Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-02-15
The Common Schools.

The Common schools.
The citizens OF Rutland have been COZ
sidering the e1pediency Of consolidating th'
several school districts. in that village, ant
putting all under one management, as som,
of our citizens greatly dcslie To do III Bur
lington. And they seem likely TO reach th,
desired result there, sooner than we shall
here. The subject was referred, at a late
corporation meeting o. the village Of Rut.
land, to committee. who reported as fol-
lows
The i,ult Of the present system, in the i1dg-
ment Of your committee, is lack Of system,
there being no responsible head to see that
teachers are up to the proper standard Of quail
ihcation, and that their government is effective
in holding the schoos under their immediate
charge, up to the highest point ,f discipline.
/ for their most complete operation.
Teachers are examined, and with an occa-
.ional exception, no further interest is exhibited
/ by committees or parents, until the close Of the
term, to know how their children are progress
sing, or whether the teacher is capable in execu-
tive tact, for the position Of moulding children
I into self-relisnt. intelligent men and women.
I The old sphorIsm that "What is every body 8
I business is nobody's." holds especially good in
matters Of our common schools
| In any business investment We ask peril
nent question, would the amount o. money ex-
pended in our schools, have as iinic care, as
iiiile examination, as to whether it was return
ing proper remuneration for the outlay
-.
attention to IT. but entrutt it altogether to dsin-
terestel parties. to Judge whether the proper
and best use Eas being made uf IL, Rather
should We not put st the head Of cur associa-
ticn . competent and responsible man. to see
that I'll the suborinatss Do their whole duty
Our children are being educated for good or
evil, with tendency largely to the latter, and
these children are very soon TO assume the con-
troll Of our village.
We cannot, it is patent to your committee,
afford 10 neglect this matter, or longer trust il
to irresponsible hands.
We believe il for the highe,t interest Of the
schools, TO parents and to the village Of Rutland,
that these several districts should be consoli-
dated. under the supervision Of committee.
one perhaps selected from each Ward, who
shall act as an advisory committee. the execu-
tive Of which shall be school superintendent,
10 AG lAlA lNf IAe NAltts Al4 WIZ 4lAAAAslt
tions shall ft him and Whcse du,y il shall be,
10 often call together sll the teachers Of all the
schools, and teach them in their duties. and in
the government Of their pupils
From such appointment on your part, and
such action on theirs, We believe will be evolved
orieT, and more effective teaching in your pri-
mary schools. emulation and increased know
ledge among your teachers, and needed and
gratifying results in education generally
throughout cur village.
Gao. 4. MFRRlLL,
For Committee.
We copy this report because 1t is just as
applicable to Burlington as to Rutland. The
opinion of Col. Merrill, the author Of the
report. is valuable, not only because he is
an intelligent, liberal minded and public
spirited citizen, bat because he has had an
opportunity to compare closely and psacti-
lcali, the slip shod system Of separate dis
tricts, still in vogue in Rutland ami Bur
lington, with a consolidated system such IS
they have IN St. JohnsburY, Montpelier and
St. Albans
The result Of this report, in Rutland, was
the referring of the subject. on motion Of
Hon. J. B. Page, to Committee, with IN
structiOns to report plan Of consolidation
to another M eting ten days hence.
TnE MONTPELIER AND ST JoHNsBrKY Roam
The project for new railroad from Mont
pelier across to the Connecticut riyer,ls back
ed by men Vi energy. business tact sud capi
tal,aLd they propose TO push it through. The
stock subscription books were opened :he
othtr day with a subscription OF 100000
by Il heavy firm Of FAIRBANKS Il Co. Of
St. j .hnsbury, and il is not putting it too
stro-g TO say that the interest taken in the
cni. prise by men of such weight reliability
and Ugh character as the Messrs. Fairbanks.
will lie worth to it much more than the
money they put into it. We shall watch
the progress of the road with interest chiefly
becau,e of its importance TO the State at
large, as opening up fine fertile region IN
the heart of the State, now without railroad
facilities, though 1t is not impossible that
there may be some special advantages to the
business of Burling on in bringing that
portion of the State within short railroad
communication with the Lake at this place.
We find the following concerning the pro-
posed route OF the road, in the last. CdiedOn-
ian
Beginning at Montpelier. the new road will
run through the towns Of East Montpelier,
Plainhel1, Marshhed, a corner Of Cabot and
perhaps Walden, panville, St JohDsbury.
Kirby, Concord and Lunenburg. II is well
known that several Of these towns are among
the best dairy towns in the State, while Green's
boro, Craftsbury, Hsrdwick, Barnet, Waterford,
etc., are grazing and dairy towns which have
few equals, and no supsriOrs, anywhere.
The road from Montpelier to St. Johusbury.
following the valley Of the Winooski river,
Molly's pond, Joe's pond and Sleeper's river
having no deep cuts or heavy fills, and no e1-
pensiye bridges-will be very cheaply construct
ed. From st. Johnsbury to Dalton, (N. H.
the road will follow up the valley OF Moose
river nine miles. and Pas. thence by Miles pond
to the Connecticut river.
This route is entirely feasible, an easy grade,
and the road can be cheaply constructed. The
fret nine miles Of this road have been carefully
surveyed and estimated by an experienced en-
gineer, who stands ready to build that portion
Of the road al bis estimate. By this estimate
the cost Of grading. bridging and fencing this
nine miles, n less than $1,000 per mile. This
estimate includes all expenses ready for the
superstructurs, except land damages, which it
is believed will be mainly provided for by the
towns through which the road passes, free Of
expense to the corporation.
Walton's Journal says:
Our own people DO not realize probably that
that this is not an unpropitious undertaking
Less than forty miles Of track will connect the
Central a Montpelier with the Psaumpsic road
at q. Jobrsbury; and len than sixF miles Of