Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-24

| am confident that the converse of this
I would be the result; for if the free high
schools are abolished. then communities where
/ they are located will be compclled to increase
their school appropriations and if the increase
III the annual appropriation for school pnr-
poses, is equal to the decrease in the amount
/ apportionrd by the state then by " hat lcgor-
dcmain can y"u make it appear that a burden
has been lifted from the shoulders of the tax
/ PAYERS: On the face of it there seems to be
neither loss nor gain. In it, operation. how
/ ever. the repeal oi the law would transfer the
burden OF maintaining the high school, from
the whole State to the $50 towns and cities in
which those schools are now established. Ger
tainly the circumstances Of the people" would
not be amclloratcd by such change. Again he
says ''thcSc free high schools are generally
located in villages where not more than one
fourth of the scholars in the town can be ac-
commodacd and the other thrcc-tourths who
have no benefits from such schools. are taxed
both in town and State to support them.
Ihi, is surely a grave error, because. in the
one hundred and fifty towns and elite, in
which this class of schools is cstahli she'd the
villages and cities comprise thrcc-fourths of
the population. and if the gentleman had said
that tlree-tOurths of those competent to enter
the high school could be accommodated. and
that onc-fourth would be excluded bv reason
of living in remote parts of the town. he
would hav" stated what is nearer the truth.
Let us draw Il little more Inspiration from his
speech
"Io tax towns or parts of town, Ia support
schools which they have no part or lot in, is
unjust. unfair and dishonest"
This proposition assumes that towns or
parts Of towns are uniu,,ly taxed for the sup
port of these high schools. Let us examine
into the practical workings OF the hgh school
system in order to expose the utter tallacv of
the gentleman, argument on that point.
\ town at its annual meeting. appropriatcs
certain amount of money for a free high
school. Having compiled with the pruvs-
ions Of the law. the town receives from the
state an amount not exceeding $500. The
free high school draws from the common
schools their more advanced scholars. conse-
qucntly The cost of maintaining the common
school. j. materially reduced This libcratcs
an amount of money equal tothc sum received
from the State. which is divided among the
farming districts ontsidc of the village Thus
1t must be apparent to every person who Is
not blinded by pre- Iudice. that the rural dis
tricts derive a real and positive benefit from
the free high school
Though have not the data. vet venture
the assertion. that there are few towns in this
State. that have established high schools
winch do not div iic more money among the
rural districts. than those district, pay for the
support of the high schoolS and what is true
of the farming districts is also true of the
three hundred and fifty towns and plantations
that have not availcd themselves of the law
Again he SAYS. taxation should fall on all
property alike" heartily concur in that
propositions this principle is embodied in the
q "a pf he. Ian nd md bn- l..,
nizcd ever since the adoption of the federal
constitution; il docs not, however. work well
in practice. because il i an absolute impossi-
blitv To ferret ont and tax all property alike.
Now we come to the key of the gentlcmans
position. the main point in the argument and
what does he say: by what right do Won
tax these $50 towns. that are too poor to set
up high school within their own borders.
to support high school, in the $50 towns that
have them, when the children of these $50
towns have no part or lot in them on benefit
from them: Well now that reminds me of
the problem rropoundcd by the ancient
S0phi>t. and do not mean to insinuatr that
the gentleman i, modern Sophi,t though
he sometime, deals in ,ophi>tries The prob
lem to which alludc is this:
When man says lie does he lie or doe,
he not lie: If he lies, he speaks the truth:
and if he speaks the truth. he lies Now |
propose to answer the question of the gentle
man. and to make his proposition speak the
truth. shall answer the question by asking
another. BY what right do YOU tax one hun
dred and fifty towns. that pay g. per cent. of
the entire school tax, to support school, in
three hundred and fifty towns which pav only
33 per cent. of the school tax?
Now, if the one hundred and fifty towns
which support high schools were drawing
money from the three hundrcdand fifty towns
that have not ayalcd themselves of State aid,
TithOW refHtHthy an tgHtraieat. then the
argument of the gentleman would have some
force: but when We consider that the $50
towns are actually drawing school money
from the one hundred and fifty towns and
cities. in excess of the amount which thcv pay
into the treasury for school purposes then the
reasoning of the gentleman is deprived of its
strength, and the weakness Of his position ex-
posed. | believe that members of thi, House
arc shrewd enough to see where the shoe
pinchc>; he. (Pickard) is not so extremely
anxious for the interests OF these three hun
dred and fifty poor towns. aS he is for the in
tercst of the city which he in part represents.
Bangor pay, St0.Ono in State tax besides
the tax on Savings Bank deposits. and il re-
cCivcS in return on the school account $4,000,
therefore, the gentleman is extremely solicit
few days the division of S22j 900 Of the school
mill tax will come before the House for dis
cuSsion. and You will find him advocating
a suspension Of that law, which il success sful
would be nothing more nor less than "A DELHI
crate and systematic robbery of these $50
poor towns. over which he assumes to cxer-
else such Il paternal care. Then will he eN-
pose the cloven foot. Then will these $50
towns repent in sack cloths and ashes" that
they ever followed in the wake of the Rcpre.
sentative from Bangor, But enough OF this
criticism.
1t has been asserted that our high schools
can be suspended without detriment to the
scholars or the State: so y0u can suspend
man by his neck without danger to his life
There are employed in our schools during
the winter seasons !, 300 teachers through
the mutations of life they are con
stantly leaving the service. Their places
must be supplied, in the main. by experienced
teachers. Now where are your teachers COM
ing from? The Normal schools and colleges
do not supply a sufficient number. Manifest
~ this great corps of teachers must be re-
cruted from the free high school graduates:
l,.,,,. H..