Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-20
fCondps<d frsn first pase.l

IV4&A4 t1As We 8EcshBE SCSs So ANAsIs -
IS c.: in oakland, 81 c.; In Lewiston.
SIC. 10 Brewer, 4sc. /; In Orono, &c. and
10 Portland il would cost less than 1900 .
year, instead Of ezs 900 - stated. la ref
esepce to the spread Of contagious diseases,
be said he thought that no member could
cite an instance Of this kind. The State
Board Of Health Of Iowa in investisstins
this subject had written some fosf
hundred letters to leading phys
c;ans Of the State and coald never End .
case where contagious diseases had resulted
from the use Of set COL books New York
city had had this system for hfiy years. Did
IL look reasonable that they would have al
loved il there where the sanitary rules are
50 strict. II this Danger existed! phyn-
clan In New York had ridicalsd the idea and
said that IL vas . mere book agents scheme.
For II years-slnce iels-Philsdelphis
With nearly twice a. many inhabitants - the
State Of Maine and With the best sanitary
conditions Of any place In the United States,
had had free texf books. and there had new
or been any fear Of contAgion
There was no more danger OF confAsion
than from the public libraries. but no one
had ever heard Of 3 library refusing be
quest through fear Of eontagion. The prsc-
teal result Of uniformity Of text books 10
secured by this bill. As 70 the expense, .
saving Of from % TO ~ per cent can be
made in buying the school books directly
from the wholesale houses. A saving 10 also
enecrd by using the books until
they are worn out and this Is
especially recognized by the book agents or
the book trust companies or syndicstes in
Boston. They were earnestly opposed to
free text books t~o years ago. because II
would spoil their trade. The New Hamp-
shire House Of Re press natives one year ago.
passed a free text book act. Thereupon
the SENATE was flooded With agents Of book
syndicates uho by their efforts and argu'
nents were instrumental in defeating the bill
They were here when the matter Vas before
the committee. They are here nov, said
he, upon the floor of this House" And II
Wa not in the Interests OF the
people that they were there. but in the IN
terss,s Of the book syndicates who sent
them. A saving Of 80 per cent. would be
made in the cost Of books in our State by
thi, bill, So per cent. In buying and the
balance In using the books until worn out
The argument had been made that some
towns conldn't afford to pay for free text
books. Couldn't they afford to pay $50
where they are noS paying slO0f Couldn't
they afford to save SIS 900 or more an
nually to the State of Name Were they
not willing TO be taxed little more TO have
this free system?
Replying to Mr.. PattAngalrs statistics in
reference to the attendance under the two
systems, Mr.. Clason said that Skowhegan
has 1906 scholars, and an average attendance
Of 1856. a good percentage. Orono has 739
scholars. Pembroke 7l9. The attendance
In Orono last year was $50 in the summer
term; in Pembroke $3.50, 1903 less than orono.
The attendance in our schools will be in
creased at least ten per cent. 10 1856,
Connecticut had what IL called the Tuition
Tax law, compelling parents or
guardians OF child to pay 81 10 for school
purposes. Ia 1866 they alb ,lished that law
and IN the next two years there was an in
crease Of eleven thousand scholars without
any increase Of population. In our State
the annual school expenses run from " 90
To 81, call it s2.75. II the tar Of 81 10
would keep out some Twelve per cent OF the
scholars from the public schools in the State
Of Connecticut, would not the same tax keep
away All equal proportion of scholars here ?
New York also mere ,sed the school attend
ance under this system. Four years age
Massschusetts, which probably has the best
school system of any State In the Union,
passed this law Of compulsory text books
AN the attendance has Increased about ten
per cent since the law passed. Mr.. Clasor
said in eiosif z; am proud to cast my vots
for this bill believing that in 50 doing | an
beuefiting our State aud making our sohool'
in fact what they have long been 10 name,
absolutely free to all classes and condition.
of our people. Applause.
Mr.. Pattangail SAID that th'
gentleman from Gardiner had unin
tentionally made a little mistake. III,
had sad mat H. Drono the average attend
ance was 45D out Of 739 scholars. He would
find that it was 3ji If he would look agai
In reference to his own town he said thai
there had been q loss of manufacturing in
Iustries and the scholars had TO 20 to sea OF
At work in Machias TO earn lvel hood. He
said his town hal done more tow ards educa
tonal purposes la proportion than any other
town in the State. Lubec Ia 1872 scholars
with an average attendance of $685. East Ma
chiss 5Ts with an average of $50.
Mr.. Ware of Casiine, in reply to the
argum ut OF the gentleman from Portland,
that IN passing this bill they would be in
fringinR on the public rights. said that every
public act must of necessity broaden or con
trart individual rights and the corporate
ri hsof a 'ovn. But when they passed a
public nc were they infringing on the RI hts
of some town? lie thought not. Under
this proposed law anyone could furnish hi.
books IT he chose. but those who had money
could afford TO help educate those who had
not. Ia regard TO taxes he said that the
money which the town must raise comes
back to it IN the reduced cost of the books
On motion of Mr.. Turner of Somervile il
vas ordered that when the vote be taken il
be taken by yeas and nays.
Mr.. Talbot of East Mschias said that they
were asked to legislate on this matter on the
princple that the lie gislature is a parent and
the people children and that it NUT take
care OF them. Henry Ward Beecher had
said IA paternsi government is an infer
nal government" This principle was tina,
the town did not know how to manage its
own affairs. He said that every gentleman
there WAS indebted for his seat to the exist
ing management of local affairs. The law
now In force says that the town may do just
what they were trying to compel them to do
Would they compel the other 1868 towns in
the State to DO what 80 had chosen to dol
He believed that ia order to keep up an in
terest in education they must put the respOn-
sibility on the people aud not center it in
this one spot, Ii man wants an education
beyond what the State can give, he will get it.
He thought the expense was less under the
present system. 1t WAS said that it would
be cheaper for the towns to furnish books
but there is no principle in human nature
that is so quickly developed as the principle
Of noun 1t fuum. This priIcip'e would
cause the children to preserve their books
more carefully than As if they were furnished
BY the town.
Mr.. Barker of Bangor said that he was ii
favor of this bill without caring whether il
saves to the State or adds to the expense Of
the State, because he believed that the foun-
dation of all good government rests in good
education and that this bill would promote
better education in this State. He
believed that the bill tends to
raise the common school in the estimation
Of the people. to educate them in the belief
in Gods Bible and to make them better quail
ifed to throw the ballot that stays the govern
ment in which we live. II isa fact whict
exists to the shame of our State. there are
children within its borders who are not prop
erly provided with text books to study, and
who are too proud themselves and whose pa
rents are too proud. to have them apply tt
the lAw As il now stands, for books in town.
where books are furnished free, as they were
In his own State.
The gentleman from Pembroke had though
that the passage Of this bill would say tC
men of his age that they have been remiss in
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