Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-20

was recovering from this great ealam-
lily and was still lame, another moves
ment was started at the Sanford end
OF the town for division, this also re-
suited in vote against division: In
the spring OF 1911. a mass meeting
was held AT SprngvaIe and a COM
mittee was appointed to ccme to the
LEGISLATURE and ask for a division of
i the town. They did this and Senator
, Emery who was a Representative a.
that time. presented the bill and made
some remarks. more or less. favorable
to it: this was late in the session and
required unanimous consent for its
consideration, which could not he OBJ
tanned
in the winter Of bile division was
still live question and the Sanford
and SpringVaIe Boards of Trade each
appointed a committee to agree upon
the terms and line Of division, this in
anticipation Of the special session of
the Legislature, and this bill which is
now before this body is the result of
that agreement.
This bill was published in all III.
town papers at that time SO that the
inhabitants of the whole town became
familiar with its terms In February
1912, the selectmen, upon petition.
called town meeting specially for
The purpose Of testing The sentiment
of the town regarding division. the
vote was taken at the two polling
places, the same as at a State cleo
tlon, and AT the Springvale end OF
the town with about 500 voters on ity
llst the vote stood 296 in favor and /.
against division, a majority in fave!
OF division Of PSI and at the Sanford
emu with about 1900 voters on it's lis
the vote was 1879 in favor and 16c
against division; 4 majority againsf
DIVISION OF p, in the whole town there
being a majority in favor of division
of 2a4, While il is more or less proI,--
iematlcai what the feeling af those
large number of staY-at- homes in
Sanford village believe on this aues-
ton. Nevertheless, the Sanford Trib-
une, by far the leading newspaper
published al Sanford village. which
claims To be and which should be IN
close touch with public sentiment
there, has always averred that the
feeling in Sanford village was that If
SprlngVale people really wanted the
they should have the right Ia do en-
mere has been petitions presented to
TINS Legislature, praying for the pass.
age OF TINS act, bearing the signatures
ol 40 OF the voters residing in that
part or the town of Sanford. which
would become the town of Springyala
II TINS Dill should become a law, and
together with the vote before men
TONED that the people of SpringvaIa
are consistent and unanimous in COM
ing to this Legislature with this bin
of rights
For good many years there had been
maintained in the village of Springvale
High school, quite a number of years
ago Sanford felt as though she needed a
High school and her request was granted
by the town. SO that in the spring of 1911
there was High school In each village
AT that time the Springvale High school
had approximately 80 scholars. 1t was a
large school, of high grade, it was doing
good educational work, was of much
moment in the social life of the commune
~ and an institution of which. the people
We're justly proud and it was one of the
things which made Springvale particular
lH attractive as a place of residence In
the spring of 1911 this school was closed
and the pupils who wished 10 go TO a
High school from Springvale were made
to go to Sanford. transportation being
furnished by the town by trolley line
Now We know there is a strong belief
in the consolidation of schools whether
it is being carried too far or not seems
| to be something of an open question
al1t 1
think we can all agree upon this propo-
sition: That there ought to be a good
High school in every community where
there are sufficient pupils and ability 10
| maintain 1t.
Schools should be SO conducted as to do
the greatest good to the greatest number
| and if by consolidation the only object
You have in view is the fitting of the very
small part of your students who may wish
TO enter college, to that end, and there
by you make your courses and access to
your school so hard, that YOU lose many
of The more impecunious of your children
those whom the public schools are partic-
ularlY meant to reach, then consolidation
is a failure 'f
This has happened in Sanford. While
Springvale has gained in population coo
or 700 since the closing of its High school
the number of its students in the High
school has not increased and the number
of its pupils entering the High school
| from the common schools has decreas ed,
Close Observers of the matter are conf
dent that with a High school at Spring
vale. as before this consolidation Of the
schools. it would have more than 80 per
cent. more students than now attend the
High school at Sanford from Sprngvale
Springvale IS able and willing To support
a good High school and without the abil-
ity to do so it not only loses one of the
great attractions to prospective students
but is whole educational life is badly
crippled. They feel the necessity of it,
are willing to pay for il and ought to
have the right TO have it.
Springvale has for common school
buildings a one-room building, built some
IS years ago. in bad repair and on the
same lot with siX-room building which
was originally built more than so years
ago and which has been added to, patch
ed up and barely kept disable to the pres
ent time. 1t was in such shape in the