The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-24

| we'll known that under the district sys-
tenn school agents in employing teachers
gave the preference to relatives and
| friends, the claims of some young lady
or some young man to the po-
sition being made the principal
consideration. The result was
that the teachers were often young and
inexperienced. Another point in favor
of the town system of schools as against
the district system was that of economy,
under the district system, the expense OF
running a school often being incurred
when only q few scholars were in atten-
dance. These two arguments seemed
to Mr.. Winslow the chief points in favor
of the change. He quoted school status
tics taken from certain town before
and after the adoption of the town sys-
tenn there to show that the number of
weeks of schooling was greatly increased
and the pay of the teachers was raised.
As to the quality of the instruction, Mr.
Winslew thought the increased wages of
the teachers showed that the quality of
teachers was better under the new than
under the old plan. Another thing
which indicated an improvement in the
quality of instruction was the doing
away with the fayoritism in the selec-
ton of teachers already referred to.
Mr.. Winslow computed, in the particu-
lar townsin question, an increase of 55
per cent in the length and quality of the
schooling. Another thing against the
district system was the inequality in
school privileges under it, a poor dis
district having only small share of the
advantages enjoyed by a wealthy dis
trict adjoining Mr.. Winslow also
touched upon the distribution of
the mill tax fund, He
said sale that that Portland contributed
$22, 900 under this tax for distribution
among the country towns for school pur-
poses. He wondered that the people Of
Portland had not risen and demanded
that this money which they so contri-
buted should be distributed in accord
ance with the principles of economy, and
business methods which they used in the
conduct of their own affairs
Mr.. Winslow thought that the argu-
ment that this change would impair the
rights of a town was without founda-
tion. ALI that this system proposed to
do was to blot out the district lines and
make school arrangements town affair;
not district question. Was there any
thing in that which impaired the rights
of towns? Mr.. Winslow believed in
town patriotism because it led to state
patriotism but he did not believe in
neighborhood patriotism. 1t was well
known that in our farming regions peo-
pie were apt to become exclusive and
egotistical and the district system
tended to enforce that feeling instead of
encouraging feeling of interest in the
general welfare. He understood that
the chief objection to be urged to the
passage Of the bill was that the present
law now permitted towns to adopt the
town system if they chose. He thought
he had given sufficient reasons as to the
expenditure of the states money in an
economical manner, to meet this argu-
| ment. The present law operated against
| the towns themselves because 1t created
dissensions in the towns themselves,
| there being two parties, one working for
| the adoption and retention of the town
| system, the other striving either to re-
tain or restore the district system, This
| state of affairs impaired the usefulness
| of the town system, the friends of the
| district method in towns where the new
plan was tried, trying to weaken it. Mr..
| Winslow referred to the position OF edu-
Gators in favor of the town system. That
/ ought to count for something. Many pc
titions had been received in favor of the
| change; few remonstrances against it.
The adoption of the new system in
neighboring states ought to count for it.
Mr.. Winslow felt abashed, felt ashamed,
| in stating that Maine was the only state
in the Union holding to the old system.
| Senator Peakes opposed the bill. He
said the Senator who had preceded him
| had told of town in which this new
| system had been tried, and had quoted
| statistics to show how well the new plan
| worked. Mr.. Peakes supposed that this
Nv
| but it could not be his own town, be-
| cause that town had tried the town sys-
| TEN. got sick of it and returned to the
district plan. In the legislative class in
| which the gentleman resided. three
| towns were under the district system
| and one under the town plan. The
new plan was beautiful theory but to
| quote an eminent man, we were con-
| fronted by condition and not by a the
ory. As to the beauty of theory and the
| difficulty sometimes experienced in max
| ing it conform to facts. Mr.. Peakes told
] one or two of his capital stories. He re-
ferred to the scientist, who worked a
| year to prove that a dead fish in the
/ water weighed more than a live fish.
| The theory was beautiful one, backed
by many arguments, but when as a final
| test, the scientist weighed his fish, he
| IOuLO uue WolSllb C10 nfsiuO 6tiiSO etlei
dead. 1t was said that there were 100
petitions here, but Mr.. Peakes wanted
| to know if all these petitions were not
on printed blanks sent out by she super
| intendent of schools, Mr.. Luce, who had
made this matter a hobby for years. Mr..
| Peakes gave resume of the efforts in
| the legislature to secure the passage of
| this BILL He claimed that its defeat in
previous sessions showed that the peo-
pie did not want it. He knew that the
| people id not want it. Why was it that
| towns which tried the new plan in so
many cases went back to the old? He
| denied that the town schools were better
| than the district. In his town of Dover,
under the district system, there were
as good schools as there were any
where in the state. He defed any man
| to show him bettsss They received
some money from the state, but they
| raised good deal more themselves. His
district had built shool house at cost
of $12,0 900, and paid for it, and now they
were to be forced to go into other dis
| tricts and help them build their school
houses TT was said that there was faV-