The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-03-16
Especial to the PREsS.)

Especial to the PRESS.)
Augusta, March l5-The House today put
itself on record as in favor of rebuilding the
dormitoIy building of the Gorham Normal
scnool. The size of the vote was surprise
to even the most sa!.guine friends of the
measure, eigbty-fve members going on
record in favor of the resolve and only
hirty lone against it. The resolve. which
was reported by Representatives Burns.
Boot uby and Peaslee. min nority of the COM
mittee on education, appropriates $4,000.
one-half the sum originally asked for. The
debate was long and interesting.
Mr.. Howe OF Milo, called up the Gorham
Normal school resolve and moved that the
majority report against the appropriation.
Mr.. Howe told the House of the demands
for aid for the various Normal schools made
upon the committee OF education. and also
tho plea for a new normal school. The
state paid. he said. the running expenses of
the normal schools from the common school
funds and the legislature appropriated
the necessary money for repairs and addi-
tions to the school buildings. The normal
schools, Mr.. Howe regarded as part of the
common school system. That at Gorham
had the finest building of any in the state.
III WAS lOCdteu LII Wddt was hlftua4iJ q SUI
urb of Portland. one of the most beautiful
cities in the country. 1t has at its head an
educator sec ond TO none in New England.
But Notwithstanding all these things, Mr..
Howe did not believe in rebuilding the
dormitory. He regarded the dormitory
system as hindranoe to the school. He
belle cd It better for the pupils to board in
private families than to live together in a
dormitory. He thought that in families
greater care would be given The scholars
than they could receive if all lived together
In one large building. Mr.. Howe believed
that the school would be larger than it now
is wei there no dormjtory. The people of
Gorham were themselves divided on this
question. Many of the reputable citizens
of the town desii ed the dormitory rebuilt.
Many equally prominent opposed it. Mr.
Howe said that the committee had not
taken into confederation the argument that
the boarding of the pupils in private
families would help the trade of the local
store keepers, but they had been Influenced
by the fact that the Gorham people were
themselves so divided in entiment
MIR. BurLs Of Weatb1ooks was the next
speaker. and spoke as one possessed of
knowledge on the subject us he has been a
resident of Wastbrook for sixteen years,
and for Ten years was principal OF the Vest
brook high school, which las sent many
members to the Gorham Normal school. Nj.
Burns believed that it would be great in
Justice to the school and to Gorham not to
rebuild the dormitory. The limited size of
the school is due to the fact that there are
many high schools in the surrounding towns
and cities. The Pennington and Castine
schools on the other hand. to a great ex-
tent, take the place of high schools AS to
the remonstrances from Gorham people. Mr..
Burns stated that he knew personally
people who would if they could take 'heir
names from the papers. Others signed the
remonstr ra nces for per IsonaI reasons. The
argument that dorm1tory is not for the
bast interest of the stat-s Mr.s Bu1ns met by
stating that letters frointa four hundred
graduates Of the school favor tho. system
so do the, leading educators, Of New Eng
IL nd. Massachusetts is now expending $780,
Oae in the erection of dornftories for the
pupils offf normal schools AQgentleinan
who before the committees agreed again BIT
the dormitory system. for Sc veral years has
been trying to secure the erection OF donlnt-
tories in conn ection will New Hampshire
educational Institutions. If the dormitory
is bad In Maine, in it not equally bad in New
Hampshire?
MIR. Burns showed that the establishing of
the dornitory was a part OF the orgihial
agreement between GoIham and the state,
and had resulted in the saving, through the
low price of board, of many thousands of
dollars to the pupils. The trustees of tie
n ormal schools have unanimously recon-
mended the rebuilding of the dormitory.
VINO is the state to listen to, it's officers or
others not connected witt the state school
system? Gorham has given the state SAL, ,0Ol
and the state has made an agreement with
Gorham. Maine has always scrupulously
| kept it's contracts. Is Cor ham to be the roc k
| on which tl.is record is to be broken? Mr.
| Burns in closing disclaimed any personal
| interest in the matter. He does not want to
take boarders. and has no desire to secure
revenge on any member Of tie faculty. =
| Col. Millett of Gorham, who said that a
graduate of the school had, told him that
the boarding house was 7saA,s<prison open,
| where the pL pills were housed together and
| forced to take just what The principal gave
| them. MIR. Milletf said that many educators
do not favor the dormitory system and he
oonceives that there is a great difference
| too between a dormitory and boarding
house. That at Gorham was q boarding
house only. The gentleman from Westbrook
says he has lived in that city sixteen years
have lived in Gortam thirty years. and ]
claim to known he people of my own towI
ns well as the gentleman from West brook.
He says that signers Of the remons trance
have told him that they would like to take
their names off the paper. Well, people
| have told me that they signed the petition
under misrepresentation. Good board may
be had for any the pupils al as small cost
| as they could get board in the boarding
! house.
The proposed appropriation of SIS, 900 will
| not build dormitory big enough to accom-.
modate one hundred pupils. In a modern
brick building. with all the improvements.
costing only $l5,G00 you cannot accoInmo.
date more than twenty pupils. Then there
| will be the old struggle as to who shall have
accommodations in the dormtory which has
gone on ever since the principal first got his
grip on them, and told them they must
board with him il they came to his school.
Mr.. LittlaSeld of Belfast. favored the ap
preparation. believing the erection of the
dormitoay to be tor the best interests of the