Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-08
The Town System.

The third public hearing on Senator Howard |
bill for the adoption Of the town system Of schools
was had In the large committee room last week |
Tuesday. Rev. A. d. Barber appeared before
them, not, he said, as the advocate Of any system
but in the interest of good schools. The rever-
end gentleman had evident eanings towards
some sort Of district system but the illustrations
drawn from his experience in Vermont schools
where the town authority had been invoked to
straighten out districts and compel them to build
good school-houses and hire good teachers was
quite az strong an argument as the town system
could have In its favor and seems to have been
80 considered by the friends OF the latter system.
Mr. Barber was questioned at considerable length
by the committee. Mr.. Gushing OF Hartford was
called out as the representative of a town which
had unusually good district schools. Mr. Cush-
ing warmly advocated the town system as afford
ing efficient school management, an equalization
Of taxes for school purposes, and affordng to the
poor pupil as good advantages as are enjoyed by
the wealthy. He gave instances Of the unequal
and unjust working OF the district system as to
taxes where one district Of great wealth levied a
school tar Of five to ten cents but got the adyan-
tsges OF the good schools in an adjoining dis
trict where the tax was seventy cents. COM
mittee had been appointed in his town at the last
March meeting to investigate the workings OF the
system and he had no doubt that at the next
meeting the town system would be adopted. A.
W. Edson principal Of Randolph Normal school,
gave strong testimony in favor Of the town sys-
TEN. He was familiar with the schools in Waits
field where the town system was in force, and
thought there were no better schools in the state.
Under this system, the directors chosen, usually
six in number, were picked from among the best
men in the town. They were vastly higher
class OF men than the prudential committees,
hold their offices for consecutive years and are
more independent and conscientious in hiring
teachers The office Of prudential committee is
rotated round among the voters Of the district.
In fact, 1t is the only public office most of the
voters will BIO likely to hold and the distinction is
kept going from man to man. The prudential
committee rarely holds office more than one year,
and usually makes the most Of 1t by hiring some
friend or relative with more regard to some per-
sonal favor or advantage than fitness to teach.
Such abuses were practically impossible under
the town system in the nature Of things. Pru-
dental committees frequently sent to him for
teachers. The essential stipulation with them as
whole was cheapness-fitness to teach being a
secondary consideration. He had just received
an application for teacher at 50 week and
"board around" He believed the people would
cheerfully accept the town system. 1t would end
great source OF trouble II 1t were made the sys-
tenn of the state. Local option would never sue
coed. If a town adopted the system now, the mi
norty. knowing they will have another opportun'
ity to test the question, keep things stirred up,
make an effort to create and keep up dissatisfac-
ton. II the system were made obligatory this
difficulty would disappear. He did not think the
system would work equally well in every town
but in all towns would work far better than the
district system. DR.. Butler OF Essex heartily en-
dorsed all that had been said in favor of the town
system. He had seen the practical working OF
the system and was enthusiastically In its favor.
The district system has decayed 1t is a thing OF
the past. He conceded the full force Of all that
had been said in favor of the town system and
sincerely hoped the committee would report the
bill before It, The town OF Essex had better
schools under this system and he believed would
readopt the system. The speakers did not regard
the passage of the bill az any more revolutionary
than the tax law of two years ago. They be-
lieved II adopted, 1t would become as popular as
that law and would be the greatest boon to the
state and especially to remote and sparsey set
tied districts.