The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-02
SOUTH PORTLAND.
The Common Schools Will Be Kept
in Operation.

After Long Discussion Money Is APP
Favor of Appropriaticn-A Few Cd
jected-Personal Notes, etc.
The common schools of the town VIII
not be Obliged to suspend for the iaoA ~
money to run them and the Dach s0noo1
bills win be raid, This was the acuion OIL
about fifty legal voters of Souunsr oi0l"no
who assembled in town meeting yesterday
afternoon at two O'Clock.
Town Clerk Noah B. knight calied tne
meeting to order and read the warrant,
and no sooner was this done than Sapt'
Al Rova WAS on his feet and introduced
obstruotive measures. He wanted the
retition u reduced and after it was read
John r. Chase wanted to know how
many petitioners were needed 10 caii
meeting, and protested against action
because it was signed by the school COM
mirtee only.
Protests were of no ava IL, and Il, Y.
REYNOLDS, being chosen moderator, ASKED
what action would be taken on the article
IN WARRANT W IcCO1Sl0pl oAN 1SSO-~NN- 49,
vote PASSED on March Z, 1898, on Article
4s of the annual warrant, whereby 1t was
voted to pay the deficiency or overdraw IN
common schools account of Sl19s. ~ from
the appropriation fer common schools
1895.
AIR. McMann set The discussion agoing.
He said if the bills are due they should be
paid. 1t would not do to choke the schools
and then face the world
Mr.. Haskell explained how bills had
been paid and that only about S6oS re-
manned from the appropriation to run the
schools for the current year.
Mr.. Chase thought the town was go
in it blind that they were robbing Peter
to pay Paul and looked with alarm upon
deficits growing up to $4,000. MIR. Stan
wood inquired about the $500 which the
committee wanted to expend for music at
one time, and asked If that was included
in the deficit. He was informed that it
was not.
In order that the matter might be
understood Mr.. Reynolds called on Super
intendent Pickett, who explained how the
town voted 10 take a deficit in the year
'e7. out of the appropriation for '9S, and
besides this il had been necessary also to
pay bills for the winter term of 81 out OF
the % appropriation. The result being
that not enough money was on hand to
run the schools He never knew that
these winter bills of '97, had not been
paid, until former Superintendent Hill
told him, and the situation vas simply
this: 1--WE have got to have money or stop
the schools But before stopping the
schools he advised them ito go slow. = for
it should be remembered that the state
from whom the town received about $4,000
mill tax had something to say on the
matter. He pointed out the disgrace that
would come to the town by suspen sion
of it's common school system and showed
how expenses had necessarily increased
by reason of increased attendance IN
nearly every section of tbs town.
g. III. Stanwood called attention to the
Increased deficit and wanted to know who
was responsible and what was done with
the money.
Mr. scammon replied that the vouchers
would show, and explained that the town
report was inaccurate as it never showed
in March the money paid for the winter
term and this amount lapsed over to be
taken out of the appropriation for the fol-
lowing school year.
Mr.. Haskell then read statement
giving the amounts appropriated and ex-
pended in the three terms of 1875, 96 and
's7, and struck balance showing the ex
act deofit
Mr. Small-We should look at this mat
ter just as it stands and not evade reEpon-
sibility. Our children should not suffer
for the errors of the committee and the
bills must be paid. We have paid and
swallowed bigger bills than these. The
present board of selectmsn are to be com
mended for they have put the highest
striug about the public purse.
Mr. Barker thought the committee
should not be censured and Mr.. Trefethen
stated that the policy of the present board
was TO show just how each account stood
and whsn an appropriation run short to
come right out and say SO.
Mr.. Stan wood said it was a bIunder to
run up bills. 1t was not business like
way and should te checked.
Mr.. Soamman replied that it was not
tAe school account alone that was over.
drawn, but 1t had been the custom in
other departments to do the. very same
thing.
DR.. Brow n called attention to the fact
that the present school committee were
paying the sa laries of teachers by the
month instead of the term, and following
him Mr.. Trefethen said he desired to
make no reflection upon any one for iced
knows it was hard enough to stand up
ana take the abuse which was poured
upon selectmen. - The money has been
spent and we must pay 1T. A short run
ming talk followed after which Mr. Rey-
noIds said that at the beginning of the
year there was an understanding between
the committee and the board OF select
mer. The commit simply said, we
will not exceed appropriations. " and the