The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-08


that invested in farms, houses, stores, mils'
workshops, ships, and other visible property.
At the same time, this liability to lnequality
should be corrected so far as it is possible. 30
far as capital is invested directly or indirectly
in banking, railroad. telegraph, express and in
surance business, it may be and should be
reached. The last Legislature inausurated
steps in the right direction with reference to |
part of these interests L earnestly hope that |
you will continue to press forward measures
looking to such system of taxation as VIII
tend to equalize the public burdens. In my
Judgment it is possible-ceranly so with an
amendment of the state constitution-to ulti-
mately provide for all expenditures for state
purposes by just tax on national and savings
banks railroad, insurance, telegraph, and ex-
press companies, wild lands, and a few other
interests, without assessing single dollar ON
the several cities and towns.
REVENUE FOR THE PRESENT YEAR.
Under the practice which has always pre-
vailed in the treasury department., of distrib-
uting the state funds in moderate sums IN
banks located at convenient points in the
state, without charging or receiving anything
for the use of the same, the state has received
only the small revenue derived from deposits
in Boston, where most of the interest on the
state debt has been paid. l see no reason why
the cash balances in the hands of the treas
urer, averaging $250,00O, should not be depos-
tied in such banks as are willing to pay mod |
crate interest for the use of the same; and 1 |
recommend legislation to this end.
Under existing laws the tax on shares in ma
tional banks owned out of the state, goes to |
the municipalities where the banks are To-
Gated. There seems to be eminent propriety
in having the tax on such nonresident shares
go into the state treasury for the benefit of all
the people of the state as Is the case in Mas
sachuseJts and Rhode Island; and L recon-
mend legislation to this end. Should the
legislature think it expedient to impose tax
on the receipts of express companies and on
the property of telegraph companies, add-
tiona state revenues could be derlve1 from
these sources. 1t may be reasonably expected
that the revenue derived from these sources,
and from savings banks and public lands, dur
ing the current year, will be equivalent to the
amount that will be required to meet the OF
dinary current state expenditures.
There will then remain to be provided Tor by
taxation a sum equivalent to the apprOpria-
tions on account OF the public debt and for
public and free high school purposes-about
two mills on the dollar of the state valuation
for schools, and similar assessment on ac-
count of the public debt in case it shall be de-
cided to renew portion of the loans, and 9th
erwise three mills. Could reliance be placed
on the prompt payment of the tax en- railroad
aud insurance companies during the year,
state tax of three and a half mills on the dol
lar instead of four, would be sufficient TO meet
all expenditures,-a reduction of one half
mills from that of last year, which would ex-
tend gratifying relief to the people OF the
state.
THE EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE STATE.
The statistics presented ia the report of the
Superintendent of Common Schools unmistak-
ably indicate gradual improvement in the ed
ucational interests of the state. NOtwithstaud-
ing there has been no material change in the
census number of scholars yet the number OF
pupils registered during the past year, the av-
erage attendance, the average length OF the
schools, the number of school-ho in good
condition and the amount of school money
voted by municipalities as well as that dis
tributed by the state, for school purposes, have
all materially increased. During the past dec
ade the amount OF money appropriated per
scholar for school purposes has been doubled,
the compensation of male teachers increased
fifty per cent and of female teachers nearly
one hundred per cent, and the length of the
schools ten per cent, while the quality OF the
instruction has greatly improved: Ten years
since there was no nolmal school in the state;
now, there are two in successful operation. A
decade since the permanent school fund, now
increased to 1851 1893, was less than half that
sum. Within that period the amount OF mon
ey distributed to municipalities by the state for
common school purposes, has been Increased
from less than fifty thousand dollars to more
than three hundred and seventy-fve thousand
dollars, and including the amount contributed
by the state for free high schools and normal
schools to more than four hundred and TWEEN
ty I've thousand dollars; and will reach the
present year more than four hundred and fifty
thousand dollars. OF the aggregate expendi-
lures for public school purposes, about three
fifths are paid by municipalities and two tifths
by the state,-whereas ten or fifteen years
since nearly all was paid by municipalities.
The free high school system adopted two
| years since has been more successful than It's
| most ardent friends dared to hope, and prom
ises to exert still greater influence for good in
| the future. During the past year 161 towns
| have maintained $40 terms of free high schools,
| giving instructions 20 about Il, 900 pupils at
| cost not far from 100000 of which little less
| than $4,000 will be contributed by the state.
| he laUiS wi
| prudent, under existing circumstances, TO take
| any steps at the present session looking to the
establishment of system OF school supervision
| intermediate between the state superintendent
| and the several school committees. The best
| interests of the state, however, unquestlonaby
| demand the early Inauguration of such Sys-
| TEN of school supervision and inspection as will
| give increased efficiency to our public schools.
| 1t is not so much school money tnat is needed,
| as it is more systematic and profitable use OF
| the means now devoted to this vital interest.
| Our Normal schools are doing the most valua-
| BILE service Tor the state in furnishing the COM
| mon schools with trained teachers; and these
| institutions should receive generous considera-
| tion at the hands of the legislature. A propo-
| sition from the trustees of Bridgton Academy,
| offering to transfer to the state the property of
that institution condition that it be used Tor
| normal school purposes, L am informed VIII be
| presented for your consideration.
| In the Judgment of many of our best edu-
| Gators the time has arrived for this state to
enact law making attendance upon some
| school certain portion of the year obligatory
| upon children between the ages of eight and
| fourteen years. IL my annual address enc
| year since, in view of the dangerous increase
of illiteracy among certain classes OF the popu.
| lation urged the Justice and importance of
| an enactment of this charcter whenever public
| sentiment should be advanced sufficiently to
| secure its enforcement to any considerable ex-
| tent The discussions which have taken place
| on this question within year or two have Ger
| ca6 at fO q
| which threatens free institutions from the IN
| creasng ranks of ignorance; and the indica-
| tious are SO hopeful that such an enactment
| would not be suffered to remain a dead letter,
| but would on the contrary prove in many cases
| an instrument for good, that recommend the
important subject to your favorable considera-
| tion.
| COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC
| ARTS.
| The report of the Trustees of the State Col
lege of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts repre-
| sents that institution as rapidly increasing its
| number of students and its usefulness; and my
| observation confirms these conclusions. The
trustees ask for an appropriation OF twenty
seven thousand dollars to meet current ex-
penses and outstanding liabilities, purchase
apparatus, erect a farmhouse, and make pre-
variations for the construction of another col
iege building There is no doubt that this
sum is much needed the present year to put
the institution in a condition of the highest
usefulness, and that large sums beyond the in
terest of the fund derived from the national
grant, will always be required from year to
year, from some sources, in order to effectually
carry out the object for which the college was
established When the legislature accepted
the national grant, and thus became the spon-
sor of the new institution, it deviated from the
wise and well-established policy of leaving the
interests of the higher education to private
liberality and care, supplemented by such
occasional incidental state aid as might
be needed to encourage individual eff
fort. The reasons for this departure
from a traditional policy had their
basis in desire to take advantage of the lib
e, al national grant, and more particularly in
the belief of many eminent men that new
class of higher institutions of learning was
needed, which should so direct their educa
tional work as to turn out young men to be
better farmers, carpenters. blacksmiths and
artisans generally, instead of so generally
graduating them for professional life.
While these onsderationsiundoubtedl con-
trolled the legislature, yet none of the most ar
dent advocates of the new departure imagined
that they were establishing an institution
which was to depend entirely on public appro-.
priations for its support. 1t was supposed
that while the new college would be an es.
pecal object of public regard, its principal
| support would come from private citizens. L
regret, therefore, to observe growing tenden-