizabeth's Ro-
man Catholic Asylum and Holy Inno-
cents Home, Portland; st. Louis
Home and School for Boys, Portland;
Children's Heart Society. Portland;
Maine Children's Home Society, Au-
gusta; York County Children's Aid So
ciety, Saco: Good Samaritan Home.
Bangor: Temporary Home for Women
and Children. Portland; Home for
Women, RockIand; Bangor Anti-Tu-
berculosis Association, Bangor.
The good doctor would permit the
men and women in the several COM
Inunities where these institutions are
N4Qcated to have the honor of bearing
the burden of caring for them. Local
PRIDE" says the doctor. should be in
centive enough to the communities in
which these institutions are situated
to care for them. The fact that these
institutions, with possibly one or two
exceptions, are each serving the entire
State does not seem to trouble the doc
tor at all. At any rate, in his opinion,
the work of these splendid institutions
does not merit dipping into the public
funds"
~ - go
her amendment is more liberal than
existing laws with respect ito hospitals
and infirmaries is both misleading and
untrue.
Existing laws governing aid to hos
pitfalls and infirmaries are statutory
an1 not constitutional. therefore t:.ey
have no binding effect upon the next
legislature. The next session of the
Legislature may grant to any deserv-
, ing institution any sum Of money for
any purpose It sees fit. Nothing in
the constitution or the statutes pre-
vents such action. If the Maher
amendment is adopted no future legis-
lation can appropriate a dollar of aid
to any hospital or infirmary except to
pay for services actually rendered by
such institutions to persons who are
either partially or wholly unable to
DIR. Thomas present Interpretation
of the Maher amendment with respect
to the so-called private schools is of
particular interest in view of his
marked change of mind on that SUBJ
ject since March and April. 1925. Dur
ing the last session of the legislature
DR.. Thomas was very active in assist
ing in the preparation of a compro-
mise resolve known as the Stitham Re-
solve, H. d. No. rs. In that proposed
resolve provision was made by which
the so-called private schools could
continue relations with the towns and
the State under arrangements similar
to those which DR.. Thomas now says
will obtain If the Maher amendment is
adopted. If DR.. Thomas believed in
April. 1925, that the Maher amendment
would not effect the private schools
adversely, why did he take such an in
terest in the Stithanf resolve, the chief
object to which was to preserve to the
private schools the very rights he now
says they will still have if the A1aher
amendment is adopted?
On April s, 1925, Dr. Thomas
wrote the following letter to a friend
of the Berwick Academy, located in