Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-04-29

in those of less number In New llamp-
shire and Ma ssaclusetts there are small
schools, and the common sense remedy ap-
piled is combination of small schools
and pay for transportation from distance
In New Hampshire 4D4 schools have re-
Gently been discontinued and - graded
schools formed.
Again, many of these districts never had
any good reason for their existence SUI
perintendent j. :. Adams, who was famil-
lar with Vermont schools, saws i'm his re-
port in 1850 that these divisions and sub
divisions of towns into small districts was
often the outcome of personal quarrels
carried into the town meetings. 1t is for
the Vermont farmers to decide how much
longer this waste shall continue because of
these small districts born of hate and
strife. 1t is submitted that common hon
esty and fair dealing with the larger dis
trcts require that there should be a town
central authOrity-the school directors I'M
der the town system, chosen by the inhab-
itants, who shall be under strong moral
aid legal obligation to decide as to how
many schools are needed in any town.
Such board can be trusted to deal fairly
with both the richer and poorer localities
/ have said that the town system would re-
suit in equal educational privileges. Our
school system is a state system. A neg
lect to educate ones children is made a
penal offence. Education is necessary for
the preservation of the republic, 1t fol-
lows that taxation for the support of the
common schools where certain branches
are required by law to be taught, and edu-
catOnal privileges III those schools must be
made equal. That is,the rural districts are
entitled to common schools Of the same
length and to teachers of substantially the
same abil ity and education as the villages
Most of the towns are able to support a
high school for the more advanced pupils,
where at least the higher branches of Eng
fish could be taught. But this is impossi-
bic, practically, without "a proper combina-
ton of the small schools and using the
money wasted on them to improve the 9th
ers. An old writer tells us. "To want lit
tie is great revenue However that
may bee. where there is great waste. as
here, the most fruitful source of revenue.
and requiring the least labor is to put an
end TO the waste
Horace Greeley once at an agricultural
fair in this state, in Illustrating the waste
OF power and human energies. related how
the negroes of the West Indies used to car
ry their burdens on their heads. and for
wheelbarrows the negroes persisted in first
loading the wheelbarrow and then carry
ing the whole according to their old Gus
tom. Wasting SO. 900 annually on 800
useless schools may not be quite so udi-
crous to the passing stranger as balancing
a loaded wheelbarrow on ones head, but il
is a thousand times more destructive. 1t
falls on One-third of the children of the
state This fearful waste has continued
for years against the earnest entreaties
and strong protests of every state superin-
tendent How much longer is it to contin-
ne? How long will the state and the
towns pay tax of l. per cent with no
voice in the expenditure, and with no man.
or body of men, charged with the duty of
deciding how many schools are needed?
The town system would result in a reason
able combination of schools This would
produce equality of educational privileges
not only in the common schools. but in
the upper department OF the graded
schools
state TaI.
The town system is necessary to equal
ize school taxes among the districts, and a
state tax is necessary to equaliZe taxation
among the towns But whether a state
tax has this effect depends on the method
of division. The proportion of population
to the grand lists among the several towns
is such, that a tax assessed on the grand
lists. and divided on the population or
school attendance, has little OF no tend
ency to equalize. 1t is impossible AT this
time to determine just how large the state
tax should be. This is because of the con-
fusion arising from our long and intricate
school tax laws. No one knows how
many hundred claims the districts have
against the towns on account of section
23S of our present law, which allows dis
trict to recover from the town one-haf of
the excess paid in support of a school,
above One-third of its grand list. In fact,
it is impossible to say, in order To equalize,
Just how much should 90 to each town, or
how much to each of the 2272 districts.
Under the town system a law of five lines
would equalize taxation in the towns, and
then we could very easily ascertain what a
state tax should he. However, from what
information / have, | think that the pres
ent state tax should be increased TO eight
cents. and that this increase of three cents
and the income of the Huntington fund
should be given to the towns to furnish
free text books and free town libraries.
Huntington Fund.
ne income OF lulS lllllu Is NlNlUtU
among the towns on the population. An
equal division among the towns would be
much nearer the wish of Mr.. huntington
as expressed in his will Good faith re-
quires that the teStator's intention should
be carried out, as far as is possible.
skilled Supervision.
New York, Pennsylvania, and many of
the Western states have county supervisors.
Massachusetts, allows several towns to unite
and hire a superintendent, the state paying
half or more of the expenses. This state
must adopt one of these plans and abide
by ii. The rural schools need good super
vision As much as the village or city schools.
Free Public Libraries.
If a child or youth is ever in need of a
guide it is in making a choice of what he
will read 1t has been proved in many
schools that a competent teacher, with a
few choice books, can do much to aid the
pupil in forming taste, love of good lit
erature. a good book has often been a
more potent and beneficent force than any
other in impauing a moral or intellectual
impulse to the young. DR.. McCosh in his
Psychology says "HistOry and biography
reveal incidents which incite the magma
ton, and youth should be made acquaint-
ed with them. Those who would
train the mind to its highest capacity must
furnish to the young the record of deeds
of heroism, of benevOlence, of self-sacri-
fee of courage to resist the evil and main