Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-23

upon business trip 10 FreSQue Isle
Tuesday morning.
4 In the schools department they are
mailing a pamphlet the subject Of
which is "A Study Of the Waste AMI
Kindred Evils Existing in the Admins
tration of the Public Schools by su-
perintendent W. w. Stetson The pur-
pose of the pamphlet Is explained In
the accompanying circular which ac-
companies each one.
State of Maine.
Educational Department,
Augusta. Aug. l. 1897
To School Superintendent and Munich
pal Officers:
The purpose of this circular is to call
the attention of school superintendent
and municipal officers to the Importance
of scrupulously guarding the permanent
school funds" Of their towns, and the
necessity of devoting them to the pur-
| poses for which they were granted
| The reservation of 1000 acres of land in
every township. commonly known as
school lands, comes from an old regula-
ton of Massachusetts, adopted while
| Maine was still a part Of that common
wealth.
At that time our State was known as
the District of Maine, and was divided
| into the counties of York. Cumberland
and Lincoln. The unsettled portions Of
the territory were commonly referred to
by the Massachusetts Legislature as the
| Eastern Lands
In order to encourage. the settlement of
these Eastern Lands" the LEGISLATURE
of Massa chusetts in 1888 enacted a law
providing that in the disposition of all
towns thereafter. four lots. Of 800 acres
each, should be reserved for certain pur-
poses in each and every township,
whether sold or granted.
The purposes for which these lots were
reserved were as follows:
The first was for the first settled min
iSter'' in the township and was known
as the minister lot The second was for
the use of the ministry" and known as
the ministerial lot" The third was for
the support of the common schools in that
township and became known as the
school lot while the fourth was re-
served "for the future disposition of the
State" and was known as the State
lot"
By the articles of separation of 1920,
when we became an independent State. it
was provided that Maine should carry
out all the regulations regarding the sale
and settlement of the wild lands en-
braced in the plan originally adopted by
Massachusetts. unless the consent of that
state was obtained for any change in
policy.
Consequently for several years after
Maine became a State. in the sale or
grants of all Maine towns for whatever
purpose, these several lots were reserved
in accordance with the plan adopted in
17SS In 1892 Maine changed me law pro-
viding for the disposition of these lots
for various purposes to take effect when
Massachusetts consented to, the new ar
rangement. t.
BY the new law the minister's claim
was ignored except I'M cases where the !
title had become vested: for by the new
mr. CT all ho la nd yod In, onb
new township 1.-THE acreage having been
previously changed to- fUO for each full
township. was to be fUf the support of
the schools in that township.
The fund created by8the sale of grass
and timber from these lots, together with
the money received for the land itself.
was to be permanent fund for the bene-
fit of the schools The selectmen. treas
constituted board. of trustees to, care
for this fund. using the interest only, for
the purposes indicated. =
In several towns of the State this fund
Is still kept intact and the interest Is
added each year to the funds derived
from other sources for the support OF
schools. In other towns, in order to SIM
plify matters, the money was loaned to
ton to the amounts required by law, a
sum equivalent to the interest on this
fund.
In still other cases the fund has been
used for general town purposes and all
record of it has been either lost or over
looked. At least they fail to raise any
money for school purposes in addition to
the amount required by law.
No town has ever had the right to APP
propriate its permanent school fund to
any use except to that for which it was
originally intended. The law provides
that this fund shall be permanent forever
and every town has accepted this obli-
CATION, and towns that have failed to
meet these obligations should restore the
funds that have been misapplied.
1t may be well to state in connection
with this subject that in all unincorpo-
rated townships the State is the trustee
and has kept good faith in every instance.
In the unorganized forest townships
long term permits to cut timber and
grass have been sold and the proceeds
of such sale credited. on the books of the
to which they belonged.
By the terms of these permits all rights
of the grantee cease when the township
is organized for plantation purposes.
During the time the township is a plan
tation the care of these reserved lands is
in the hands of the land agent. VINO IS
authorized to sell the wood. grass and
lumber from them. turning the net pro-
ceeds of such sales into the State treas
ury each year, and the plantation re-
ceives from the State treasurer each year
6 per cent. interest on the fund, in addi-
ton to the regular school, FUNDS arising
When the township is incorporated.
however. the title to these lands passes
directly to the town and the State treas
urer pays to the trustees of the school
fund all moneys in his hands received
from sale of grass and stumpage, and the
town is expected thereafter to guard this
fund carefully and honestly and to devote
the income of it to the support of COM
mon schools.
In some plantations, however. there
have been gross Irregularities. In years
past the assessors have assumed author
ity to sell stumpage. The money received
at these sales has been used for planta-
ton purposes instead of being deposited
in the State treasury.
These funds belong to the public schools
of the several towns and If any towns
have Intentionally or carelessly allowed
them to be lost or misapplied. the loss
must be made good and the fund restored
to it's original amount.
School superintendent will be called
| upon to report the amount of the school
funds in their several towns. how these
funds are invested the amount of income
derived from them and such other details
as will give a complete history of the
original funds and disclose their present
amount and condition.
Respectfully,
w. w. STETSON.
| State Superintendent of Public Schools.