The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-07-02

SSheol uiebIISt WIS u6lu. idsL week IHurs-
dap evening, and was largely attended.
Marcus G. Hawley was chosen chairman
and the officers elected were:
Committee, Patrick Cannon.
Clerk, Oscar Pitzschler.
Collector and treasurer, w. FL. Hub
bell.
1t was voted to INSTRUCT the committee
to hire teacher, in case an appropria-
tion is made, and the following reso-
lutions were adopted:
Whereas, The joint board Of selectmen
and school visitors, at its meeting June
10, 1897, has decreed not to appropriate
any money for the continuance of Middle
district school for the ensuing year, with
out giving warning to the voters and tax.
payers that such a move was contem-
plated, and,
Whereas, The Middle district is the
second largest taxpaying district, as we'll
as the official and geographical center of
the town, has an enumeration of 81 chill
dren of school age, for which the town
receives from the state over Sl14, this
year, had an attendance of about Is the
past year, and prospect of an attend
ahce of Is or 20 scholars, this fall, there
fore, be it
Resolved, That the voters and taxpay-
ers of Middle school district in annual
school meeting assembled protest against
this action of the board and demand that
the board of appropriation rescind its ae-
tion and give a proper amount for the
continuance of their school.
Ex-senator Houlihan took the floor and
spoke in favor of keeping the
school open. He read selection from a
Bridgeport paper on"Darkest Stratford, ~
and said he could not see the Justice in
the schoolboard withholding the appro-
priation.
Lawyer c. Fl. Northrop made some
what extended speech stating that he had
not expected to attend the meeting but by
reason of the wholly unex pected action
of the "Board of Estimates he deemed
it his duty as resident and taxpayer of
the district to attend this meeting and
raise his voice in humble protest against
the action taken. In the first place he
claimed as a matter OF law that the Joint
board had no authority to make appro-
priations for the support of the schools
at the meeting in June, but were simply
to prepare statement showing the esti-
mated cost of each and all the public
schools in town for the ensuing school
year and notify the committees of the re-
spective school districts of the several
amounts so fixed and that later said board
was to meet On or before the 18th day of
October to fix the several amounts suffic-
lent to pay the wages of teachers, in
Guiding board, and the incidental ex.
penses of maintaining the schools in the
various districts and cited law in support
of his claims. Mr. Northrop also called
the attention of the meeting to the fact
that they were not allowed to send theil
children to school in an adjoining dis
trict without first obtaining consent OF
the school visitors and the committee ot
the adjoining district and that if none Of
the adjoining districts wanted
them they were very much like
a party shipwrecked al
sea, float if you can, if not, perish. Re
called attention to the fact that Middle
district ranked among the first in town al
regards the number of children enumer
ated, having a total of 81 the past year
for each of which it drew $2.25 from the
state, larger number than the neighbol
on the north and many more than the
neighbor on the south, in each of which
districts the estimates for the appropria,
tions were increased. He also called at
tention to the fact that Middle was the
second largest taxpaying district in The
town, ranking next to Pootatuck, whose
grand list approximated S245. 900, Middle
being next with list of about S241 200
Sandy Hook third with S172, 900, NORTH
Center fourth with $156, 900. He SPOKE
of the fact that the average attendance
in the district for every term the pas
year had been more than,required by Law
in order to maintain school in the dis
trict. He also called attention to the fac
that more new residences had been erect
ed in Middle district during the last II Of
10 years than in any other district in town
if not more than in all the other district
in town, and that there was no district il
town where the landed values had in
creased as much as in Middle by the rea
son of the erection of additional dwell
ings. Attention was also called to tn
fact that we are the official center of tn
town, having the town clerks and iudg
of probate's offices, the three leading
churches, the only public library an
bank, two of the leading hotels and store
of the town, depot, lumber yard, coal an
feed business. Mr. Northrop expresse
himself strongly to the effect that b
thought it was one of the most disastrou
results that could happen TO any distric
to have the school closed in that distrie
if the attendance was sufficient TO wal
rant keeping the school open for the res
son that there were certain number @
parents in every large district who wer
not able to send their children TO schoC
where they had to pay tuition and woul
not send them to an adjoining district
they could; consequently the chiIdre
would lead life of idleness and vice an
| would probably entail more expense vi
on the town and state than any amour
ordinarily appropriated for the suppo
of district school. He also stated th,
he considered it for the best interests
every property holder in the district
have the school maintained.
Patrick Ready has set out about 1s, o
tobacco plants, this year, and his fie
allooks very even. Up through Obtu