Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-07

for the benefit of education in this State,
and in the line of economy.
Mr.. Peaslee of Wiscasset said that rs a
member of the educational committee he
wished to say word in regard to his po-
sition on that committee. When this
matter came before the committee, it oc-
CURED to me in the first place that our
Honorable Governor is chosen from among
the people for his particular adaptation to
that office. We all know that he is able.
He in turn chooses the trustees of these
normal schools from among the people for
their particular adaptation to this work.
These men presented to us a report. They
had taken this matter carefully into con-
sideration, and had agreed that this appro-
priation was necessary. This seemed to
me an important factor in the case. If
they are not men capable Of recon-
mending to this body what the
needs of those schools are, then the
Governor has made mistake
| in choosing them, and we have made a
mistake in choosing our Governor. We
then went to Pennington and you have
heard what we found there. We found
the building over-crowded, poorly lighted
and very bad indeed so far as sanitary
arrangements were concerned. Perhaps
we physicians do not know that scholars
in school need good light and air. We
believe, however, that if there are any two
things in medical science that are salts
factory, it is that scholars in order to
enjoy good health in school must have
good light and good air, which they do
not have at Pennington The building
is poorly lighted and the windows are
small and not in proper place to throw
light as they should
Further than this, we found it was i'm
possible for the scholars in that school to
have any physical exercise. Manual
training is not taught there, for the rea-
son there is no room for it. Little later
we visited Gorham, and | can assure you
that every member of the committee were
very high in their praise of the results
gained from physical culture There is
Il teacher there that devotes her time to
that branch, and she has plenty of room
where she can take her classes, and we
could not help but notice that the pbysi-
cal development OF the girls IN the Cor
ham Normal school was far ahead of the
physical development of the girls at
Pennington. This is n matter Which,
perhaps, this House will not appreciate
Medical societies for many years have been
discussing how to prevent the breaking
down of girls at school, and the only thing
that has ever presented itself as remedy
is the physical training of the girls while
ut school, Now do yon fathers want to
go to school where there is no system
of physical culture? They go to Farming
ton, why? Simply because they do not
realize the Importance of this question.
Physicians have been irving to pound this
into the pupils heads for years and yet
they fail to fully appreciate the benefits
of this system of training.
1t has been said by the gentleman from
Dexter (Mr. Plummer) that we could not
afford to build new normal school. The
question came before the committee and /
l am very sure that our
committee were united ON that
question. That was not the question. 1t
was because your committee didn't have
the time or the opportunity to visit the
eastern portion of the State and decide
where that school might be located.
There was fight between Dexter and
Dover. We could not locate it in Houlton
because Dexter and Dover would have
opposed. There should be a committee
appointed to go and examine these places
and report to the next Legislature where
it would be best to locate another normal
school. We did not feel that the State
ought not to have another school or could
not afford it. l assure you, gentlemen,
had your committee seen fit to appropri-
ate for school at Dexter, the honorable
gentleman from Dexter (Mr. Plummer)
would not be posing as an economist this
morning applause.
1t seems to me that this idea of econ
omy in educational matters has come at
the wrong time l will not take more |
time to discuss this matter. | think it is |
fully understood by the members of this |
House. Applause
Mr.. league of Caribou said: How
confusing a multiplicity of words are?
You will see that the average attendance
according to the friends OF this measure
for the last ten years has been 147 Ac- |
cording to the gentlemen from Portland,
the superintendent two years ago in his |
report, said that they could accommodate
1856. Then if that be true we are asked |
to appropriate $24, 900 for the accommo-
dation of L. students. Would it not be
better to go to Dexter, or Newport or
Houlton and build new school house so |
that the pupils conld be accommodated at
Pennington?
Mr. Noble said that there were 81
scholars in the model school from the
town of Pennington making in that
building about 275 pupils.
Mr.. Dickey of Fort Kent, said he had
visited that school many times From
my knowledge Of the building, | can say
that there Is no way of charging it,
without a tremendous expense, and then
it would be worthless If You do any
thing, build anew. The scholars there are
ovcrt rowdci. Oar school buildings are
always too small. We hear it said that
if there be too many scholars at Farming
ton, go to Gorham Parents want to
send their children where they please. I
recommend Fort Kent to be the healthiesl
place to send scholars, and we have as
good teachers as there are in the State.
| only want to say that this building
cannot be enlarged; it is of no use to talk
about that. If you do anything you have
got to build it anew. / don't believe In
The amendment cutting it down to $24,-
300. You are taking out of that build