Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-22
STATE HOUSE.
Schools in Unorganized Town.
ships Soon to Begin.
Valuation of Wild Lands Largely In
creased Since 1870.
Original Petition Asking for City
Charter for Augusta.

Hon. n. \. Luce of Vassalboro. act
| ing under the direction of the State
superintendent Of schools. is in charge
Of the schools il. unorganiZed town
ships and is now getting ready to es-
| tablish 80 schools to be conducted dur
| ing thc~present year. In 1900 Al schools
We're maintained. and there has been a
net gain of three schools over last year.
| Two of the schools maintained in 1901
have been abandoned and five new ones
have been established. Since the law of
| 1899 was passed, under whose pro-
visions children il unorganized town
ships were provided with schooling at
| public expense for the first time in the
history of the State, the special an
nuaI appropriation was increased from
| $500 Il year to $500 for the year 1902
| The law now provides that when in
| any unorganized townships there are
| two or more children between four and
| tUcnty-one Years Of age. ana when the
Inhabitants Of such townships shall
| have paid into the State treasury a sum
equal to twenty-five cents for each in
| habtant thereof then the State super
| intendent Of public schools shall pro-
| vide for the schooling of such children.
| He is authorized either to establish a
school or schools within the township.
| or To procure the schooling of the chill
drcn in whole Or part in adjoining towns
| or plantations. paying for their trans
! portatiOn thereto. their tuition therein,
or their board. as i'm his Judgment
seems best. When children are thus
sent to schools in adjoining towns they
are to have all the rights ana privi-
lrees Of the resident children III those
Il schools.
The stat superb ttudent * also
authorized to appoint agents for the
!, local manage ment Of school affairs in
! each township. whose duties are t.
enumeratc the children therein. ascer-
tain the number of inhabitants and
collect the re !uired per capita tax an
plCy teachers md attend to MI other
necessary details in connection with tn.
schooling VA the children in the town
i ships under their charge. For tie per-
Torrance of these duties they are to be
/ paid sum not exceeding two dollars
rcr day when actually employed. and
4 necessary travelling expenses.
/ To defrav the expense incurred in
carrying out the provisions Of the law
Il it is provided that there Shall be used
i the amount paid into the State treas
uly on account Of each township. the
II annual interest on the reserved land
4 fund b. longing to the township and 81
/ much of a special annual state appro-
prlttion of $500 as may be required to
furnish twenty weeks schooling.
The townships in which children hay
had the benefits Of schooling under this
|, law during the three years or more OF
its operation. may be roughly divided
into two classes. OF the first class are
; those I'M which settlements have beer
made in tho vicinity Of stations along
he railroads running through or reach
ing into the wilderness IS sections Of the
state. Some Of these are peopIed al
most wholly ~ the employees Gf these
railroads: 9th -rs. III addition to tn.
above. rs the employees Of manu-
factories which have been recently es-
tablishcd along these railroads Most
of these settlements are without pub
IL roads connecting them with otheI
| communities.
In the second class are townships on
the horders Of the agricultural areas
of the state. or in the numbering
regions. The most Of these are con
nccted by fairly pdssable roads with
ueighboring towns. Some have beer
formerly organized as plantations. and
during the period of such organization
supported schools. With two or three
exceptions in ArOcstook county. ano
one in Pisca taquis. the people are Eng
ish speaking. They are generally p0oi
or TN moderate financial circumstances
Under conditions such as have beer
outlined, there must necessarily be q
general lack of suitable school build
ings. and Of proper appliances for in
4 struction. In some cases the schools
hav.'. of necessity. been held in parts OF
occupied dwellings,. in others in un-
occupied dwellings.
AZ a rule, Mr.. Luce informs the Jour
nal the schools are successfully con
4 Quoted and are source of much bene
4 fit to the communities where they hav,
4 been established.