The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-04

All classes az prooerty' This fact, how.
ever, viii not deter you from doing every.
thing In your power to attain 80 desirable
\ result.
Appropriations.
The people confidently expect that the
promise OF economy In public expenditufes
viii be falhlled and the party which has
been entrusted with the management OF
State Affairs will be held strictly responsl'
lions II S for s you e SstsrmIns Wat sums
snts 's q Is. va Various as sists dspsrt%ent
s sRa 70 sasS ctS snd sss as ina
Judgment, should receive legislative assist.
ance and encouragement. Not dollar more
than Is required for the efielsnt ADMINS IN US
These VARIOUS matters. am persuaded
VIII receive your most earnest eonsldera'
ton. While there IL no call for parsimony,
I am confident that you VIII always exer-
else your Judgment. fearleesly and conset
entioHsly. In the expenditure OF the PEG
grant needless or unwise appropriat lions as
unhesitatingly as you Will vote them 70
objects worthy OF promotion and support.
Education.
The report Of the superintendent Of Pub
lie Schools shows constant ana grn. .Ly
ing advancement in our educatio inter
ests. The total amount OF the state school
fund and mill tax for the current year was
$520.ol9; the amount Of school money
of $1.3Ss, 020 available for the support Of
the common Schools as compared with
$9lO.523 for the same purpose In 1850, an
Increase OF $42T,491 or nearly forty-seVen
The Normal Schools are doing most ex.
celient work, and the Importance OF nav.
ms, teachsrs thoroughly instructed an ad
by all. About thirty per cent OF our
teachers are Normal School graduates
There are 1872 school children In thirty
three unorganized townships. for whom
schools are maintained as provided by the
statutes. at cost, during the past year.
of $25S2. y. of this, $12SO.hl was paid
from the State appropriation. $g6Y.oB was
Interest on land reserved and $1S2Oo the
per capita tax.
The pupils in these schools range from
five to twenty-one years OF age. ana, N
several Instances, married men and women
have taken advantage Of the opportunities
thus offered to obtain an education.
1t Is unnecessary for me to call your at
tention to the important work being done
by such schools. But for their existence.
many of the children now enjoying their
ADVANTAGES would grow up N ignora an,s
ultimately become a public charge. The
furnishing of such instruction Is in har-
mony with the established policy If the
State to provide school privileges for. all.
As a rule. the people are anxious TO have
the schools established, the children are
prompt and regular In their attendance
TO their tasks The good work which Is be-
ing done by the schools OF this class should
be extended and made more eff1eient " the
State is to do Its duty to that portion or
its citizens dependent upon Ii for educa-
tional advantages. u
The special appropriations made for the
academies and Summaries lapse with the
present year; and IL these appropriations
are to be continued, | am inclined to the
opinion that they should be made perma-
nept. under certain definite restrictions:
IT,. a, ton .haO
having q jealous and skillful advocate In
the Legislature may be able to secure q
liberal appropriation In excess of Its actual
requirements while another, equally wor.
thy but less fortunate, must be content
with a comparatively small amount. The
grade of the school maintained and the
number Of pupils receiving 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 a high grade are provided.
any of these academies TO use the amount
appropriated In increasing their endow.
ment, instead of providing more and better
instruction TO the pupils who attend them
and under no circumstances should the sum
appropriated for such Institutions be taken
from the fund provided for the common
schools.
II is exceedingly gratifying that 80 strong
an interest Is being manifested In the pub
lie schools. The children, teachers and pa
rents are assisting In improving and en-.
largng school grounds. identifying school.
rooms and providing books of art and
standard literature.
The work accomplished along these lines
has been very extensive and gratifying. IL
has greatly stimulated general interest In
the schools, promoted harmony in manage
ment, and resulted In much better work
being done by all concerned.
The teachers Institutes and summer
schools have not only improved the gen
eral character Of the instruction In our
State, but, to an extent that WAS not an
ticipated. have stimulated teachers TO at.
tend our higher institutions of learning
and thus enabled them to acquire the
scholarly attachments necessary to the
highest success In their calling.
The University of Maine.
The State University is. in a prosperous
condition having about $50 students, Of
of this State Its most popular courses
are those in engineering, and the best
equipped those III agriculture; but the
character, and also includes a classical
course u similar course without Greek, q
scientific course without Latin and Greek
courses in chemistry and pharmacy Tbs
School Of Law, located lp Bangor has been
well received, and Is gaining the approval
of those well qualified 70 ludge OF It's work *.
University is derived from the General
Government the remainder being provided
by the State. 1t having been the policy OF
much as possible the receipts from this
source are comparatively small The trus
tees have used the funds available to Sc
cure teachers, apparatus and facilities for
instruction rather than TO construct large
and expensive buildings, and have been
governed by the restrictions Of the United
States appropriations which forbid the use
OF any part OF these funds for the erection
or repair of buildings.
During the past two years the trustees
have constructed drill hall and a gymna
sum, now nearly finished, which will bt
paid for by private subscriptions, and II Is
Understood that the Legislature Will not bt
asked for any assistance in its completion
An astronomical observatory has also beer
built. and large telescope set up This
equipment in electrical engineering and In
the natural sciences has been largely in
creased and the buildings of the agrieultu
raj department have received extensive re
pairs and additions.
The trustees In their report will urge the
erection of a building for the department
of mechanical and electrical engineering
TO contain recitation rooms,~ drawing
rooms. iron working and carpenter shops
A foundry and forge shops. They state that
the building now In use was erected when
the University had comparatively small
number Of students; that 1t Is a cheaI
wooden structure inadequate for the pur
nose and in bad repair and that no ap
propriation for the erection of a building
has been made for ten wears, although
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