Daily Kennebec journal., 1895-03-16


found that Gorham is practi-
citlly one Of the suburbs Of Portland,
right in the center of a population the
largest OF any in the State. We found
good railroad facilities. But at Farming
ton and Castine they had more scholars.
| We foHnd one OF the best teachers at the
Gorbam school. What was the reason for
the smallness of the school, The Gorham
Normal school is the only one in the State
tnaJ has had a dornitory system. The 9th
/ er normal schools have furnished pupils
| board in private families. l arrived at
the conclusion that the dormitory sys-
TEN Is just the reason why you are not
having as large school there as in the
other places. The dormitory is
what you don't want 1t is not in the in
terests of the school to re-establish it. 7
said to myself: " If had son or daugh-
ter L should go with them and get
them boarding place in pri-
yate family. I should prefer that
they should board there rather than in
| dormitory where there are 100 or $50
scholars. SO if this is tletriment to the
school, ] think we should wait two years
ana see am simply giving my reasons
| for my position. Another thing we CON
sldered, and it is novel situation.
The people there don't all want
this appropriation. They are divided
on it. They don't want it, They had
| petition Of 155 in favor of the dormitory
signed by men that had great deal of
weight. On the other hand there was a pc
tidion signed by 1856 saying, 'We don't
! want dormitory 1t is against the in
| terests of the school and against the inter-
ests of the town" Divided as they We're
we thought it was better that they wait
| two years and see. There was a claim
made that the State was under a moral
obligation to build the dormitory. 1 don't
think that should have any weight The
State took that building as a gift. When
| it did 50 can you find any
where that they bound themselves
to run that normal school on any particu-
lar plan, whether it was for the interests
of the school or not? If the State deter
mines it is not for the interests of the
school to run it on that plan, then haven't t
they right to say whether they will re-
build the building or not?. The question
is whether it is for the interests of the
school to rebuild it. 1t is argued that for
| SIS, ,00O they will build small dormitory
and board part of the scholars there,
and let the others board in private
families. / imagine that in two years
more they will come here with an un-
finished dormitory and we win have to
appropriate the balance Of the $780, 200.
Mr. Burns of Westbrook said he had
resided in Westbrook for 16 years only
four miles from the Gorham normal
school. Ten years of that time l was
principle of the Westbrook high school
which has sent more pupils to the Gorhan
normal school than any other school IN
the State. Nearly all all our teachers
outside of the high school are graduates
of this institution. They are fine teach
ers and doing excellent work, and we
consider our schools second to none i'll this
State. l know that this normal school
is doing great good for the common
schools of Maine, and hope this majority
report will not be adopted. believe q
| great injustice would be done to the town
of Gorham and to the normal school,
Some of the people who signed the re-
monstrance have told me since that II
their names were not on it they should
not sign it. Others who signed neither
| petition nor rcmonstrancc, told me that it
was mainly q personal matter. In rel
erence TO accommodations-if the people
| of Gorham can accommodate 100 pupils,
| why was il Necessary for the principal oil
the school to hire two houses since
the domitory was burned, to accommodate
20 or 30 pupils Letters have been re-
ceived from over 400 graduates OF this
school who are in active work today, and
every one of them favor in strong terms
the rebuilding of the dorinitory. More
than 100 parents and guardians nave
written on the Same subject, and all
strongly favor the dorInitory. Letters
have been received from all parts OF New
England where domitories are existing,
and tho strongest testimony came from All
of them. that the work done by pupils
where dormitories exist, was Tar better
than where thoy boarded in private
| families.
Mr.. Plummcr of Dexter said, in order
that only one vote may be necessary on
this question, he would move that the
minority report be substituted for the
majority.
Mr. Millett of Gorham said that no one
in Gorham desired to make any opposl-
tion 20 this school The gentleman rom
Milo. (Mr. Howe) has stated orr position
exactly. Tt has been said by a large num-
her of the best educators in this country.
that the dorInitory system IS u failure.
7 have lived in Gorham for 80 years
and think l know the people
Of my town as well rs the
ggentlenan from Wostbrook bic
assumes to speak for the people. lie
saws that some of the rcmonstrants
have told him that they would IKE TO
have their names withdrawn On the
other hand numbers of the petitioners
have told me that they were niisintormea,
that they never would have signed thaG
netition il they had understood the real
Facts in the case. Gorhala village has
1000 inhabitants, and 200 residences; l
snbmit that there need be no trouble IN
finding first class families IN
which students sa,,,Sa
We can provide for dounie
the number of pupils there is now with
better homes, better rooms ana pettef
care than they ever had in the old dormi-
tory. / have no question that - NIL MIL pc =,
the price of board in the best families IA
Gnrham. everything furnished, ana 1nae
Is inst about the same that it cost the pqs
u