The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-01-18
The Rural Sch0Ol.li0use.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: The
condition of our rural school.houses was the
subject of an editorial in recent number OF
The Journal, in which the assertions OF IAN
Observer" were discussed No doubt the
writer, whoever he or she may be, believes
that our school houses are in the deporable
i condition described.
| Probably the writer did not intend to
mislead the reader nor convey false impress
sions, yet the published extracts are in a
measure both false and misleading. A man
can see in this world nearly everything that
he chooses to look for; if he looks for good
schools and houses he will find them in
every town if he looks for the bad, he will
find that but in less abundant supply than
the good. l fear IAN Observer" was look
ing for the bad and wilfully refused to no.
tice the good as he passed.
Believing, as l do, that our rural schools
were never in better condition than at
present and, also, that the people were
never more willing to support them, I have,
in justice to the common people of whom
am one, taken the trouble to look up the
statistics of our common schools for the
purpose of learning the truth in regard to
our rural school houses.
In the school year ending April l. 1898,
there was total of four thousand one hun
dred and thirteen Glib school-houses in
this State. Three thousand and seventy
five (3,07O of those houses were in good
condition. During that year there were
built one hundred and six QO6) new school
houses.
Thus it is seen that of all the school build
ings in Maine seventy five per cent. are in
good condition When it is remembered
that quite percentage of the old and
worthless houses are not used for school
purposes-due to the fact that many small
schools have been discontinued-it makes
the showing great deal better.
l very much doubt if the truth could be
known, if the dwelling houses of the State
could show 80 high percentage of goodness
as the school-houses now hold. 1t is note
worthy fact that the cities have their share
of bad school buildings.
Of the new houses built the greater part
of them were in country towns. The fair
minded man would seem to need no greater
proof than this to convince him that the peo-
pie are interested in their school property
and intend to furnish good houses for the
schools of the rural towns
There is always some opposition to build
ing new school houses, but once convince
the people tn at such houses are needed and
will be suitably located and they will read
lily respond to the call upon them | be.
| lieve it to be fact that the death rate is
little higher among city children than it is
among those of the country. 1t is, there
fore, both cruel and unjust to imply that the
parents of the country towns are causing
the death of their children by compelling
them to 90 to school in poor school-houses.
l make no excuse for the conditions that
! need to be improved. l simply claim that i'm
provement is being made as rapidly as con
ditions will warrant While much has been
done, much more remains to be accomplish
ed, but we have this to encourage us: At no
time in the past have the rural schools of
Maine done so much good work as they are
now doing. Mistakes are made in eecting
officers and hiring teachers, well as in
other things, but learning wisdom from err
Tor, We are marching on. E. q. Dow.
Monroe, Me.