Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-04-27
STATE HOUSE.
Information Being Sought About
School Funds.
New Corporations and Gossip Of the Various
Departments.

of invaluable information which amone
other things. will show how the scholars
of the present day are taking to educa-
ton. In the returns will be information
that could not be gained even bv the re-
turns of the census takers.
| BY the circulars the effort is to learn.
the amount of the permanent school
fund, annual income from that fund. an
nual expenditure for common schools.
number oi students in the high schools
and what studies they are taking. and
how many Of this years high school
graduates intend entering Maine col
leges or other advanced institutions of
learning.
One of the things Mr.. Stetson is most
anxious to learn about is the disposition
Of the public school fund ana that the
town agents may gain fun information
concerning this he has issued the fol-
| lowing:
THE purpose OF tins circular is to call
! the attention Of school superintendents
and MUNICIPAL officers to the Importance
| 81 Scrupulous!y guarding the permanent
school lundS 81 their towns, ana the
necessity OF dcv"tin@ them 10 the pur-
! poses tor winch lht! were granted
The reservation OF 1000 acres Of Rand in
every township, commonly known as
'lbtlI liiltlS. Ablll'N nom an Dlu IIEulI-
| ton Of Massachusetts adopted While
Maine was sim a part Of that common
wealth.
AT mat time our State was known as
the District u MdiLc, ana was divided
into the counties OF York Cumberland
ANA Lincoln The unsettled portions ~
the territory We're commonly referred To
by the Massachusetts legislature as the
Eastern Lands.
In order to encourage the settlement
Of the Eastern Lands the legislature Of
Massachusetts in Ass enacted a law pro-
NldinS that IN the disposition Of all
towns thereafter four lots. Of 30 acres
each. should b. reserved Tor certain pur-
poses in each and every township
whether sold or granted.
The purposes Tor which these lots were
reserved were as follows: The first was
for the first settled minister in the
township ANA was known as the min
lister lc,. The second was for the
use of the ministry and known
as the ministerial lot The third was
for the support Of the common schools in
thlt township ana hccame known as the
school lot while the fourth was re-
served for the future disposition Of the
State and was known as the State
lot.
by the articles of separation Of lS2o.
when We became An independent state.
il was provided That Maine should carry
out all the regulations regarding the sale
and settlement ot the wild lands. en-
braced in the plan originally adopted by
Massachusetts. unless the consent OF that
State was Obtained for any change i'll
policy.
consequently fur several years after
Maine became State, in the sale or
grants of all Maine towns for whatever
purpose. these several lots were reserved
in accordance with the plan adopted in
l1>>. In 1872 Maine changed the law pro-
viding for the disposition Of these lots for
various purposes. To take effect when
Massachusetts consented 70 the new ar
rdngcmont
BY the new law the minister's claim
was ignored except in cases whore the
title had become vested; for by the new
provision all the land reserved in each |
new township tth- acreage having been !
previously changed u 1"uo for each fun |
township was To be for the support OF
the schools in that township.
The fund created by the sale of grass |
and timber from these lots. together |
with the money received for the land it. /
self was 70 hr a permanent fund for the |
benefit Of the schools. The selectmen. |
treasurer ana clerk of the several towns
We're constituted Il board of trustees to |
care for this fund, using the interest
only. for the purposes indicated.
lin several towns Of the State this !
fund is still Kept intact ana the interest |
is added each year to the funds derived |
from other sources for the support of
schools. In other towns. in order 10 sim |
pity matters; the money was loaned To-
the town and these towns raise. in addi |
ton to the amounts required by law, |
sum equivalent to the interest on this
fund.
,,.,.i 80 ,,,,r,I inv.,, n,Irnnt mi ali
r.c'rd ~ T. L1s bcn, aiibnI I,,t' or ,gver
i; % = Il it ~, I'm ~, ais, a,i,.
,nurr,, for scbtnI n,ir,,,s.s in ,dIition ~
.I1 !, ;;,,,,,,,, ri,,,,iriif III lu,
..E,, INV bae c,or Mn tho riqht IN |
,n,trnnri,T, its narmhnant srh0oI fund IL |
ANY uss rxcent 10 that Tor which il was |
nri,in.,IIv Intended Thu Inv nrovidrs |
mn mis- fllnd shall he nrrm,nant fnrrv- |
ar ana every town has accented thi, OBJ |
Iiyltinn NH tnyne thot hirn failnI IL |
meet these obligations should restore the
funds that b1y,, been misapnlird
III nrv he vol To stale il, connection |
Win ms erbicct th,t in ali unincorno- |
rated tnwnships the State is the trustee |
mn bas k,nt uond faith in every in |
stance
..iu In unorr1nized forest townships !
long term nerniits to cut timber ANA /
.,r1ss have been sold and the proceeds of |
srch sale credited on the books OF the !
STATE treasurer. t. the several townships !
M which they belonged
.Iv thp terms vi these permits All !
rights Of the grantee cease when the |
township is organized for plantation pur- |
noses
curing the time the township is n |
nIautltinn the care of these reserved |
lands i in the hands Of the land agent. |
i ",.'.c.',in If such sales into The state /
treasury each year. and the plantation
receives from the state treasurer Sacn
H Ii; III, rarul,r schnnI funds ,ris- |
inr from the bank ana mill tax.