Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-02-23

heartily in favor of it to-day. ms
testimony is better than argument;
but there are some who may wish to
hear the particular advantages claim
ed for the new system. We give
few of them 1t is assumed that
somewhere IN a town there are three
or six men, as the law provides, who
are better capable of managing the
schools than any others in town, and
that the schools in their hands will be
more prosperous than in the precarl-
ous management of from ten to TWEEN
tv prudential committees, selected al
most atrandom by few voters who
attend the annual school meeting.
The directors chosen by the town
hold office three years, the system
once established, and like Il compe-
tent board of selectmen, who are
thoroughly acquainted with the af-
fairs of the town, are able, from ia
miliarity with the wants of each
school, the capabilities of teachers,
and the requirements of each COM
munity where the schools shall be
maintained, to give the district bet
ter school than it is liable to have
under the management of the ''dees-
trict" committee. The superintend-
ent, one of the directors, is connect
ed with the schools long enough to
know their wants, and his supervis-
ion ought to be better than that of
one whose term. of Office Is liable to
continue but year. Under the prin-
ciple that the government which be-
slows the most good on the greatest
number is best, it is argued that the
town system is the better one, be-
cause it provides good school facill-
ties for every scholar. 1t is claimed
further that the new system makes
the burden of school expense equal,
while the present system subjects one
man to a burden, oftentimes, ten times
heavier than that of his neighbor
To explain under the present system
it. often occurs that families an6
neighborhoods are deprived of schoo
privileges by quarrels, poor school
houses, inability to hire suitable teach
ers, small grand list and consequent
| high taxes. 1t is well known that il
certain districts where there are more
heavy Taxpayers than children, tina
the poorest provisions possible, unde
! the law, are made for the schools
and that the poor mans children, an(
the occasional child of q man bette
to do, are deprived of decent school
ing through the cupidity of MAORI
ty of voters. Education is common
blessing, and our free schools
mon schools-should be supported
by common, equal burden Of taxa
ton. 1t is not expected that any mai
who has no regard for schools, ex
cept to see how little they can b.
made to cost, will interest himself il
the welfare of the school, but al
those who have, will weigh the matte
candidly with reference to any i'm
proved methods. 1t seems to be con
coded, where the system has bee
tried, that the cost of schools through
out the towns has not been increased
while they have been improved.
Those familiar with the town sys
TEN claim that it does away wit
those district wrangles, so disagree
able to all, puts less sisters and sis
ters-in-law, cousins etc, into th
schools, gives the districts experient
ed and capable teachers, puts th
management and responsibility on
the town directors and relieves I'll
district of much that is onorous, an
disagreeable. 1t is pretty we'll III
derstood that no teacher can be s
utterly worthless us not to have SON
friends-they may be quite hume
Gus if a committee man fails to hi
a second time, or causes to be di
charged. To turn out the poore
teacher makes a quarrel, usual
that disrupts district for a lor
time, and to avoid these local, neig
borhood turmoiIs, so detrimental
the schools and annoying to all, Il
town system seems best.
On the other side of the questio
it can be said that poor selectit
of school directors would, or migl
run the schools extravagantly, u
wisely and unproftably. Their choi
is in the hands of the town, and th
can soon SO elect as to make t
Y management generally satisfactory