Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-22

ensuing year. l know that you will
! bring to the consideration of those in
terests your best thought, that you will
! deal with them with the same careful
! ness as you give to your own personal
concerns. And l trust that you will
act with me in the same spirit of devo-
| ton 10 the welfare of the city as l shall
strive to exercise. Working thus to-
Sether we may hope to receive, when
our service ends, the hearty approval
of all our fellow citizens without re-
spect to party. l invoke, therefore,
your hearty cooperation with me III
everything which shall be for the ma
terial and social good of Augusta, so
far as our action can contribute to the
| prosperity of the city.
SCHOOLS.
We shall have to deal with no larger
and more important interest than that
of our schools. In the care of them is
found the best evidence of the charac-
ter of our people. In the work they are
doing is the promise of our social,
business and political future; for it is;
| their purpose, and should be their aim,
to train our boys and girls to intelli-
gent industrious, moral living, and es-
pecially to that hearty respect for law
and cheerful obedience to law, which is
the essence of good citizenship.
[ have visited all our schools during
tlic last year, and have been more than
pleased with the conditions which L
have found. ! can speak in words of
hCHrticst commentator of the work
done III the graded schools of the Vii
| lage and Williams districts, and of our
City High school. OF these | think eV-
cry citizen of Augusta may well feel
proud. But of the rural schools, which
are more directly under the control and
direction Oh the city government
through its school board and supcrin-
tcndent, permit me to speak moro espe-
cially.
In the rural schools I have found
work done of special excellence consid-
crinS the conditions under which it has
been done. Teachers have shown them
selves earnest, devoted and wise; pu-
pills attentive to study, orderly in be-
i2#Yior and eager to make progress; and
parents interested and ready to help in
every way. Too large credit cannot be
given to our school board and superin-
tendcnt for these conditions. Espe-
NittliN circuit Dc t,lNcl 10 lHc
chairman of the board, Hon. Lendall
TitcOlnb, for the admirable interest
which he has manifested and work
which he has done for these schools by
frequent Visitations and encouraging
words co teachers and pupils. Beside
spending much valuable time in visit
ing, he has helped toward the prompt
and regular attendance of pupils by
contributing prizes for those who have
made the best record for such attend
ance. I am more than glad to bear tes-
timOny to his wise and earnest efforts
to make our schools what they should
be.
| have been especially pleased with
the efforts of our school board and ru-
raj teachers to arouse and increase an
interest in the rural schools by such
agencies as the old fashioned spelling
school ana by means of the School In
provement League. The former by
bringing two or more schools together,
has awakened Il valuable spirit Of emu
latiOn, the latter has served to create in
those schools where organized a spe-
cial interest and pride in the school and
its surroundings. Both have served to
awaken and intensity local interest IN
the schools and local efforts for their
Improvement. | trust that during the
ensuing year. the School Improvement
Leagues will be found eXerting their
valuable influence in every rural school,
at least, in our city.
| trust that l shall be pardoned in
speaking briefly of the peculiar system
under which our school system. as a
whole. is managed. and suggesting Il
change which would be for the i'm
prov ement of Il part if not the whole of
our schools. When by action of the
state Legislature the school district
system was abolished. the city Of Au-
glsta was one Of the municipalities to
which that action did not apply. In
consequence our system is unlike any
other in the state in that only a part of
our schools are under the direction and
control of the city school board. The
graded schools on the west side of the
river in the Village District are wholly
controlled by special board of direct
orc in no way responsible to the city
school board: those on the east side drc
similarly managed; our city high school
is under the direct control and manage
mcnt of a special board consisting OF
members; only the ungraded rural
schools are subject wholly to the con-
troll and direction of the city school
board. I suggest as a matter of serious
consideration, that il would be in the
interest of economy in expenditure, and
for tie general betterment of the
schools. if they could be all united un
der one controlling board. Greater uni
ty of action, uniformity of work in the
schools. and larger responsibility on
tho mart of all concerned would result
from the change. I do not, however,
recommend any immediate action to
this end. Indeed it is doubtful whether
srch action can be taken without spe-
cial proyision by the State Legislature
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
From the reports. which will be sub