Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-31
WANTS HER SALARY.
A School Marin Stirs Up the
Little Town Of Perkins.
School Board Orders School Closed
She Finishes the Term.
Interesting Legal Points Opened Up by
Action Of the Town,

Richmond, Me-. Oct. 3O.-(SpeciaD.-
To say that the little town of Perkins,
opposite Richmond, is stirred from
center to circumference is no exagerat-
ed statement, but before the cause of
it's present social and political up
to say a few things about the town
itself. Being a small town, one Of the
smallest in the State, it would not
necessarily take.a great matter to stir
it from center to circumference.
The town of Perkins, formerly called
Swan Island" was incorporated, June
"a. 1S47 and according to the census
of 1890 it had al that time population
of 60 souls. The population has prob
ably fallen off since $780, and the ndm-
Der of votes cast at the last election
was something short of 20. The town
is AZ miles long and about / mile wide.
being an island in the Kennebec river.
1t has always been noted for it's IN
| dustrous. law-abiding citizens. 1t has
never had a professional man among
its inhabitants. Neither doctor, lawyer
nor preacher has ever invaded it's ter
| ritory for the purpose of acquiring civil
or political rights.
1t has no church and maintains but
one school, the latter being the cause
of the present stir in the community.
There ought not to be any great fuss
about the matter since the entire ap-
preparation for the support of the
school falls short OF $75, but special
town meeting is to be held, Mondas-
evening, to determine the issue.
The trouble is about a schoolmarm
who formerly taught the school, and
who has not been fully paid for her
services. The facts in the case appear
| to be these:
A certain young lady taught the
| school six weeks at the end of which
| period she was notified that her SER
| vices were no longer wanted but she
| refused to vacate the position and kept
| the school until the end of the term.
| She now wants her pay and the au-
| thorities refuse to pay her for teach
| ing after she was notified to quit, but
| her friends got a magistrate to issue
| call for a town meeting to see if the
| inhabitants would instruct the select
men to settle the claim
AS has already been stated the meet
ing will be held, Monday evening, and
a lively time is expected.
| Now if there was nothing more about
| the case than what has been stated
above the story might not be worth
| publishing, but there is something
more to it.
Eiy-cf M ha ir,fn in, m
look at the legal aspect of the sisua-
| ton. The statute provides that when
the average attendance of scholars is
less than eight the school board may
close the school and the authorities
! undertook to close it for the ostensible
reason, but the real reason undoubted-
ly was to get rid of the schoolmarm.
So far as is known no provision has
been made for sending the children to
the schools of any other town in the
event of that one being closed, and it
may be questioned whether the statute
in this regard applies to towns having
but one school, 1t might not always be
practicable for scholars to attend the
schools of another town especially
where a town is isolated from the main
land as in this case.
The constitution of the State declares
it to be the duty of the Legislature to
require towns to make suitable provi-
sion for the maintenance and support
of public schools. but if the school
board had authority to abolish the
school in question, the only one in the
town, the board might easily anull the
fundamental law of the State.
The point is that town is bound
under the constitution to maintain at
least one school within it's own limits
and assuming that to be the correct
view the Perkins school board had no
authority to order the school closed
This appears to be the legal status of
the parties.
The inhabitants are divided on the
question of paying the schoolmarm,
to be seen.
The entire municipal expenses of the
town doeH not exceed $500 per year,
from which it would seem that the IN
habitants might afford to indulge IN
such luxury as school run by the
schoolmarm herself.
It is believed that q majority of the
inhabitants are in sympathy with the
young lady, but it is stated that the
seectmen will refuse to recognize her
claim even though the town should in
struct them to pay it.
This will open up way for litigation
and as nothing wakes warmer than Il
light in country school district the |
matter will be watched with interest.
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