Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-30
MILL PLAIN DISTRICT.
Hsfd Interesting nseeting Last Night
 in Regard to School Matters.

the same has aroused the residents of
 the Mill Plain district more than any
 other question considered by the dis. tr1ct il many years. It has brought
 back old and gray haired veterans into
 the field Of public life from which they
 have been missing of late. It has put new spirit into the district, for it has
 stirred the voters and taxpayers to at
 tend the meetings and have a voice ill
 the expenditure of their money.
 For some weeks the district has been
 red Lot over this school question.
 Many residents knew that the present
 school belonged to q by-gone day and
 desired new one. but they were op- posed by large number. They won ! finally with the aid of the board of
 education, and then the fight over a I site began. This matter was settled at
 an important meeting of the district ] last night in room i'll the school build ing, which was lighted with two lamps and lantern. The meeting was large
 iy attended. many persons having walked two miles or more to be pres
 ent. The meeting was rather quiet
 and orderly and was like q Sunday school session. compared to some meet. ings of the Town Plot school district. After the meeting had been called to order by B. r. Hogart, Daniel Squires was selected as moderator. He
 made good presiding officer. Charles s. Chapman. J. I. Mcdonald and Fin
 ton J. Phelan, representing the board of education, occupied seats of honor near the moderator's desk and were warmly applauded when introduced to the assemblage.
 An lan1,a aio1 faxa
 consisting of Messrs Warren. Heaton, Pritchard, Gallagher and Hogart, Mfr Warren reported that it was tho unani- nous report of the committee that the site of the school be changed, and that the Swift lot, part of the old Dr C..
 44rt Ward property, be purchased. pro- vided it could be purchased for $500. The lot has a frontage of IA feet. is rather flat and is not far distant from the Mill Plain chapel. When Mir War ren read the report, Mark Warner arose and stated that the report was not just what some of the voters were led to believe 1t was going to be. Thomas Heaton jumped to his feet and said: 'As a member of the committee will have to cali Mir Warner down. We did this just to satisfy him, and now he is kicking" The report was accepted.
 communication presented by MT Heaton was read, showing that forty or more property owners were i'll favor of a change of site. while two signed their names as opposing it.
 The discussion in regard to changing the site of the school followed. Thomas Heaton spoke first. He said: 'I might as well start 1t off During the past week I passed a paper around for sig natures of persons favorinE or oppos- ing the change of site. Some fifty signed yes, two no, and solne twenty refused to sign either way. Those who are opposed to new site should get up and tell us why they don't want to change. I am a little sore because did not gain the object worked hard for during the past week.
 Mir Richards said that the present site was fine one and better than the proposed new one. Mir Warren could not agree with him. It would cost lot of money to get the present site into shape for new school. Many ac- cidents have occurred to school chil- dren on the present grounds owing to it's condition, and the little children are always in danger of being injured. On the new site little grading would be needed
 William Atchinson spoke as follows: q am pleased tonight to see that for the first time in twenty years that the members of the board of education III their capacity as school visitors are present at our meetings. We nave been voting for them for years, put they never came near us. l nave peen twenty years in Mill Plain ana Inls school has always been an eyesore. It will be wise thing to move tne sl.e, for if will cost $I,000 more to build here than on Hat site. The child oI . friend of mine was pushed doWn tne bank here once and crippled TOT iie.
 A the request of the meeting the commissioners of the board of edslca- ton them spoke.
 Roth MT Chapman and MT McDon aId were in favor of changing the site, the present site being unsult- able because of the grade and several other reasons.
 MT Chapman also said, We wish you to have better surroundings. At l present you are not getting the worth | of your money, nor is the city getting | the worth of it's money, and the city 1 pays considerable toward the support | of the school. The teachers have fill ed the bill as well as they could, but | they are not doing the work they l should because they have not the fa. ilities. As a consequence the pupils | when they come into the city are not l up to grade and have to be kept back year or so. All four teachers have | been recommended very highly and have been given a certificate. The city stands ready to give to you any thing used in modern school house. It is also imperative that you main tain school house while the new one is being erected
 Mark Warner wanted to know If all the teachers had been given certifs- cate. as he had been given to under stand that certificate had been re- fused to one. Mir Chapman said that all the teachers except one. in the out lying schools, had had received cer- tificates and probably this one had i. 4I.. SasfY Y1x Il