Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-08
STATE HOUSE.
Insurance Department Investi-
gates MariaviIIe Fires.
Smaller Towns More Generally After
Expert School Supervision.
Capt. Paul Wins Honors In Shooting
Philbrook Receives Commission.

veStigation of the recent fires. The
to locate the firebug. and have hin
punished to the full extent of the law
Besides the fires spoken of in the
Journal. the other morning. the de
partment has received notification OF
a fire in a barn, August 81. This, like
all the others. was of incendiary origin
The department has no clew to work
on. but Mr.. Fletcher will devote
enough time to find one if possible.
Many of the Maine towns are realizin.
more and more the advantages offered bN
the law passed by the Legislature of 1885,
allowing the grouping of towns for tn,
purpose of hiring trained supcrinten
dent of schools and every year more
towns are taking advantage of it. In
quiries into the law and letters regarding
il are frequently received. 1t benefits the
rural districts much more than the cities
or larger towns and the small towns ap
preciate it. In answer to the inquiries
the State superintendent OF schools has Il
ia l'hlth NiithletI tiiilS llIt "
which he forwards This circular in in
PRODUCTION says:
The distinguishing feature of success
full industrial enterprises of the present
time is that the work is carried on undo:
The direction of trained superintendent.
Business men have learned that ii is for
their financial interest to have their
workmen perform their labors under the
direction of experts 1t has been demon
strated that the money devoted TO this
service makes the entire investment re
munerative What has thus been found
true of industrial and business enter
prises is equally. if not in larger measure.
true of school systems
The law referred to above provides
that one half the amount expended for
superintendents' salaries shall be paid by
the State. 1t also provides that the per
son elected to serve as superintendent
shall be a person of such education and
training as will fit him to direct the
teaching in the schools under his CHARGE
This is especially important because for
some years many Of the teachers in the
public schools must be}persons who have
had but little experience as instructors.
training. These two facts account for
the large number of failures which the
| local superintendents report from year to
year.
Many of the persons who serve as
teachers have not attended a secondary
! school more than one or two terms, and
| have never attended a training or normal
| school. They enter upon their labors 50
poorly equipped that failure for one or
more terms is the rule rather than the
exception. They experiment at the eX
pense of the State and the local commu
mites, and in a still more serious way
with the time and lives OF the children
Some of them continue to be failures
and some learn by experience, and de
velop into efficient instructors.
Much of the waste along these tive
important lines might be saved If com
petent superintendent visited the schools
taught by these unframed persons, indi
Gated to them definitely wherein they
were making mistakes and what changes
| they should institute in their methods
and suggested to them ways and means
plans and devices by which they could
improve their work. Under such super
experimental stage of their careers, are
would soon develop into acceptable
teachers. or in an equal length of tim,
demonstrate their unfitness TO remain il
the schoolroom. In either case a grea
saving would be made in money, and il
that which is worth infinitely more thai
dollars. i. e., the early years Of the chill
dren. This question is not one which ha:
any experimental phase about it. 1t Ia:
been worked out in other states and il
other departments 50 fully that it simpi!
resolves itself into the question of wheth
er we have such a desire to make prog
ress as will render us willing to accep
| the advantages offered by the law.