Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-10-29
STATE HOUSE.
Work Of State Asses
sors Progressing Well.
Why Stipend for Free High
Schools is Not Paid.
Much Speculation Regarding Location Of
Some Departments During Legislature.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting of Governor and Council
Thursday, Nov. IS, at 10 A. Nj.

The work of fixing the valuation Of
the State of Maine, upon which the
members of the Board of State Asses
s"rs are at present engaged at their
Office at the Capitol is now well under
way and good progress has been made
during the past week. Figures have
been obtained on a large percentage OF
the cities, towns and plantations of the
state, but the work which has been
Gone in this line can hardly be said to
have been completed as far as it has
gone. for these figures are subject to
change as new information shall aD-
pear, and in fact the figures may be
said to never be closed until the report
of the board is printed. The local board
of assessors of several places have al
ready appeared before the State board
for the purpose Of giving information
upon different points, and others will
appear in the future. The board will
be in continuous session until the re
port is submitted to the Governor and
Council at the close of the present
year. That there will be a large in
crease in the valuation Of the State is
an assured fact, though just what the
figures will be cannot yet be stated.
The entire board will not be at the
during the coming week, but some
one of the members will be there
about every day.
Clerk Virgins % the educational de-
partmcnt states that the department is
receiving frequent letters inquiring
who the free high school stipend is
not paid, and the answer to one and
all is that the appropriation which was
made for that purpose has been ex-
haustcd and that no more bills for
free high schools will be paid until the
Legislature makes new appropri
alton for the same at the coming ScS-
sion.
The reason for the early running of
the appropriation for the free high
schoo! stipend is that the law which
was passed by the Legislature of 1902
and which allowed the buttons. has
called for a much larger amount of
money than was anticipated. At that
session several important laws relating
to schools were passed. but the CIc
which was considered the most
significant was the one in question and
which gives aid To towns having 10
free high schools of standard grade
and which pay tho tuition of resident
pupils who attend he schools approved
by the state superintendent of public
schools
Tn" intent of tho law is shown III
Section | of Chapter 6S of the Public
Laws of 1903, which reads as follows:
Section Amy youth who resides
with parents of guardian in any town
which does not support or maintain I
free high school giving at least one
four years course properly equipped
and teaching such subjects as are
taught in secondary schools of stand
ard grade in this State may. when he
shall bn prepared to pursue such four
years course, attend any school in this
state which does not have such four
years course and to which he may
gain entrance by permission of those
having charge thereof. provided said
youth shall attend school or schools
of standard grad" which are approved
by the State superintendent of public
schools. In such case, the tuition OF
such youth not to exceed thirty dollars
annually for any one youth, shall he
paid by the town in which he resides as
| aforesaid and towns are hereby au-
| thorizcd and required to raise annually
as other school moneys are raised.
sum sufficient to pay such tuition
charges"