Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-27

Sl55S Tor eacn pupil IN your schools,
| Penobscot, $ll 1913 for each pupil in the
J public schools; that alone shows that
the valuation method is indefensible.
and die special report of your commit
| tee which was appointed at the last
/ Legislature to report to this Legisla-
ture SC reports
! If towns are To be taxed ny the State
and expect to receive in return the
same amount which they contribute.
/ there is no necessity under the ralua-
j ton method of the States taxing, be-
cause they could tax themselves direct
! ly and save the State the expense Of
| distribution. Now the other method is
| a census method, and that method re
| turns in some communities more mon
| ely than they can use. | have here Il
| list of cities and towns wherein the
State aid paid out OF the school and
mill fund and common school fund
/ during the fiscal year 19ll12 exceeds
| the total expenditure for common
school purposes. that is, for teachers
wages and hoard, fuel, jantors' SER
ice conveyance and board of pupils;
and in this list | note particular in
i stances Lewiston received from the
!
ing an excess of State aid over eXpen-
ditures of $li.l59. Biddeford received
from State ala. $41, 027, and expended
for common school purposes $50, 165.
| The excess of State aid over eXpendi
| lures in this instance Is $10,262 | have
| in all 10 instances in which this &C.
ours. which total, if I have figured
! them correctly, is $2S,546, which must
| in each instance, SO into the general
| fund and be distributed. not for pub
| lie schools for which it was intended.
| but for any purpose for which the town
may use .it--for incidentals. for high
| ways, or for any other purpose: and
| this quota which is returned 10 towns
more than they can use is 90 per cent.
III round numbers of all the money
that YOU obtain from taxation on wild
lands III this State. This is nothing
more or less than an misrepresentation
for that which was intended for the
| education of your children is diverted
] 10 other purposes.
| With reference to the census meth
Cd, your special committee reports that
| it 81 the least desirable of all methods
| Now the two methods returned in the
several counties per scholar the fol-
| lowing amount; Under valuation in
Androscoggin county, 1855; Aroostook.
| 81. 10: Cumberland. SS.64; Franklin, $40
Hancock. $4.33. Kennebec $50; knox.
SI.72. Lincoln. $4l9 oxford, SIP: Pc
nobscot, S4.43; Piseataquis 1926; Sag
| adahoc. S519; Somerset, $780, Waldo,
| S4.l9: Washington, S221; YORK, S64S.
| This shows variation IN the return
| o. these different counties of S6i3 under
tie valuation method. Under the CEN
| sus method AndroscogSn obtains $l".-
g.: Aroostook, S10.07: Cumberland, Slo'-
! -: Franklin, 5000; Hancock. $s.sS,
| Kennebee. $1.43: Knox, 1891; Lincoln,
| $2.SS: oxford 1920; Penobscot, ST.;
p1scataquis. $3.50: Sagadahoe, $10,13;;
| Somerset. $l0.S1: Waldo, 1913; Wash
| ington. $945: York, $13.1S; variation
| of 81 "A These totals show totals which
range from $11.6S up to S20.5S per sehel-
ar in vanr different counties. In other
words. the variation by one method
amounts To as much as $3.50 per schoi-
ar. and this shows the injustice OF the
present system.
Now. both of these plans being
wrong, it is essential that we adopt
some plan which shall do justice TO all
| counties and to all towns. If they are
wrong why should we continue them
! longer? Some claim that under the new
! system their town or their city would
! lose. How can they lose whatever viz
/ tuallv belonged to them? If there Is
amy reason for the existence of the
/ State school fund ii is that it shall be
applied in equal shares to the educa-
t,aT4I
! its irrespective of towns or counties.
| There is another argument which Is
used and that is that it will be better
| to delay until we have become more IA
miliar with the present methods when
are now in vogue. But why should we
/ continue a method which we acknowl-
| edge to be wrong? The only method
| which now seems to recommend itself
| to the consideration of the people who
are interested in education. not only in
] this but in other communities, Is the
| aggregate attendance method; and the
aggregate attendance method as worked
out by figures seems to return TO the
) counties as near the same amounts as
F., il is possible to return under any meth
cd. This is called in some states the
| compulsory attendance method, because
| it has the tendency TO return the at
| tendance of your schools where they
may have become depopulated and any
/ method which will bring up the schools
| in Maine ought to appeal not only to
/ the members of the Legislature but to
| every citizen in this State The State
| average In Maine at the present time,
| of attendance, is only Alb per cent, and
| this shows that you now have in school.
according to the last years report, a.
! 113 pupils, and that you have of those
| that are not in school 1l7,235 pupils.
| If there is any way to increase the av
erage attendance in this State it seems
10 me it should be adopted
Now with reference to towns losing,
as we use the term lose, there are three
| elements which enter into this loss.
| One is a low average attendance; the
other is a short school year, and the
| third is excessive valuation. Now, with
reference to cities that lose. Auburn
| has only 40 per cent average attend
ance. 1t does lose 1915. Augusta has
| 81 per cent. average attendance: Ban
! gor, in which the attendance is high,
1