Norwich bulletin., 1910-01-19
(continued from Page Five.)

Il
 where the schools are managed under the district system. In an address by l Howell Cheney, published in the latest | report of the state board of education, there is this comment regarding Nor wich:
 1 'The schools are good, in fact there 1 the best schools of the state on an av- craze will be found They employ ef- 1 t1clent teachers and are willing to pay l them wages above the average. Most 1 or the schools are supervised and in all of them, with the exception of a few outlying districts, the unit or dis l trlct is large enough to make the sub- | ject of their government a matter of more general interest and responsible | ity than in the case of many towns" It is interesting to establish the place l which Norwich occupies in the state 1 school system in other respects. Nor wich ranks about seventh in popula- 1 ton, grand list and enumeration, but in the cost per pupil it ranks 18th. Some interesting comparisons can be made from the table of statistics pre- sented. Norwich is one of six towns in the 168 that escapes taxation for a. high school. What addition to our taxes would be made if we supported the high school as in other towns can be seen by noting the expenses of high schools in various cities and by few statistics regarding our Norwich Free Academy.
 The Norwich Free Academy provides a more elaborate equipment and offers a rather more Var16Q course than IS usual in the public high schools of the smaller cities. This should be borne in mind in comparing expenditures. Some figures for the year 190S-1909 fol? low:
 EnrolIm ent at opening of year 394- SIS from Norwich, S1 from out of town. Average attendance about 375 or 3S0- from out of town 75.
 Years expenditure, exclusive of art school, maintenance of Slater Museum, Converse gallery and Peck library, S26,750. of which tuition fees provided approximately one-third and income from invested funds two-thirds. Av- craze cost per pupil, $67.89. Charges to Norwich pupils $15. Charge to out of town pupils $45, paid in most cases by their towns, with state aid under the law of 1903.
 Number of teachers: Male 5, female IA; total 19. Number of assistants: Male 3, female 2; total 4. Grand total 23.
 Notwithstanding the vote in Nor wich against consolidation, 1t is a fact that the town is more and more assum- ing the care of the schools, even in the in incorporated districts. This fact Is bet ter impressed upon us when we note the increased amounts paid by the town for support. In the accompanying ta- ble there is an interesting comparison between 1889 and 1903. In most or the districts the amount is double In West Chelsea 1t is nearly three and one-haf times as large. The tax rate varies greatly, as you will note.
 The district and town taxes today for schools in Norwich amount to 6.44 mills on the total grand list. This is per haps the average for the size Of Nor wich with a lower rate In the aver age amount paid for wages Norwich is low The annual amount received from the state is $13113. The stat1s- tics given in relation to schools and outside poor should have two results: FIrst-Cal1 attention to the growing expenditures as 8 reason why the large increases in the grand list have not made reduction in the tax rate pos sible Secondly-Provide food for re- f1ection and subsequent discussion.
 What the Board Has Done.
 Tn the remaining time extended to me by your courtesy I shall endeavor to reply to the hackneyed question: What has the Board of Trade done for Norwich P
 Nothing is so detrimental to public service as the loss of memory ex- hibited by critics and the lack of ap- preciation shown towards those en- gagged in civic improvement. With the record of the Norwich Board of Trade indeIibly written upon the city the nat ural question to ask would be What has not the Board of Trade done for Norwich?" And this question could be more quickly answered. For Tn spite of it's great activities in other directions it must be conceded that the Board of Trade has never done any thing to improve our municipal gov ernrnent This is a sorry acIzno Wledge- ment to make in view of our provincial city charter, our obsolete district school system, our extravagant method or maintaining the outside poor, the lacK of electric wiring ordinances and build ing lines. It is true that many of these questions have been discussed at our meetings. Isn't it about time for deeds rather than words?
 But now to the question: What has flniS hoard done for Norwich ?''
 The Norwich Board of Trade took the initiative and was the principa. factor in bringing about the following public improvements in Norwich:
 Reduction in railroad rates
 Improved mail, train and telegraph service.
 Stopping of open policy playing.
 Extension of street railway to West Sida and Baltic.
 Widening of the channel of the Thames river.
 Erection of three industrial build ings, all now fully occupied.
 Broadway theater.
 State armory.
 Norwich hospital for the insane.
 Government postoff1ce building.
 Mohegan park.
 Preservation of old town records.
 Making Otis library free.
 Establishment of Norwich and New York Propeller company.
 Annexation of East Side.
 Placing MontvilIe in Norwich tele- phone district
 Columbus day celebration in 1892.
 The Board of Trade also united in calling the first public meeting for the celebration of the 250th anniversary in 1909.
 These public benefits above enumer ated affected every person in the com munity They were not for the benefit of any privileged class. but for the community at large. Not for an age, but for all time"
 Norwich has made some great gains financially and industrially since the Board of Trade was organized. There are seven local industries which owe their establishment fin this city wholly or largely to the efforts of the Norwich Board of Trade, most of them having been brought from other towns.
 The Norwich Cutlery Company.
 This concern removed from Hart ford in 1889. The conditions of re- moval were the obtaining of a loan of several thousand dollars for necessary enlargement A Board of Trade com mittee raised the necessary amount by selling bonds, after the savings banks had all declined to grant the loan.