Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-05-11
Toniqht's School Meeting.

as stated in the warrant, will be to
hear the report of the Board of Edu-
cation; to raise money for the sup
port of schools; to consider a bill in
equity now pending in the supreme
judicial court, the effect of which, in
substance, will be to transfer all the
ent trustees of the Cony Female Acad-
envy to the city of Augusta in perpet-
ual trust for the purpose of maintain
ing the Cony Free High school under
its present name; to consider the gen.
eral question of repairing, improving.
charging or rebuilding the present
Cony Free High school building and to
transact any other business that may
properly come before said meeting.
We have no doubt that our citizens
will take pleasure in giving our schools
under the new system the same gener-
Gus measure of support that was ac-
corded them under the old. Our people
have always felt a sincere pride in the
high character of our schools which
rank among the best in the State.
Their management has been upon the
broad plane of citizenship in which
there has been no suggestion of parti-
s2nship. However strongly political
RI; II,
other directions they have, by common
consent and common desire never in
cause of public education i'm this city
this much the old system can claim
to it's credit and this much we must
insist upon maintaining under the
new. Upon that question we believe
that the citizens of Augusta are today,
as they have been in the past. a unit.
We will meet tonight, therefore, not
as nartizans. but as citizens, to con-
slider broadly and fairly one of the
most important phases in the life of
our city-our public school system.
It's work and its needs.
We have no doubt the report of the
Board of Education will be of interest
and value. not merely as showing tre
condition of our schools, but also the
work that has been accomplished and
which of necessity is known only to
in, in,
tellgent touch with it. The necessary
appropriations will. doubtless be voted
cheerfully for we do not believe there
is a citizen in Augusta who would
stand for a niggardly policy towards
our public schools.
We imagine that the bill in equity
which will transfer the property of the
old Cony Free High school to the city
of Augusta in perpetual trust for the
maintenance of the Cony Free High
school under its present name will
commend itself to our citizens gener-
ally. 1t should also remove the objec-
tions of those citizens who while freely
concedng the very imperative need of
dations, have been reluctant to favor
the expenditure of any money on the
present site while it remained outside
of the permanent and absolute control
of the city. The period to which this
property was dedicated to school pur-
poses under the trust confided to the
trustees of the Cony Female Academy
was only 80 years. Il long time in the
life of an Individual: but compare
lively short one in the life of q COM
munity Under the terms of the hill
in equity the city's control of this
property will be perpetual.
We think that our citizens generally
favor more adequate accommodations
for our High school, which today is so
largely overcrowded as to interfere
seriously with the carrying on of its
work. This feeling while general is
specially strong with those who have
children in our public schools. On Il
question like this it is inevitable that
there should be more or less differ
ences of opinion as to what is best to
be done. even when there is practical
unanimity as to the desirabilty of the
end sought to he attained. The Jour
nal favors a reasonable appropriation
sufficient to defray the expense of an
enlargement of the present building.
and this we think fairly reflects the
prevailing sentiment of our citizens.
Every man who has at heart the in
tereS,S Of our schools should make if
a point to be present at tonight's meet
ing.
"Casey at the Bat"