Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-13

music teacher at Taftville, saving in salaries about ten thousand dollars We added about eight thousand to teach CTS the first shot, yet leaving a credit i'll favor of reduced hands, or in other words, have taken so much out of the system by the loss of the strength that these several men teachers gave to the various schools. We have placed three men supervisors, who do part teaching in addition to what they formerly did, and the balance of their time they are running from the various schools to supervise with not sufficient time to learn the teachers in each school, as under the district system, which ac- counted for the high standard that the large schools in Norwich attained
 We have been told that consolidation would mean better schools and lower cost. It may in some particular case, but the final cost is more, notwith- standing that we have cheapened the system by the taking it out of the schools. Graduation exercises at the close of the year was cut out in order to save money The Taftville district had a music teacher who gave the whole of her time to that school,a and as result enjoyed the reputation of hav- ing the best singers of any school in the state, yet the same teacher has to di- vide her ability now in about twenty schools. The same is true of draw
 
 schools has the schools for the whole town. and it is very evident that we cannot get the highest grade work. We need in Norwich a lower cost in taxa tion, but we do not want lower cost if it takes it out of the system No mat ter what the cost is providing it is the lowest which can be had consistent with the former high district standard which statistics show.
 There is to come Up at our town meeting Tuesday night tho question of medical inspection, to add about sthree thousand dollars more to our tax rate The aim of the promoter is to create a Job under the cloak of the public health. to sap out this fee from the public purse. We have Q town health officer and city health officer, whose duties areto guard the public and watch the cause 0I contagious dis eases: If their duties are not clearly defined now, why do not 1he town and city authorities prescribe rules for the protection 0s our schools, if such be needed, about which the writer has his doubts. We are informed the town school board refused to consider med ical inspection, although Dr. Cassidy, a member of the board, has tried the whole term to have them do sO They showed good judgment in declining. It is now up 10 our citizens and their judgment on all such matters is pret- ty safe to depend on.
 We find the state reports frequent ly published in our papers showing Norwich one of the healthiest cities in New England To this the speech of Abraham Lincoln can well be applied-I that some of the people can be fooled all the time but you can't fool all the peo- pie all the time. There is no doubt that a large meeting will be held Tues day night and settle forever, if no greater needs can be shown for med icaI inspection than exist today, this question: advocated only by interested parties With nothing stronger to ad- yOCate for its passage than that they have it in other cities. Why not give us something original? We are told that a large list of absences from schools will be shown to give evidence that they are from sickness which could be avoided if we had mediCan inspection We trust that the superintendent or his supervisors will come prepared to answer this question and account for the list as may be shown, and how this system of marking is done so our citizens will not be misled, and the statement recently made about the cost to the town about $6,000 per year for maintenance at school of children who have been sick with scarlet fever and measles, which might be prevented if we had medical inspection If Dr Cassidy truly believes this, we trust he will come to this meeting prepared to show us with plain, simple facts and prove his grounds. Then the writ CT. and I also believe the meeting, will vote for his pet habby. With only one thought in mind, the best for our schools and the best for our town, at the lowest cost of maintenance, is the motive for writing this letter.
 w. F. KELLY.
 Norwich, Oct. il, 1913.