Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-20

TO Se"eraiN proud'spirited and rather than a
id ply TO the school officers they keep The
y, children at home, aud from this course n
lie suits ignorance, and ignorance 10 tn
70. stepping stone to crime. In mos
IN towns the regular book dealers fornisl
the books and the large cost is very burden
al some He said that in his own town the,
10 had adopted the free textbook sy,,em an
u they were enabled to furnish the books mucl
IN cheaper than bcforr. lie instanced Harper,,
.. geography, which they furnish now for 9,
II cents, when they used to cost from the deal
ers from u sS to 81 so. This same state al
l. .nin9s exists In other towns where they have
" free textbooks. The poorest child In III
e town has books that he can stuiy and thsl
places him on An equality with the others
Another thing-therc is a full supply al
n books Ia Augusta, Lewiston. Auburn and
Il mSn' othef cities In the State school book,
= are furnished free.
MT Allen vf Mercer. thought that the
= pupiis IN his town received all the bencnts
.ney could under the present system. They
"sd sent scholars from their little town 70
! schools In the larger cities tha, had stoo,l
nrst IN their classes. A few years aso A.
! school supervisor he had after taking sd-
vantage OF the competition between the
various agents who came To him, Introduced
oo'As into the schools of his town At the
o"e" possible rates, and he found that
"ere ~" not scholar In the town who was
uo' Apie 10 furnish = book but what vas
furnished one. When 1t could be managed
'nA better way he certainly should vote for
Mr. Fogs Of Portland, said that year After
year the legislature is encroaehing more and
more upon the vested rights of the people.
Was an assumption on their part, he
'noush, Tor them To say what WAS for the
INTERESTS OF the four hundred towns Of the
S'a.e aud what was best as regards the
'ances OF their municipalities. The law pro-
'ades that towns may furnish free text books.
lh'rc might be towns where rich people
could furnish all the books that their chill
iren need, and there might be poor pcople
VINO could not do so Why not leave IL 10
ne '""nl In his own municipality the adop-
uon OF th's bill means an appropriation Of
30 ooo for Il 1t books. lie believed that
the people of Portland were public spirited
enous 10 make ample provisi,n for all the
wants OF the school children. There 10 in
| the hands OF the committee q surplus fund IN
provide books for the poor. leaving the 9TH
yrs To provide for the wants of their children.
lie thought that they would arrive at unifor.
NIFTY OF text books Just as quick
WIN he law rs 1t now
what text books It rleascs. Under the pro-
posed system, when a scholar finishes q
text book the one coming after him takes
the book. old, worn and soile I, and this he
believed wa' grievance To the scholar Who
sS compelled 10 take the cast OF book
Mr Goodwin Of Skow hogan, believed that
our pubhc schools are the strength and safety
OF our public institutions and should be made
absolutely free. All the great and popular
educators are In favor Of this system and the
schools of Mas.achusett, hay. for n long
'lnie had these free text books They had
aiop'ed this system In Skowhegan two years
ago nnd at that time there were 1900 pupils
aud 1t cost 5000 or on an average Of 4s
cents head Tor text books. This last year
there were 1910 students and $500 was ap-
propriat~d or AN average of 80 cents per
mead. Under the present system II coats 4
man an, where from o. 90 To o. 90 per wear
TO supply his cbiid With urt books.
ihe town makes dir, ct saving Of from
20 to 20 per cent The school books are not
thrown aside when the scholar 10 done with
mem as they are ut present, II new teIt
books are adopted the town can put them In
much more chcaply. During the last two
years the saving To the town Of Skowhpran
has been $1,000. The saving to the State
would be all the way from S55 900 To elOO.-
900 annually. Another point 10 the saving
ot time. Mr.. Goodwin showed how at the
beginning OF the school term the frat few
days are taken up with instructions as 10 teIt
books nnd that when the pupils send away
for them they often waste NJ much as week
before the books come, Under the pro-
posed Law that time Is utilized This bill,
shile 1t will incr, ase TAXATION. will really he
u saving. lie had no doubt that the city of
Portland would be called upon to contribute
$40 900 annually but II their savings were
10 the ratio OF the little town of SkowbeRan,
they would save 600, 900 per year.
Mr boodwih took up ths point that was
urged IN opposition. that free text books
would deprcciatc the self respect ~ the
scholar lie srgued that the towns now
| furnish free school houses, free teachers.
| Tree fuel. aud no one evsr heard the xrRu-
ineht raised that the scholar. lost their man
hood OF independence. Til. biii teaches the
| ,h'ii to have proper regard for public
property aud vested lights This 10 a time
OF socaiistic and nlbillstic tendencies and
anarchy We have got To combat
these tendencies, and how better can ve do
it than by taking these Textbooks,
putting them IN the hand Of
the scholar and saying, These
are not your books; they are not my books.
1hey are the States. You must treat them
with respect The large book syndicates
had sent their agents here osten,ibIy In the
interests OF the pee pie. How kind and dis-
interested Of them They did 1t, he said.
TO put into their own fat pocket book the
money OF the people. The
propo,ed law has been tried IN, 60
ears in New York and for 30 or 40 v.sY, In
our own State and has been proved bv
actual experience that 1t 10 q good Law.
Then let US make scholars irrespective of
wealth or station ABSOLUTELY and unaualinedlv
free, Applause
Mr. ftttangsll of Pembroke said that 10
all That his young and eloquent friend from
sko~hegan had SAID we're true. then he and
many o,hers of the older gentlemen Of the
House had been remiss In their duty. Uis
friend from Ca-tiDe bad spoken Of the town
of oroho Referring to the report of the
Sups f'ntenient Of common schools for 1887.
he found that The whole number of schola,s
at orono sa. 73J. The hole lumber res-
'stere1 was 40. Of whom 35t attended
school Al Sko~hegan in 1887 the whole
number OF scholars was 1906. The whole
nnn'hrr registered at the fail term was 7sg.
and the number IN attendance, $50, or a rood
deal less than one-half the scholars Of
that town, and they were living under
tins benehc. Mt stem. Allusion had been
made to Massachasetu. John Is Moran Of
Boston, the well know instructor In hygiene
had spoken Of the danger Of Infection from
contagious diseases resulting from the sue
| cP'nv" use of TIT books In the public
| schools.
Mi. PattsngsIl thought that the bill vould
unneeeS'arily burden the tar payers Of the
state. lie said that a town in hi. portion Of
the state, which few years ago had been
swept by hre. and was taxed "a per cent on
ITS valuation, had made a $4,000 contrset
With a water cornDany and had put in electric
l'hts At a cost si70O, and IL this bill we're
passed II would adj largely to their burden
Of taxation. That town has an excellent
school system.
The Law on the statute books 10 lust and
right, but to say to the town, you shall do
this thing" he regarded a. most arbitrary
and unnecessary. lie proposed To 20 back
TO his constituents and say that he still be-
lieysd io local self government. His
friend from Sko~begsn had referred
to bihilism, socialism and all that, AZ q ereat
danger impending over this State. why"
said he, was there ever Q measure that
tended more to~ards that than this one1
When We say to the people Of this State,
We are one vast commune, and We will