Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-26

| eHsA kDAs osAa. Aoe IASke OF uoe CA9e Al
these. The fund il composed Of the fol
loving amouois: In the dfst place th
niH tax amounting 10 one PER cent
Of the valuation Of the State; tak,
1890 for example, 1t amounted 3
$S55 57s SS. To be added to that 10 one
half of the savings bank tax, which i,
thfee-fouYth Of one per cent one-half o
which amounts 10 el54.473.77. Also to b,
| added to that 10 6 per cent. Of the schoo
fund, or fund which has accumulated e
the benefit Of the schools for the State
smmounting to @442,757 Six per cent
interest amounts to S36 5s5 AZ, making I
grand total for 1890 Of SAl6, ,6l9 Is. To b.
deducted from this the last year was the
appropriation for normal schools, teachers
meetings. training schools. Lee norma
school and Camden academy. amounting tc
$2l 700, !esviog S39i, ,9l9.l3. The mum.
Der Of scholars smops which this sum i.
divided Is 2ll 372. making St.s7 to each
These scholsrs vary in sgs from 1 to 81
years. 1t does not include the actual
number OF scholars, but it takes
children. from the age Of four, to adults,
some of them married-2l years Of age,
It really does not 90 to the benefit Of the
scholars. but for children and grown-ur
people. Now. according to the law, q!
first the amount of money which WAS re.
turned to the cities and towns for the
school fund for scholars was so cents each.
That amount has been increased unit! II
amounts to 81 81. This fund 10 increasing
annually about $ll 600. During the past
six years the sAvings bark tax has increased
Sl30.00S. one half of which goes to the
school fund, or s65, 900. making abou.
600 per annum increase during the
psst six years, and there 10 no reason to
doubt but it will 60 on increasing aud the
valuation Of the State be increased
as no doubt it will, from S235 900, 900
up to over $500 900 900, and there will
be proportional increase Of this fund,
probably Sl00,0O0 at least. Previous "a
1887 the appropriation for academies and
institutions Of learning were charged to the
school fund. For some reason or other
that Was changed. and only par. Of these
appropriations are now taken out OF this
fund. The amount Of the appropriations
last year WAS only Ss.400. for schools and
academies which we're 20. charged to this
fund. Up to the present time the amourf'
Of appropriations this year will amount to
less than $4,000. Now wha. effect will
that have upon the amount which il
returned to the different towns on account
OF scholars, presuming that the amount
Of the school fund 10 increased only
the amount which is aft lrded by
the increase on account of the
bank tax, which is 1000 year. You
see that the appropriations Of this year will
not come up to the amount of the increase,
therefore it will not reduce the amount
which i'll be paid back to the towns on &C
count Of the scholars; and on that sccount
it seems to me as il this appropriation
might jus. as we'll come cut OF the school
fund. No one will be hurt and that seems
to be the most appropriate place where
such appropriations should be paid from.
Mr.. Haines Of kennebec-I would like
to ask the Senator from Penobscot if, under
the resolve as drawn "or other educational
institutions other than free high schools" I"
the appropriation for the State college
would be included.
Mr.. Thatcher-That does not come
under the title. as l understand, that
hat comes under the head Of acade-
mics and educational institutions. 1t
wss not the intention of the com mittee to
include that and should be perfectly vii.
ling to so express it in this bill, that the
State college should be excepted.
Mr.. Grindle Of Hancock do not ques.
ton the motives of the gentlemen who ad-
vocated this measure, for have the fulles.
confidence in them; and do no. believe
there 10 a man in the Maine Legislature
who would Intentionally do anything to
cripple our public schools. but I do most
empha.icslly pronounce this bill as one of
the most mischievoue measures that have
ever seen proposed to the Maine Legisla-
ture. The proposition of this bill is to di.
vert from our public school fund an indefi-
mite amount OF money from the purpose for
which it is now used and for which it was
originally Intended. l say ian indefinite
amount" for mark the language of this
bill: IAN appropriations heretofore OF
hereafter made by the Legislature for
academies, seminaries or educational SEM
inaries other thsn free high schools. shall
be paid out of the common school funds. y
SO we are asked to put on the statutes a
law such that this Legislature and coming
Legislatures can make appropriation after
appropriation without any limitation as to
number or amount. without a single note OF
warning in regard to these individual appro
p,iations as to the source from which they
shall come and when the Legislature has
a5j burned, then figure up the amount and
deduct the aggregate from the public
school fund. Now the reasons which
understand are given for this very extra.
ordinary measure in substance srs the ss
First that the amount so taken would be
very small; and secondly, that there il q
large increase, very much more money In
the school fund than has been expected
Now it is sufficient reply to the Hrst OF
these reasons that il this amount il so very
small. it can hurt no one to take this small
amount from the general treasury. But
are you sure that i. is small? We are ap.
propria.ing for quite a number OF acade-
mics this year and as has been pointed ou.,
we have appropriated already S24 500 for
the State college, and l believe that fair
Interpretation Of this bill will embrace the
S24 500. But whether it does or does not,
whether the amount is $40 900 or $40, the
principle involved is the same. 1t 10 not
the amour. simply. it is the principle that
we are eontendiDg for here; and l believe
tina. give usterance to the public school
sentiment of this State when l say: Let
not single dollar be taken from the pub
lie school fund for any purpose except for
the benefit of our public schools. OF
course the normal schools and these acad
emies which have normal departments are
ooly part of our public, school system
and there is no reason why the money
should not be taken from the public school
fund for them. But, when you once es.
tablish the precedent that money can BE-
taken from this fund for any other put.
pose except for the public schools, no mar
can tell the number of measure
which might come in here tc
drain il; and say that wher
you pass this bill you practically
throw wide open the doors and extend /,
State, to every sect and der omination in 'h,
State. to come here and ask appropriation
for their educational institutions and b.
lieve that, with the harmony, with the ZOO
feeling exis:iog between the different sect
and denominations, they would stand very
good prospect Of sstlag their sppropria
tions. Suppose ouc Catholic friends wer,
to come in here and ask that portion o
the public school fund be appropriated sol
the support of their psrochiai schools, Il
there one man in the Senate who woul,
favor it; and yet believe, il we pass thi
bill you cannot consistently refuse it. Yo,
may Of course rsfuse it by tn
mere force Of Protestant msjorisie
bat do no. believe you ca
refuse it upon any line Of constituency
have not one single word to say belitle
ing classical education. II we have sn1
money in the treasury to spare, am willin
to vote money to academies which teacl
Greek. Latin and the higher mathematics
but whan ii 10 proposed to use the State
money to back these branches at the ex