Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-15
LETTERS FROM THEPEoPLE
A Member of the District Committee
Talks Upon the School Question.

A Member of the District -CommttSee
Talks Upon the school Question.
To the Editor of the DEMOCRAT: ~
A few words after the battle as to the
outcome of the school meeting Thursday
night when the voters of the center school
district refused to furnish the district
committee with the means of provld-
ing additional facilities, as requested by the
board of education. 1t can have no bear.
ing on the question at issue whether the
city bonded itself extravagantly or not IN
the matter of an increased water supply,
as the two subjects are of an extremely
different nature. On the one hand the
matter of an increase of water means
eventually a source of revenue and OF
course the wiping out of the debt without
an increase of taxation. On the other
hand schools are direct tax upon the dis
trict without any possible chance OF re-
turn save an increased intelligence and
more direct educational benefit to oul
children and future generations. From
remarks made by some of the speakers il
would appear as if the committee recon-
mending the matter was actuated by IN
worthy motives; as if they had not the in
terests of the people at heart .as much as
their would-be critics; as it, in fact. sordid
motives were at the bottom of their action.
This is entirely wrong. No person has
any right to question others motives
when they are seeking to benefit their fell
low citizens. We may disagree with them.
and honestly so, but it is piece of cheap
demagogy for any person to attack
another mans motives because they do not
agree on any question.
The state law compels children to go to
school between certain ages. The same
law compels boards of education to furnish
school Accommodations under certain pre-
scribed penalties. The district committee
were unable to furnish the desired accom-
modations and laid the matter before the
voters of the district in a duly and legally
warned me citing, Mr. Kendrick to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. The warrant was
published Saturday, Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, max
ing six publications, instead of barely five.
as stated by Mr. Kendrick. AS regards the
statement that our children do not need
the higher education Judge Webster nobly
answered it and his words may we'll be
pondered and considered by those who
have no other heritage to leave their
children, except education. for lack of
which, they (the parents) have been ham,
pored all their life. The childless man.
who made it his business to be on hand to
vote down the project; the real estate
dealers, who failed to be recommended by
the committee becauee their sites were
not as suitable for the purpose, made it a
point to be there with their friends to vote
down the matter, and then the omni-
present orator, who is always harping on
the woes of the poor, was there to add the
balm of verbosity upon the surging waters
of the degrading system of financiering,
which would enable the children of the
district to reap the benefit of an eplight-
ened and up to date education.
No doubt the old style school houses did
good work. The old ways were good ways in
their time, but with an increased demand
for educated men and women, with the
idea removed from ouI minds that because
we were compelled to work in inferior and
mental occupations that with Gods help
and with the assistance of our splendid
free school system, where the child of the
poor stands as an equal with the most IA
vored, we resolved that whatever the
sacrifice our children would be placed
where they need not be hewers of wood
and carriers of water for any person.
AS to the idea of one speaker, build the
high school and pay for it if it takes half
our property, L simply say, nonsense.
The speaker has means as the head of a
monopoly to get all his taxes back in the
year out of every consumer of his goods,
and there is where DIR Hinckley hit the
nail on the head. 1t is not the person
who hands in bis list to the assessor who
pays the tax. 1t is the person who rents
the house, who buys the goods the store
keeper offers for sale, whether it be eat
ables or wearing apparel or luxuries or
any kind of merchandise, who eventually
pays the tax, and day by day this is gradu-
ally working its way into the heads of those
who have to foot the bills.
The meeting was q spl. ndid one and
did more to educate our citizens in the
needs of the district than fifty statements
published by committees. 1 will not tres
pass longer upon your patience but sum
up the things that must be done at once,
whether we like it or not. First, the
Washington school to be enlarged;
cost, $4,000. Second, the Bank street
school, twelve rooms are crowded and 100
children are packed in the small wooden
building built for sixty. This school must
be enlarged this winter; cost about IS 900.
The Hillside avenue school is rented only
from month to month and if it should be
sold the Sperry street school should be en-
larged or a new school house built, costing
about $40, 900. Here We have in the
of $50, 900 needed at once as
if through some mishap children could
not be accommodated, the state fund could
be withheld and the district prosecuted for
not furnishing adequate school facilities.
Add to this the trying needs of the high
school and no sober minded citizen can
deny that the school boards acted hon
sstly, conscienciously and couraeeously in
placing the matter before the district. hav-
ing no axes to grind, no interests to serve
only their duty to the children and the
citizens of the district; no desire to lay an
burden upon the shoulders of
our taxpayers. and with faith that upon
sober. second thought our people will be
only found too willing and too eager to
lelp their chosen representatives upon the
BOARD of education composed of men who
iced no encomium from me. who stand
among their fellow citizens as
men of rare professional and educational
and whom we should not for
moment allow to be smirched with even
thought of unworthy motives.