The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-03-07
The 4 academy Bill.


at the House of Representatives: Mr..
Speaker, | trust that the amendments
offered by the gentlemen from Patten
will not be accepted by this House as | am
fearful If they are it may endaDger the
passage of the bill here and la er in the
Senate.
There was full and impartial public
hearing on the subject matter contained
in this bill before the committee on
education. Many of the leading educa.
tors Of our State were present and pre-
sented their views. The academies were
well represented by able men deeply
interested in their schools, the academy
at Patten being represented by the
gentleman who now offers the amend
ments There was also present rep e.
sentatives of other educational institu.
tions in our State who offered much
valuable advice about the subject. The
matter was thoroughly and ably discuss
ed. The speakers were almost unani
nous in hoping that some general bill
might be passed, thus preventing a
repeti ion of the unseemly log roll DS
which has occurred in the past when
special appropriations have been asked
for, and placing the academies ON a per-
manent basis so that the trustees,
teachers and students of the schools
may know what to expect. We also had
the recommendations of our Governor
when he said in his inaugural address:
1.-The special appropriations made for
the academies and seminaries lapse with
the present year; and if these appro-
priations are to be ntinued am inclined
to tie opinion that they should be made
permanent under certain definite restric
tons. Under existing circumstance a
school having Jealous and skillful ad-
Voeate in the Legislature may be able to
secure a liberal appropriation in excess
of its actual requ rements; while another,
equally as worthy but less fortunate,
must be content with a comparatively
small amount The grade of the school
maintained and the number of pupils re
eeiying instruction should always be
considered, and doubt the wisdom of
assisting in maintaining an academy in a
section of the State where High schools
of high grade are provided. 1t is an
injustice to the state the amount ap.
propriated increasing their endowment
instead of providing more and better
instruction to the pupils who attend
them; and under no circumstances should
the sum appropriated for such institu-
lions be taken from the fund provided
for the common schools
The measure was considered in ex-
ecutive session by the committee not
hastily, but very carefully and delib
erately. Section by section was gone
over, thoroughly discussed Each point
in the bill was taken up, carefully con.
OH a1tA f,,ll
recognized the fact that this was very
important measure which should not be
hastily considered. 1t was therefore,
several days that we We're wrestling
with the matter. When we fin lily vot-
ed to rep TT the bill there were present
every member of the committee save
one, and he a member of the Senate who
had been detained at home for several
week. by sickness. 1t was unanimously
reported in the -enae and passed that
body without the slightest opposition.
Now, gentlemen, the full public hearing
which was held. The careful consider.
alton of the subject given by the com.
mittee the unanimous report made and
the passage of the bill in the Senate
without opposition should give the
measure some prestige here.
Let us now consider for moment the
parts of the bill which the g ntleman
from Patten desires to amend. The bill
provides that the State shall pay to the
legal representatives of an academy the
sum of $500 il said academy maintains
an English course of study as prescribed
by the educational department of our
state; has an average attendance during
the year of 80 students and an attend
ance during the year in which payment
is made of at least ten students from
outside the municipality or jurisdiction
in which said school is located and con
tributes towards the support and main
tenance of said school sum equal to
the amount received from the State and
certain other features which you will see
by reading the bill If the state is to
pay to an academy $500 annually, is it
unreasonable for the State to make these
requirements? 1t seems to me that the
requirements are reasonably low rather
than unreasonably high. If there are
not over 80 students of High school
standard in an academy it would indi-
cate that lie standing of the school in
the community is either very low of the
school is serving very limited section
OF country in which there is a small
number of students. The next part of
the bill which he attacks is that which
provides that the State will pay $50
provided the academy in addition to an
English course has college preparatory
course in which there are II students
has an average attendance of over 80
students, and at least 20 students shall
be from outside the municipality or jur-
isdiction in which said school is located,
and the other requirements of the $500
class. Can any gentleman for minute
think that these restrictions are I'M
reasonably high, probibitive in their
effects? | think not. / believe they IRE
reasonably low. If. there is an acad
envy that will receive $500 under this
bill and said academy wants To receive
$3.50 more but cannot on account of the
small attendance, there is something for
the teachers, trustees, graduates, in ct
for all friends of the school, to do that
the attendance may meet the require
ments of the $3.50 class This bill makes
the school more efficient to the entire
section of the country in which it is
located a result which is truly commend
able. There is but one other class pro
vided by the bill viz: the $1,000 class
In this class there shall be in addition to
the English course and college prepare
tory course, a normal training course
for teachers The foreign attendance in
this class must b at least 40 students
The State is now paving for the average
cost of educating the students in the
normal schools a little more than $50
yearly. The average cost to the State in
our common schools in 1860 was S. 80,