Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-25

there has been . deAcieney. Two yeafs
aso there vas Q deficiency Of so0e I'll, 900
for repairs and running expenses Of he
schools, four year, ego think about ths
came amount. This year We md all the
buildinesfin good condition. q The gentle.
man has said; but Ne ind that il il imfoss-
ible to run the normal schoois - they are
being run on IN appropriation OF
9l9 .Oe0. The trustees came before
the committee and asked for about al 900.
They went to work and vent over each
item, item By item and concluded that they
could run the schools for ~. 600, but
thought it better business principle for .
school to have an appropriation ample to
pay its running expenses. rather
than to have . smaller appropriation
and 1t the end Of each year. or at each ses-
sion Of the Legislature, ask for Z special
appropriation. One item is the cost Of the
teachers. The salaries Of the teachers for
the three normal schools 10 DIS, $50. leaving
but $3.50 TO pay the running expenses. for
iAnisor. coal, lights and other things. Af1er
carefully investigating everything pertain
ing to the expenses Of the normal school,,
the committee were positivs that S24.-
COO was - email an amount - we could
run these schools with 70, the next two
years. see no necessity for referring
this back to the committee on education,
for we shall have no different facts pre-.
scented than We have had before.
Mr.. Stone-I notice that there were l0l
graduates from the normal schools In 1889
and An appropriation Of 4l9 600. 1t costs
the State Of Maine 4l90 to graduate every
scholar. That 10 for the fair education
they receive in the normal schools, and we
get less than $500 apiece for our common
school scholars. II it fair that the normal
schools should have this increase to $40
per scholar?
Mr.. Callahan Of Lewiston-Mr. Speaker,
l see that the gentlemsn's objection 10 in
taking the money from the school fund.
These scholars, - he calls them. at the
normal schools are being fitted to teach in
the common schools, and are not gradual.
log for colleges or anything Of that kind.
He says the money in the rural towns 10
growing less because the scholars are grow
leg less. He does not put it quite in the
right light. Tho money 10 growing more
year By year per capita. 1t has run from
80 cents to SlS7, so if the scholars are
growing less the money il growing more
per capita.
The motion of Mr.. Stone of Troy to re-
commit the bill to the committee on educa-
ton WAS then lost on vote of IS to SO.
The question was then upon the passage
Of the bill to be enacted.
Mr.. Packard of Searsport called for a
reading of the bill, which was accordingly
read.
Mr.. Paskard-Now, MIR. Speaker, be-
lieve we have been endowing academies
from our common school fund to con-
siderable extent, and l don't know whst
that school fund is. Our common schools
are the foundation of our free institutions
and we want money enough to carry them
on. We want considerably more money
| than We have had for this purpose. We
have good many ignorant boys and girls
in this State yet that want little more than
usual attention given them and l move, il
| it be in order, that this bill re laid on the
table, or somewhere else, until we find out
what this school money is.
Mr.. Harrington of Norridgewock
| Speaker, last Friday / had occasion to
speak for moment upon this bill. Think
there 10 n Misrepresentation on the part Of
the gentlemen Of this House as to the posi.
ton Of the common school in the matter of
this appropriation. Now, as q member Of
the finance committee 1t has been my duty
| to examine somewhat into the treasury Of
the State, where it comes from, and in that
examination have learned these facts
about the common school fund and abou.
the future probabilities of the fund for the
support of the common schools. The COM
mon school fluid at the present time is
derived from three sources: first, 6 per
| NIlp frpJ
| $26, 565 At !; second, one half of the saw
ings bank tax, which, at 3.4 per cent,
yields 1854, 473 II, which added to the in
to $751; ,039 "a. Taking from that what
was appropriated last year for nor
NAL schools and institutes, $2l, 200,
there is left $l59,339 "a. To this you
add the mill tax of 1880. which is $685.
1888. making at present total Of 1894, :
9l9 10 for Tie common schools. Now
since the rate Of taxation has been estab-
lished at "A of l per cent this savings
bank tax has increased annually about
$20.000 The number of pupils is dimir-
ishing in the State Of Maine, but the per
capita rate per pupil increases every year,
because this whole sum 10 divided among
the number Of pupils which you have in
the State. 1t is estimated, and this is no
estimate without reason, gentlemen, it is
estimated that the mill tax for the next &c
years will yield about $1,000 more than
for the last 10 years. Putting that with
the sum we already have, we shall have
nearly $500, 900, or what will be termed
the school fund. Now you will see in q
moment that we are going to
have large increase OF school
fund. The committee on finance will be
met with this question: either the
common school fund must be used to some
degree to support these schools, or q high
ratb of interest must be raised, because the
money must come from some source to sup
port the expenses of the State. Now as
regards the normal school and the cost of
graduates. Those people who have watched
the course Of the normal school, and have
seen the work that the teachers have done,
know that the common school has been
been benefited more, probably, from that
source than from any other one thing since
the normal schools were established. The
normal school is the parent of the common
school. The teachers, as they 60 out from
the normal schools, infuse new life, new
blood into the profession, into the work of
the schools, and there is no appropris-
ton made By the State in my Judge.
men. which yields 20 good q return az
the appropriation for the support Of
these normal schools. Now, the
gentlemen of this committee on education,
painstaking, interested in education,
heard patiently the trustees of these schools
and those trustees made it clear to this
committee that it WAS wise
and necessary expenditure. Now while we
have expended considerable in the way Of
Deficiencies in the past few yesrs, you, gen.
tlemen, who maintain buildings yourselves
know that it 10 good economy to make re-
pairs on buildings as they need them, and
rot let them run for five or ten years, and
then have to make large repairs at one
time. 1t is not good economy. The gen.
tlemen Of the committee are satisfied. and
think every person who has examined
into these normal schools and the work Of
| the teachers is satisfied that the trustees
are jealous. faithful and efficient, and we
| ought to be actuated somewhat by their judy
ment and their wishes. Now assure the
gentlemen of this House, and they can
learn the same by irquiry of the State
Treasurer, that the facts that have stated
in regard to the future funds for the COM
mon schools are correct; tina. the common
schools are not to be robbed. and the one
reason see vi Y this measure should be
passed at the present time, il that il is wise,
and We ought not to spend more time in tine
CANVASS of the question. l respect the
feelings Of the men who desire to save the
common schools. They are the found alton
of the education OF the young. yet we must
L. -, a.. I,