The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-03
The State Superlntendents Report.

We have just received the annual report of
the Superintendent of Common Schools for
the year 1874. Last winter we presented
the important statistics of that document
when the first sheets were printed. The
report proper contains one hundred and
forty-four pages; but the report is followed
by twelve pages of samples of drawing by the
Pembroke High School, twelve pages of plans
for school buildings and an appendix of two
hundred and fourteen pages, making rather
formidable volume of three hundred and
eighty-two pages of fine type. The first
eleven pages of the report are devoted to
school statistics derived from the reports of
municipal school officers. The next twenty
odd pages are devoted to the normal schools
and schools receiving state aid upon the con-
ditions that they maintain normal depart
ments, much of which has been published
heretofore in the catalogues of those institu-
tions. Next in order are useful tables show
ing the number of scholars in the towns,
cities etc. of the state and the amount of
school revenue they receive from the mil
and savings bank tax. Quite space is also
devoted to a synopsis of what was taught at
the teachers institutes last fall, to an essay
on drawing by Mr.. Stetson now of Boston,
to the advocacy of the town against the
district system, or rather no system, to the
recommendations of town committees rela-
tive to school legislation and to the proper
construction of school buildings. In word,
the report proper is such as one might rea-
sonably expect from an official of Mr. John
sons experience, ability and positive and
progressive ideas on the subject of popular
education. Indeed, all OF Mr.. Johnson's re-
ports proper are alike creditabe to himself
and the state; and, while he has not secured
all that he has desired in the way of school
legislation and supervision, he has good
cause to congratulate himself ON the positive
progress which has been made in Maine
since he has been at The head of the educa-
tional department.
We cannot, however, fail to mention that
Mr.. johnson has fallen into the too common
error of issuing large volume as a report,
The official appears to be impressed with the
idea that his usefulness and general efficien-
cy is estimated by the extent of his annual
report. Ii our Superintendent had put the
covers upon his report when he had so fully
completed it with the one hundred and forty
four pages, including the plans for school
houses and the drawing samples, the plates of
which were doubtless furnished by the Bos-
ton publishing house issuing the work which
they advertise, he would not only have been
obI 70 hau loiI fba haco tha T
lature early in the session, but would have
saved the tax payers several hundred dollars
and presented the people document the di-
| mensons of which would not dishearten the
every day reader.
Of the appendix, nearly one hundred and
| reports of municipal school officers. These
are given in so much smaller type than Mr..
Johnson's own report that they actually af-
ford third more reading than the Superin-
tendent's portion, which may be considered
as an Introductory treatise. 1t would not be
fair to condemn the publication of few Of
these city and town reports, such for instance
as those Of the cities of Bath and Lewiston
and few towns where men of experience
and culture manage the schools; but, in all
candor, we ask of what use to anybody can
nine-tenths of these town reports be? Three
fourths OF them contain the same platitudes
about the glory of our free school system and
that species of comments about teachers, and
schools and advice to children and parents
who no one ever thinks of needing. Every
district school boy has heard it as often as the
committee have visited his school. To be
sure, now and then one of these officials in
dulges in little of the spread eagle about our
| free institutions and the glorious future of
the Republic. The young lawyer who signs
| himself as the supervisor of Bangtown does
| make the old bird squawk elegantly, far sur
! passing the ability of the young doctor who
| heads the committee in the rival burgh of
| Slamtown, whose painful efforts at stirring
up the national poultry indicate that he is
| but novice in the business. 1t is doubtless
| well to be reminded of the 'peoples' univer-
| sity," the free school, and to be invoked to
care for the ''bulwarks of personal and ma
.ional greatness but it strikes US that the
admonition and exhortation would be as
| effective by being once made as when re-
peated score of times as the proper perora-
| ton of a town report.
We can but express the opinion that Mt.
| Johnson's otherwise admirable report is
| greatly marred by the insertion Of three
fourths of the town reports it contains.