Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-14

crossed, when Mr.. Ricr of Rocklsnd moved
several amendments. which were ordered to
! be printed, the bill living on the table
/ Bill an act additional relating to the fees of
| persons admitting persons to bail, was read
| the third time and laid on the table on motion
| of Mr. CURRAN of Calais.
Bill an act to amend chap. - sec. 90 of the
| public laws of 1873 in relation to lime rock
and slate, came up on its passage TO be en-
| crossed, and was recommitted to the Com
mittee ON Legal Affairs, on motion of Mr.
CrRRAN of Calais.
Bill an act relating TO fees in certain cases
came up on its passage to be cngrossed and
was Indefinitely postponed, on motion of Mr.
BRowS OF Bangor.
Mr.. DANA of Portland, presented bill an act
relating to voting places on islands in Port
land Harbor, which was passed to be engross-
ed under a suspension of the rules
On motion of Mr.. KIMnALL of Bath the
bill relating to restricting fishing for porgies,
was taken from the table, the question being
on its third reading.
Mr.. DODGE of Bristol. moved to table and
assign Tuesday next Mt IL o'clock for its fur
ther consideration.
Mr.. kIMBALL opposed.
Mr.. FARRINGToN of Frycburg, called for
the regular assignment, which was the matter
of free high schools.
Tlr House then resumed consideration OF
the free high school subject.
Mr.. Thomas of Yarmouth, said he could
not remain silent when ourpuhlic schools are
assaulted. lie had asked for no instructions
and had received none from his constituents :
neither had he come here pledged to ere
| trenchmcnt' or ''reform." vet he was willing
TO go in that direction as far as reason and
common sense shall lead. He had a strong
love for the State of Maine and its people. and
especially for the young. who to-day are in
our schools. Ii is oar duty to that the
rising generation are fitted for the work of
life. 1t has only been few years that we
have had sci oll system worthy the name
1t has been fUun to be poor economy to en-
ploy cheap teachers The remedy sought for
the poor schools and poor teachers, was the
free high school act From the II. 900 pupils
in our schools. many teachers are graduated,
and these institutions are helping the normal
schools in the work. This was one reason
why he should vote to sustain the free high
schools. This will obviate the necessity of
going out of the State for teachers for our
1000 district schools. Our schools were at a
stand still for IA long period before the estab-
lishment of ose schools, and if prosperity
awaits us in the future it must be achieved by
trained minds and skilled hands. The State
becomes richer by extending the benefits of
education to all classes. The cry comes that
we are poor and are ground down by taxa
ton. but never was there time when there
were more evidences Of prosperity on every
hand. The cost of the high schools las, wear
was SIS 900 II Il man is worth nothing he is
not ground" If man happens to be worth
$1,000 his tax on account of these schools is
one cent for every ten high schools. The
poor as well rs the rich share in their bene-
fits. They have had good effect upon our
common schools by gre ltly increasing the
average attendance on the same. This fact
he showed concusvelv by figures. He spoke
of the opposition to this measure that came
from Bangor. No school law imposing tax
can work entirely equal, and that shall be
strictlv just To all classes. If this bill is I'M
inst, then is the mill tax. The gentleman
from Bangor is opposed to the high school
act because he says it is unjust He does not
oppose the mill tax. Why? Because il is a
great help to many towns in many sections of
his State. He looked upon the proposition
to suspend the operations of these schools for
one year, as striking them out of existence al
together \ proposition so monstrous that
appeared to him like Il reform backwards
He plead earnestly for the free high schools.
and for the twelve thousand pupils in our com
mon schools.
Mr.. HOMER of Bucksport followed against
free high schools. He desired it to be under
stood that he stood second to none in his re-
gard for the interests Of education when it is
for the BE- n fit of the majority. He was not
opposed to high schools but he was opposed to
the present system of free high schools. Let
the people come forward and vote to sustain
such schools. Large sums of money have
been appropriated by the State for this pur-
pose, and he believed these institutions to be
on Il sound substantial footing. He did not
believe they were going suffer if the law
was repealed. There is universal desire on
the part of the members to cut down expendi-
lures, and here, it seemed to him, was an OPP
portunity to retrench without detrment to
any interest He was in favor of suspension
of the law for one year as an experiment.
Mr.. Brown of Bangor, gave notice that if
the report recommending the repeal was
adopted he should move to amend so that the
law shall be suspended for one year instead
of repealed.
Mr. GrPTII. of Gorham. was wholly OPT Os-
ed to the amendment If it was the deter mi
nation of the House to kill the free high
schools, it should strike openly and not do it
in an underhand manner. 1t can not effect
the appropriations for this year. and unless
the House behaved itself better than it had. it
would have but little voice in saying what it
shall he next wear. The gentleman from
to have high schools that can pay for them.
The poor towns would not thank him for such
generosity. The city ofthat gentleman Pick
ard) had high school ''of which it was just
" proud" But the records wolld show that
they have drawn the same amount from the
State that other towns have drawn. That
gentleman (Pickard) was willing to establish
them as monopoles of education; but the
children that attend them are not the poor
children of the State, The State, before the
free high school act, had donated nearly three
fourths ola million ofdollars, and more than 90
townships of land to those monopolies, which
have been entirely suspended by the opera
ton of the high schools, and the poor are not
now obliged to go 20 or 80 miles and pay a
tuition for an education. Another gentleman
from Bangor BROWN does not approve of
education at public expense. This was not
generous. 1t was not generous to tell a boy
| he can 90 barefoot when he has no shoes
That thing might be practiced. but the boys
| feet would be cold, nevertheless. The gen.
tleman Brown was giant physically and
mentally. He did not think that gentleman
4 L. 49,.