The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-03-24

nv and consequently will labor In vain.
trust YOU will not consider the statement
altogether improbable. when inform you thai
once esssyed to adopt the noble profession
myself need not tell You thatit was pcrfec
success, that 10 to say. Il succeeded In being :
perfect failure; for In addition to having net
iher the natural or acquired qualifications ID,
the office, was many years too young;
have since found myself In other omccs: iaoor
ing under the same embarrassIpents. u may
however. be acme satisfaction TO you to know
that, Notwithstanding these little drawbacks
"kept the school out"
! Iris matter for much congratulation tha
the disturbed state Of the country, and the VI
tnl interests Mt stake In our national Affairs
have moi withdrawn attention from education
nj matters to that degree which should DC cx'
pected, and oil VI our schools still MAINTAIN
their usual Aourishing condition 30 Tar ns |! car
learn. This must In great measure, ! think
he attributed to the fortunate selection oy TIT
City of m efficient experimenting School Com
mittee and School Agents, and an equally Tor;
tunate selection on their part OF well qualined
teachers. would In this connection suggest
that hereafter the members OF the Com
mittec be 30 chosen that one Of their number
shall 90 out Of Office each year and two hold
ever. ~,
Education, although invaluable to the child
Is not appreciated; and through the sinful neg
lcct Of parents, hundreds OF children grow up
with but little or no schooling. 1t may DC
worthy OF consideration to see whether some
remedy tor this state OF things cannot be found.
The outlay attendant upon the employment OF
an efficient Truant Officer. would DO money
we'll expended. Nothing stimulates to exertion
like the hope Of reward, and II may be well to
inquire whether we'll arranged system oil
prizes to be paid by the City as rewards OF
merit In the various schools, would not also be
money we'll invested.
have noticed that n system of military dis
cipline Is being introduced into the schools In
other places, and the subject has been agitated
here. I hope the system will not obtain, with
us Mt least. The curse Of any nation Is large
standing army A country prospers not In
proportion TO the amount II consumes and lie
stroys, but In the ratio Of It's productions. The
soldier IL not producer, but consumer and
destroyer. The inevitable consequences OF an
organized system teaching military tactics and
years, would In twenty years be war with half
the principal nations Of the globe. q standing
army VIC could never shake of, q military des
potism, and the reduction of the people to slav-
cry II Is unnecessary for me to cite examples;
the history Of the world presents too many.
France, waging war against the liberal institu-
tons OF tho East and Professionalism In the
West, To obtain military possession Of the
world; In possession of Mexico and threaten
ing to overwhelm Central America and the Pa
ci6o coast, while We, leaving the Monroe doc
trine dead letter on our books, wrangle In
civil war. grinding ourselves rs between the
upper and neither millstones of destruction.
she Is an excellent example Of the result Of
such system. England. her copartner, cling.
ing with desperation to systems which are pass.
ing away, struggling to forcc back the future,
and maintain her supremacy rs In the past, the
great military Colossus of the nineteenth GEN.
fury, Is another. Perhaps Russia and Austria
may be better examples than either. With all
Of these nations, especially with France and
Austria, the people are nothing. the govern.
ment everything. Let us not strive to initiate
hem, ut least In that respect. The amount mp.
the past year for schools was $4,000.
md the amount expended Ss.452.25. would
for the coming year more liberal
appropriation, and that the expenditures, II
possible, be confined within the sum.
But appr0priating money. providing books,
building school houses and employing good
eachers, Is not all that Is required. There
must DO q general interest manifested In the
natter, by every parent; m interest which
hall exhibit itself In the must jealous scrutiny
md watchful care Mt all times, II we desire to
ully maintain The efficiency Of this most i'm
,ortant interest.
Your attention will undoubtedly be called Mt
N early ,late to the wants Of the Fire Depart
ncnt. When we consi'ler the amount VI labor
expended. AMI the sacrifices made by our Fire.
n in maintaining nm efficient organi ration
nd performing their duty. II must be ackn0wl
l. Al. t,, o,,fk ho 90
,ouncil has been 10 shabby treated In the past
5 the Piren,ens. Always ready night or day
, storm or sunshine to save our property from
estruction; always prompt and always faithful,
ever unmindful OF Us, m honor to the city,
u the city no longer dshonor itself by remain.
~ unminlful OF their den lnds aud actual
eeds. The Piremen want a new Engine House;
L them have II forthwith, and let II be no half
'ay affair either, but one worthy Of the occu |
ants. The Triumph Compnny's house Is very |
,uch out of repair, and the Hook and Ladder
ompany are located too far from the center Of
10 city. What Is required Is house large
nough to accommodate both. and with seps
ite aud spacious halls for the use Of each com
any. The old buildings could probably he
,ld to COOL advantage and . new one built
here the Triumph House now stands, thus saw.
10 quite sum yearly In land rent. A new
,servoir Is also needed Mt Kings Corner.
Taking into consideration the increased cost
living, aud the large number who have re
lived aid from the city, the expenses attending
10 support Of Paupers the past year has been
uch less then could reasonably have been ex.
ected under the circumstances. The Poor
arm has been managed b clieve with much
Ore than ordinary success, the whole expense
I conducting II having been but Si,799 u,
lille the receipts from II have been 81 .082.3
new moving machine and other tools have
se. purchased during the year. The house on
10 Farm needs enlsrgng anil repairing, and
lould receive your attention. A Work House
which many, who now spend q large portion
the year on the Farm In idleness, and to
hich somewhat different class Ut inmates
light be sent, would be self supporting. and
'rrectivc Of many abuses pr,ctise,l upon the
~ by those who now seek living without
urk. Il should be located on the Farm.
| believe that our streets and highways have
zen kept in fair condition, although on account
the increased cost Of labor, and oil kinds Of
aterials, and the smallness Of the appropria
,ns for several years past, the improvements
I've been less extensive than they otherwise
Duld have been. A larger appropriation for
% present year may be found necessary.
On account Of illness, no Report has been 70.
lived from the Solicitor. understand, how.
err, that the city has not been engaged In any
pensivc litigation during the year.
Amidst multitude Of other carrs demanding
tention, and on account 0f the absence Of the
,rarian, the city Library appears to have hecn
dly neglected, and this valuable s,urcc Of free
struction Is now closed TO the people. THIS
ould not be, and your immediate attention
ould be given TO the matter. understand
at large number Of books have been lost,
ID others returned badly damaged. To meet
Is feature Of the case In future, I would rec.
nmcnd that certain price be fixed upon each
'ok, and that the deposit Of an amount equal
the price be required OF avery person who
all take out any book hereafter, TO be repaid
the return OF the book In good order. This
something no one ayailng themselves OF the