The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-06-13

MUST IT BE ALWAYS so?-It probably does
not enter into the thoughts of one in hun
dred in this city of the wanton destruction of
school house property that is constantly going
on from thouehtless and bad boys The ex-
pense to the city from this source alone, if foot
ed up and published from year to year, would
astonish and shame US. The Executive Com
mittee of the School Committee rarely have
their catalogue free of glass to be mended,
locks repaired, filth removed that comes Of this
vilainous abuse of our school houses and ad-
juncts Must it always be so? Property erect.
ed and kept in comfortable condition for the
benefit of these youthful Dc speradoes-and who
need it more than any other class-steadiiy
abused and despoied by them! 1t may indeed
be said the path from the smashing of windows
in the school house to the prison is very direct.
To say nothing of the expense per annum
which is frightful, the moral debasement is in
deed more SO.
1t is but day or two since gang of these
school house pirates chose to make a raid
upon the primary school house on Munjoy, and
SO they broke up and destroyed with high
hlnd. Nobody will tell who did it. To-mor-
row, very likely, battalion in another part OF
the city will conclude to smash another prima-
ry school house. The patient School Commit
tee follow on and mend up, giving these villains
another invitation to another raid
The citizen will notice. if he chooses to look
that way, the large school house in Centre
street, with its windows wired up, and in many
cases boards put in instead OF glass in unoccu-
pied rooms. That was done to prevent the pay
ing hundred dollars year or so for mendipg
glass. For years it had been going on. The
scamps breaking, the committee mending, till
at last it was thought the citizens, when thew
knew the facts, would justify this sacrifice OF
beauty to save this wonton destruction and OK
pense.
We call upon the Mayor and the police to
look at this matter. 1t has ceased to be bows
play, though boys are engaged in it. 1t in
wolves pecuniary loss of hundreds of dollars,
and is growing from year TO year, and it involves
the training of gang of bad boys who escape
generally to do mere desperate deeds as they
draw towards manhood. We call especially
upon that portion of the police force whose
beats embrace our school houses to keep vigil
liant eye upon their surroundings, especially on
Wednesday and Saturday aftern )ons, and ais o
at all times in this long vacation which is socn
to occur. Let them understand that this is a
part of their duty. If these agrarians know
that the police are on the watch for them we
shall save some of our property, and OCCASION
ally catch some of them. We think from OBJ
servations which have dropped from some Of
the police force in former days, that they didn'
consider it their duty to look after the schoo
houses. We hope that is not the sentiment
among the force now There is nothing more
apparent than that the police officer is to look
out for the protection of the city in every pos
sible way within his power. Let US have NJ
more such nonsense as that. 1t has become
serious question whether we are to possess oul
School houses in peace for the benefit of tn,
rising generation, who desire to embrace the
advantages, and we hope our public officer
will see that the scholar has fair chance il
this struggle with the rogues.