The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-22

approved by the state superintendent
of education, by every school prin-
cipal and teacher and by the best in
telligence of the state. That remedy
is the town system. OF it Governor
Pingree, speaking after full and careful
investigation, says: "The limits of this
communication would prevent, and its
proper scope and purpose, perhaps, for
bid, the trenching upon the field of
argument upon the merits of the pos
sible remedy for this (what has seemed
to me) evident misapplicaton and
waste of some of our wealth and much
of our otherwise most fruitful energies
under the inequitable and varied dis
trict system; but | should at least
presentto you as my earnest conviction,
and | do confidently recommend, that
some measure be adopted at your in
stance looking to the universal estab-
lishment of the town system of schools
in the near future as probably the
most promising of practical and perma-
nent good to the cause of common
school education and of the reforma-
ton of many of the existing evils which
now handicap and thwart its largest
beneficence." What is this remedy?
1t is simply to place the management
of the schools of town, where all other
important town matters are lodged.
in the hands of one board of control.
elected by the people as selectmen are
elected. Would any Vermont town seri-
ously entertain proposition to sub
divide its territory into dozen indie
pendent districts, more or less, and en-
trust to these districts the election
of one or more men to discharge
the duties now entrusted to one CEN
trail board of officials? The mere
proposal of such plan of town man.
agement is suggestive of inefficiency
and weakness. A town tax of ten per
cent in wealthy district, tax of one
hundred per cent in less favored To-
cality, highway tax of very unequal
rates, all obtaining for the poorer dis
tricts, at oppressive rates, meaner privi-
leges than mere bagatelle gives their
wealthy neighbors, with danger to the
public, confusion and wrangling-
would be the inevitable results of
district system of town management.
And precisely these results are realized
in district system of school manage
ment. A single board of selectmen is
more efficient than dozen boards:
single board of school managers is bet
ter than dozen boards. One uniform
town or highway tax expended by
single compact board of men, it holds
to reason, will secure more uniform and
more beneficial results than twelve dis
tinct taxes varying widely in rates and
expended by twelve Independent boards
in the same town. One uniform school
tax expended by three or six men,
piNhNu out ioi tilCll anu
good judgment, with reasonably per-
manent tenure of office, will serve a
better purpose than twelve VARYING
school rates expended by as many dis
tinct committees whom the rule of ro-
tation changes annually. The state has
been laboring to equalize general taxa
ton. Where is the justice of leaving
the poor school district to struggle
under tax that annually absorbs all
or the greater part of the district grand
list to provide poor school for twenty
weeks in the year, while the wealthy
and populous district for one fourth of
its list has good school thirty weeks
in the year? Taxation for the schools
should be equalized. 1t is for the best
interest of the towns. And the proposed
system will work this reform and give
the common schools of every town an
energetic, efficient, intelligent and per-
manent board of management. This
reform should not be longer delayed.