The Newtown bee., 1899-08-25

] they say, TO haya5 better educated men
and women to perform their work than
10 former years. The question which Is
placed before us to answer ia how shall
this be remedied2 For every cause there
lis effect. for every effect, q remedy.
How we can best remedy this great evil
and at the same time harmonize the Diff
| ferent sections of our town, is the ques-
ton? The whole remedy lies in concen-
tration and with that, new school houses
fitted properly for the purpose for which
they are intended. I ssF5 Il 4. tEegY4
| THE NEEDS OF WEST CORNWALL.
In the vicinity of West CORNWALL there
are three districts with total mum Der of
pupils, at the presently writing exceeding
1885, We are maintaining three teachers,
besides paying for 1.-The incidentalsz Of
| these schools. Two of these are situated
in the village and az far as their use for
school purposes are concerned they are
untitled In every way. The one which
has been used for. years, lis In such a
| state OF dilapidation2that TO properly re-
pair and equip the same would mean 8
cost of $3.50. lit is heated In such man
ner that it is impossible to maintain an
even temperature during any part of the
winter season. The ventilation is worse
than nothing The building which is
used for the primary department is stu
ated1 over the brook that wends it's way
through the village, and Is small room,
dimly lighted and has no ventilation
whatever The mere manner in which
the light enters would condemn it alone.
The maintainance of this room for our
younger children means the destruction
of the eyesight of many of them, il they
are permitted to remain in 10. We firmly
believe that no law in our state would
compel parent to send a pupil to this
sehoOlsin this room ventilated and light
ed as it lie at present. The fact of the
matter is, every sehoolheuse in our town
has no proper ventilation or else it has too
much which Is provided by the csevices
in the sides of the building, of which there
is sufficient quantity. The remedy whil b
we suggest to che people of the town or
Cornwall is = First, that the districts
around West Cornwall be concentrated
into one ana new schoOlhouse provid-
ed. Second, that the districts in the vi.
cinity of Cornwall Bridge be united un-
der one head and make the necessary
provision for so doing. Third, that the
districts in the vicinity of Cream Hill be
consolidated. The entire expense of do
ing this could be covered by an expepdi-
ture of $500. There lie on the taxable
list of our to Wn property to the value of
between six and seven hundred Thousand
dollars. To raise, the above named
amount would be to impose tax of
about three and half mills on the sum
of the grand list. This would mean q
tax of 35 cents upon every 800 worth
Of property owned by every person in
our town. tT.:s z - a.v slsE e !
The average tax payer of our town
wi | saysupon the first glance that he
can not afford to. pay the extra tax that
would be imposed as the result of ex-
pending $500 In the consolidation of our
schools. LoUk at the matter candidly
and you will find that in few years you
will have saved more than you have or.
iginally expended and will be saving
money, besides have a. better standard
of education. The consolidation of the
districts in the vicinity of West Corn
wall will mean saving Of one teachers
salary and the saving of the incidental
expenses of two schools. Tue same rule
applies to the districts in the neighber-
hood of Cornwall Bridge. Taken as
whole consolidation on this line will
mean by actual estimation a saving of
$500 per year to the town over the sys.4
tenn now in use. The consolidation will
mean better teachers, better advantages
and as the ultimate result, better young
men and women. These will 60 out into
the world equipped to meet it's struggles
with greater hopes. Cornwall has never
been selfish in the past and certainly we
should not in. this age of progression
deny to four children something better
than we possess. The amount would be
small compared with the lasting benefits
which would be- incurred byisuch an ex-
penditure. To those who are situated at
a. distance from the villages, we say,
that though you may not directlyEderive
no. Funv fh0 hat osrk.~ ~
Esolidation of our schools in the places
mentioned, indirectly you will reap a
lasting benefit. Ii you give the younger
people the benefits of higher education
you are doing it not perhaps for your
own personal benefit but you are paving
the way for the persons who are TO ad-
minister the government of our town,
county and state in the years to come.
What ever means benefit to the nation
in the future certainly appeals to our
patriotism in it's present hour of need.
Every dollar expended upon the educa-
ton of the rising generation means bet
ter citizens in the near future. The
times demand it and we must be equal to
the emergency. Give to them that they
NAV give to you. Let US not be selfish.
in this matter. It has been sleeping for
years and now that the hour is ripe let
us act the part of men. Those 246 child
rem appeal to you to give them the
chance of q nobler way Of living, q way
paved by the light of educational advan-
tages. Let us heed their cry and when
the hour comes for us to act let US puG
on the whole armor and come forth ar
rayed for the, struggle. While we are
maintaining libraries in our villages for
our young, people with the thought in
mind of giving them something to live
for, let as first give them such school
advantage that they may better appreci-
ate the culture in those books. To ev-
cry person who reads this it is my re-
quest that they will grid themselves and
put on the armor OF reason and place
themselves solidly on the side OF q univer-
sal higher standard Of education. .