The Portland daily press., 1873-02-21
Remarks Of Prentiss Loring ESD, of
Portland. =

In HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, FEB. nth,
THE SCHOOL MILL TAX. a4le1 a4i
Nj. Speaker,I believe that in examining this
question which relates to one of the brOadest
and most vital interests of our State, we
should, as far as possible, separate ourselves
from the influence of mere local advantage or
disadvantage, and discuss it upon its merits.
do not believe that those who would be ben
Gifted by this measure, desire that its sue
cess should be secured upon any other than
equitable grounds and by proper methods.
Reared in the country, am not unfamiliar
with the conditions, duties and trials of those
who in our agricultural districts, by severe
and constant toll, work out the support and
education of their families and yield to no
man upon this floor, in sympathetic apprecia-
ton of the discouragements under which
many of them labor; and know that as a
body they are men of sound Judgment, of in
tegrity of purpose, and rare independence in
thought and action; these are the men to
whom, as jurors, we look largely for righteous
verdicts," and am confident that they will
not insist upon advantages which can be OBJ
tanned only by ungenerous and unjust en-
actments. On the other hand, 1 DO not be-
Geye that the wealth which is accumulated in
our cities andslarger towns desires to shirk any
burdens which may justly be imposed upon it,
especially if the general welfare of the COM
mrnity and the State is to be promoted
thereby. - So t
. And, now, Mr.. Speaker and gentle
men, desire, first to call your attention to
the fact that in the year 1871, the money
contributed from the State Treasury for the
support OF public schools was $15,333. BY
act of the Legislature of 1872, the am ,unt
authorized to be expended from the State
Treasury for schools for the school year of
| 1872 was little more than $300, 200, and for
the year 1878 it will be a little over $S63, 600
| This largely Increased contribution by the
| State, for the school year of 1872, has not
| yet been entirely paid from the State Treas
| ury into the hands of the towns and cities
which are to receive it, and no returns have
yet come to us indicating the success of fail
ure of the legislation of last year. The ex-
pertinent has hardly been entered upon, much
less the results reached. And now comes the
proposition for the State to add to this al
ready liberal expenditure a quarter of mil
lion dollars, and the question which I have
put to you is this: Is this the way you assess
taxes? Is this the way you expend money
in your municipal affairs? Having voted q
thousand dollars from your town tn asury, do
you vote to expend another thousand for the
same purpose before you know what has been
the result of your first expenditure? / may
safely answer that you do not.
And say further, that the condition of
eur schools, and the public sentiment in re-
gard to them, in very many localities do not
warrant any such increased expenditure as is
here asked. Money is not achat is noto most
needed. There must be cultivated in our
communities higher and more watchful re-
gard for the cause and interests of education.
Look at the records of our schools in the re-
port OF your superintendent. They indicate
that nearly so per cent of our school
population are in the streets or away
from the school room. / call your attention
to the fact, that out of sixty supervisors Of
public schools in different parts of the State
making their reports to the State Superintend-
ent in 1871, As make the burden of their COM
plaint, that the great deficiencies and failures
in the schools are largely caused by the apa-
thy and neglect of parents, from which there
result non-attendance, irregularity and tardi-
ness, thus injuring the schools, discouraging
teachers and obstructing discipline. The
same is true of So out OF 7S statements OF
town supervisors, found in the State Super
| intendent's report of 1872. The Supefin-
tendent of Schools also intimates that in
some towns the committees are instructed
ssnot to visit schools unless they are summon
ed" Is there not some deficiency, some
wrong in the management of affairs herep
The following extract taken from the re-
port of the supervisor of a certain town, and
contained in the State Superintendents Re
port of 1872, is but a sample of many others
which sustain this position. After stating
that the average number attending the win
ter school was only a little over 25 per cent.
of the whole number, and the attendance
upon the summer school was less than 60 per
cent, the supervisor says: "fhis non-attend-
ance represents a waste during the summer
months of one-half OF the money which was
expended for school purposes, and during the
winter, three-quarters. Or, of the amount
paid to teachers, considerably more than one
half was for instructing unoccupied benches.
instead of the minds of the pupils. There il
need enough of more generous school noli-
cy on the part Of the State and the town
bat SO long as parents do not appreciate The
true value to their children of School onnor.
tunitles more liberal endowment wonId he
wasted in part.n M "o'''0 '''' is pe
The constitutional provision in reference to
the support Of schools is a most wise one.
our fathers, in many respects, wrought bet
.sr than their sons; and when they framed
TINS article, providing that the "the legisla-
ture are authorized, and it shall be their duty
10 require the several towns to make suitable
provision. at their own expense for the sup
port and maintenance of public schools"