Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-04-04
a Review Of Our Town Meetings.

A Review of Our Town Meetings.
Editor Democrat:
In looking over the business transact
ed at our recent town meetings, as re-
ported In the Democrat, wish to make
a few comments which may be OF general
interest to the voters of Paris. (By the
way, can any one tell why Paris is spell
ed with one instead of two? Was II not
named after an early settler OF the name
of Paris, which is the way the present
family of Paris spell their nancy
One of the best things said at our
annual town meeting was the remark oy
Capt. H. N. Bolster, that there should
be no sectional feeling or jealousy be-
tween different portions of the town, but
that we should all work together for the
best interests of the whole town, North
and South, East and West. This state
ment should appeal sensibly to all good
citizens of the town. We think the
general desire of the town this year has
been TO cut down appropriations and
lessen the percentage of taxation, and
also to pay the debt as rapidly as pos
sible; wise and just sentiment, which
is credit to all. Debts when contract
ed have later to be paid, perhaps after
hundreds of dollars have been expended
| in interest, and taxes should OF course
be made as light as possible, for we have
many poor people who have a hard
struggle to live and pay their bills, many
having large families to provide for.
The remarks made by II. G. Brown,
ESQ.,, March 6, were telling and to the
have beer cut this year, perhaps, too
much; this remains to be seen, but it is
move in the right direction, and we are
glad to have the good town of Paris set
an example in this respect, which we
hope all towns will follow. The tend
ency of the times has been to extrava-
gance in municipal, stale and national
| finances, and it is we'll to call halt and
20 slower.
The most opposition came on the mat
ter of cutting down school appropria-
lions as there seems to be mistaken
as we claim it to be-sentiment against
economy in anything which concerns
schools and scholars. Many seem to
think that we must give our children
all the advantages possible in the way of
schooling, and the cry seems to be,
don't cut down our schools. Now l
wish the children to have all the school
| ing which will be of benefit to them and
no more. | doubt the wisdom of send
ing children to school more than 90 to
"a weeks in year, to sit on hard benches
in musty, dusty school rooms. If more
schooling is a benefit to them mentally,
we doubt very much its being so physical
ly, and most of all we want our children TO
have strong bodies which are very essen
tial to strong minds and success in life.
We want our scholars to be instructed
in the practical duties and labor of life
which they get upon our farms and in
our homes, as we'll as in mere book
learning. The professions seem to be
crowded, and we surely need good farm
ers and farmers wives as much as we
need ministers, lawyers, doctors or
teachers. The farmer feeds the world,
and to-day the successful farmer is look
ed upon as an honorable member of So
ciety, and so no one need be ashamed of
being engaged in farming; they should be
proud to be so engaged. Neither do we
want to make it so easy for our children
; as to make them unfit for the cares and
duties of life. First of all we wish to
make them energetic, good citizens,
|, bearing their part in the battles of life.
!, We understand, of course, that it is
easier for the superintendent of schools
to pay common school bills with $4,000
than with $4,000 but let us practice
economy while until we get out OF
debt. We also understand that it would
give 80 weeks instead of % of schooling,
but that is all any scholar got twenty.
five years ago, and we think it is enough,
at least, we will try it for one year.
In regard to buying town farm
cannot help thinking that mistake was
, made in voting to buy, as we now have
only two paupers kept at the town farm,
and to buy farm and hire man and
his wife, perhaps with children, to run
it and care for two people, doesn't look
/, like economy in that line. 1t is true
,, there are liable to be more paupers.
Perhaps if we had farm it might be
we'll to put some of those who are sup
ported off the farm upon it, but we
doubt the wisdom of running farm
anyway, as we can see by figuring up
the expense of the farm last year it takes
good deal to run it. l think much
wiser plan would have been to try the
experiment of running the town withou,
farm for a year or two, and see how il
would work. If it proved failure we
could vote to buy farm at any time.
Nothing would have been lost by post.
poning the purchase. The balance
against the town farm last year, s647.52,
would have paid for boarding out the
three paupers kept on the farm last
, year. We believe in reducing our town
debt as rapidly as possible, and the in
surance on the towns house, $1,000, to-
gether with what will be received for
the sale of the farm, some $4,000 in all, if
applied on the debt would have decreas-
ed it so much and saved 1920 in interest
per year. We can't help thinking bad
mistake was made in voting to buy. No
doubt it is we'll to sell the old farm
rather than build upon it, but the money
should have been paid on the town debt.
In closing l wish to speak word of
,, praise for our able superintendent of
schools, Alton C. Wheeler, Esq. He is
, one of the best, If not the very best
superintendent we have ever had, in our
opinion, and almost universally liked
also for George Fl. Bean, a good fighter
in town matters and an advocate of
economy and fair play. We need more
such citizens.
Z. E. FIELD.
LAST HOPE VANISHED. =
When leading physicians said that w.