The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-14


About the Savings Bank vaults-Bank
Men Will Make No Compromise
for the Abolition of school Districts.1ys
Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, February 13.-The facts in
regard to the attempt on behalf of the
savings bank bill boomers to effect
compromise with the bank officials are
gradually coming to the surface. An at
tempt has been made here to make it ap-
pear that the bank men were not averse
to compromise. This is not SO. The
overtures for the conferences held last
week were made by gentlemen interested
in the passage of the bill, and the circu-
lars sent by those representing the saw
ings banks to the bank officials, express
ly stated that the bauk men were to meet
for the purpose of hearing what the
other side had to say. The savings
bank men had no overtures to make so
long as the clause providing for dis
Grimm ton in favor of Maine invest
ments was in the bill. AS already
pointed out in the PRESS, the bank
men declare that to be a premium on
bad banking and as a matter of princi-
ple they could not agree to .any bill
which contained such such provision.
OF course, the gentlemen interested in
the passage of the bill had no idea of re-
linduishing chat pet scheme. But they
showed willingness to sacrifice every
thing else in the measure, including the
increased tax rate and the tax on accum-
ulations. At the conference it was
brought out that the Maine Central rail
road, the Phillips & Rangeley, Bangor d
Aroostook, the Rumford Falls Compan-
les, and the Maine Water Company, are
among the boomers. Another interest
ing bit of information which throws
some light ON the question was state
ment made at the time of the conference
es that some at least of those interested
in the bill would not object to three and
one-half per cent dividends by Maine
saving banks. 1t would make the mar
ket for various securities better, by
causing depositors to leave the banks
and 90 into business on their own ac-
count. In the same line was the state
ment that the greater the difference be-
tween the rate on foreign and home in
yestments. the better it would please the
friends of the bill.
The Ancient School s'Deestrict.''
There is probably no one thing which
is a subject for legislation at this session
that is mo re closely related to the daily
home life of the people than the public
school. Parents with youngsters whose
infant mi nds are now being trained OF
course are Immediately interested in any
marked change in the educational sys-
TEN of the state. Old maid aunts and
bachelor uncles are known to have pro-
nounced views on the subject of the
teaching of other folks children. So
they, as we'll as the parents will be inter-
ested in the bill to abolish the antiquated
school district system which, without
being uncomplimentary to ''ye good old
times has, like many other relics OF
those days outlived it's usefulness. The
new system which has received the en-
dorsement of the committee on educa-
ton, is provided for in the following bill:
An Act to abolish School Districts and to
provide for more efficient supervision
of Public Schools.
Be 1t enacted, etc.
Section 1.-THE school districts in all
towns in this state are hereby abolished.
Provided. however, that school districts
organized with special powers by act of
| zation; but said districts shall annually,
| on OF before the first day of June, by
! their agents, trustees or directors, sub
| nit to the school committees of their
several towns estimates of the amounts
required for the maintenance of the
| schools therein, other than free high
| schools, for the ensuing school year,
| and shall be entitled to such portion of
| the common school funds of the town as
| said committees shall determine, which
sum shall not be less than is necessary
| for maintenance of their schools for a
period equal to that of the other schools
| of the town.
/ Sec. 2.-Immediately after this act
| shall have become law, towns shall take
possession of all school houses, lands,
apparatus and other property owned and
used by the school districts hereby abol-
ished, which districts may lawfully sell
and convey The property so taken shall
forthwith be appraised by the assessors
of said town, and at the first annual
| assessment thereafter a tax shall be
levied upon the whole town, or such part
thereof as is included within the districts
abolished, equal to the whole of said ap-
| praisal, and there shall be remitted to
the taxpayers of each of said districts,
the said appraised value of it's property
so taken. In case of districts comprising
parts of two or more towns, the assess
ors of said towns shall jointly appraise
the school property belonging to said
districts, and shall determine the part
thereof belonging to each of the said
towns, and each town shall remit to the
taxpayers in its part of such district the
part SO determined, in the same manner
as in case Of districts wholly within said
town.
Set. 3.-This act shall not abolish OF
change the location of any school legally
established at the time of its passage
but any town at its annual meeting, OF al
meeting called for the purpose, may
determine the number and location OF
its schools, and may discontinue them OF
change their location; but such dlscon,
tinuance or change of location shall be
made only on the written recommenda,
ton of the experimenting school com
| conditions DrOn-