Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-17


thing I ever made Il success of--of
teaching for IA or Is years and have
been superintendent of common schools
within the last two years. So that ne
does not have Il monopoly of that, ana
| am very glad that he has not.
The question was put upon the mo-
ton of the senator from PiscataquIs
Mr. Knowlton, that the consideration
of the matter be postponed until Fri
day, and the motion was lost
MI MILLikEN of Aroostook: Mr..
President: AS / understand 1t, the
pending question now is upon the pas
sage of the bill-or will the Chair
kindly inform me what the pending
question is?
The PRESIDENTS: The bin was ia
bled pending its second reading.
Mr.. MILLIKi1N: | wish to move that
the bill take its second reading, and
before that motion / wish to say a
word. Rcfero nee mas been made to tn"
expensive hardship this bill might
cause tie small towns of the State. L
live in Il small town myself and am
from Il county made up largely OF
small towns, and no one can be more
interested in the welfare of the small
towns than | try to be. 1t is precisely,
Mr. President, for the benefits of the
small towns. as I see it. that this bill
| is framed. Any of us who have ever
had to do with school matters III small
| towns and have observed the way i'll
when those school matters are man
aged. knows that there IS need of just
exactly such legislation as is proposed
| in this bill The situation in the state
at the present time is precisely this:
That the state is spending towards a
million dollars Il year in the cncour-
| agemcnt of education, and yet, q, the
ory is prevailing that the property and
not the population should be the ex-
pense Of education, since education
helps to protect property. That money
| has been distributed in such way
| that the small towns where the school
population is larger in proportion to
| the property than in the large towns,
| get the benefit in the distribution
| This condition exists in many small
| towns which have taken money from
| the state for this purpose. They are
not sufficiently careful in scrutinizing
| the qualifications of the teachers they
| hire to teach the boys and girls in
those snail towns. 1t is this condition
| that this bill seeks to remedy, / submit
| to you, not by any drastic or inelaStic
provision, but by placing with the
state superintendent of schools. the
discretion as to who is qualified in this
State to teach the boys and girls and
who is qualified to receive the money
which the state is spending. / appre-
bend that some objection might be
raised 10 this bill on the ground that
il takes away discretion in the towns.
| have heard that objection raised to
MANY questions in this session. The an
sWer to that Objectionable easiest and
first answers that the State is
spending this money and it is our duty
as representatives of the state. to take
proper measures to see that it is prop
erly spent Now. it may not have been
called to the attention of the members
of the Senate, although the committee
on education is very familiar with the
fact. that there are at the present time
in this state approximately 1000 teach
ers teaching in our common schools
and receiving less than 5000 a year.
The proposition in this bill is to guard
further than guarded now the interests
or tie boys and girls that so to school
in tho small towns and that attend
the common country schools: and /
submit to You, gentlemen, that Whcth-
cr there ar" eight or so pupils in the
schools, each one of these pupils has a
right, 50 far as we can guarantee them
that right. TO have proper education.
proper teaching and if the educational
system of this State is to be sighted
anyW here. it should not be sighted in
the small towns and the small schools,
because Il large proportion of the stu
dents-thc boys and girls, who go to
these schools. receive there the total
of all the education they receive We
all know that to be true and it is on
the theory that too lax supervision
exists now as to the qualifications Of
those teachers; that it is the duty of
the State while furnishing large ap-
preparations of money, to watch those
teachers.
| should be glad to go into this ques-
ton more fully, but do not wish to
take your time unnecessarily. | want
to say that my judgment. ana the
judgment of those interested in edu-
cationaI matters is, that this bill has
been framed with great care ana is in
tended to, and | believe will, meet to
some extent this need.
Mr.. DONIGAN: May I ask a question?
Mr., HAMILTON: Mr. President, I rise
ia a point of order. | made Il motion
that the bill be indefinitely postponed
That motion was seconded. | believc-I
don't know much about the rules
The PRESIDENTS: I did not under
stand the senator to make the motion to
Indefinitely postpone.
Mr.. HAMILTON: 7 certainly made
that motion.
The PRESIDENTS: The senator from
Aroostook had the floor and was about
to make a motion Does the senator from
York desire to make that motion now?
Mr.. HAMILTON: l make that motion
now.
The question was put upon the motion
of Mr.. Hamilton of York, that the bill be
indefinitely postponed.
Mr.. STAPLES: Mr. President and fell
low senators, | am opposed to this bill
for three reasons, and l think they are
good and sufficient ones / am panied
RI hot 1t