Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-11

| ing more unfair or unjust than the So.
| called Grange bill for tho distribution
| Of school funds could b imagined. II
| the small towns can require the cities
| to be taxed for their benefit to the ex-
tent proposed in this bill. they could
| be made to pay for all their expenses.
and, except in degree. one would be
no less condscation than the other"
1 submit to you, Mr.. Speaker and
| gentlemen. that that clipping from the
| Portland Press Is entirely misleading.
The small towns are not compelling
the cities to be taxed for their SUP
port. The State Of Maine says that
| every dollar Of property in the State
! shall be taxed so many mills for the
maintenance OF the common schools OF
the State Of Maine. The fact that the
city Of Portland, the town Of Eden, or
any city or large community in the
! State, Is SO unfortunate as to have
! large amounts of wealth, large
amounts OF property taxable to the state
Of Maine-that is their misfortune. The
fact remains that the State ordered that
school fund raised, and We claim thar
that school fund should be used for the
purposes for which 1t Is raised. l hope,
Mr.. Speaker, that when this vote is taken
every man will vote just as he honestly
! believes is right: and l would further say
that this matter 10 of great Importance
and has been considered widely through
out the State. Petitions have come in
here from over 10 Oranges asking for
| this thing, and would say that there are
many others coming in too late to be pre-
sented. / say that these people have a
right to know how you and / stand on
| this matter. That was one Of the main
reasons why / put in this minority re-
port. II the facts in this case show that
| the present system is right. that 1t is
| just that certain cities shall receive all
! that they need and more, 90, by thous-
ands of dollars, then the people have a
right TO know it. know that they are
wrong and know that it is their duty 10
go back home and sit down and keep
still. and let the large cities and the
wealthy towns Of this State draw every
thing that they need for schooling their
children, with no local taxation, or
very small rate, and that We must still
continue to dig and delve in the dirt to
educate our children. Mr.. Speaker, L
move that when this vote is taken that
the yeas and nays be asked for. and that
|
show his constituents just where he
stands on this all important question.
Mr.. HILL of Corinth: Mr.. Speaker.
| if I may be pardoned another word
upon this matter, l wish TO say that
the members of this committee Of
which / previously spoke were the
Senator from Cumberland, Senator
Murphy who lives in Portland, the
! largest city in Maine, Mr.. Walker Of
Somerset, who lives in Skowhegan,
the largest town in Somerset County,
and Mr.. Gallagher of Bangor. the
largest city in Penobscot County; and
l want TO say to you, gentlemen, that
when that matter came up before tho
committee the gentleman from Port
land, Mr.. Murphy. not only asked
questions, but he argued the case from
/ start to finish before the committee,
and what would you expect IN regard
to his position in the executive ses-
zion Of that committee? Now. gen
tlemen, that committee to my mind
was selected at the opening OF this
legislature for this very bill that Is
before you this morning. I haven't
the least doubt Of it. Ordinarily I
believe we should pay considerable
attention to the reports of our COM
niittees, but the report Of that commit
tee gentlemen. is not worth the price
Of that book.
Mr. GALLAGHER of Bangor: Mr..
Speaker, possibly if the gentleman
had gone further he would claim that
Bangor does benefit by this distribu-
ton; on the contrary, 1t is my opin-
ion that we would not benefit. The
committee believed that there are some
inequalities in the distribution Of this
fund, but they also believed that any
other method proposed would present
a great many more and perhaps moro
unfair inequalities than the bill rec
commended by the majority Of the
committee. The gentleman from Cor
NTH, Mr.. Hill, might also have gone
further and named seven different
members of that committee who were
not from cities Of large population.
but ! do not believe that is a fair
statement to make before this House;
that it Is a picked committee, or to
insinuate that anybody connected with
this body had any such intentions.
| There is no doubt there are some in
capabilities in any distribution of this
fund, the same as there would be In
any other method proposed. and the
inequalities may be greater in num-
Der or more unfair. and therefore I
trust that the majority report Of the
committee may be accepted.
Mr.. HILL: Mr.. Speaker. II I have
hurt the feelings of any members Of
that committee / wish to apologize
and if any of the others wish to make
confession let them come forward.
The SPEAKER: The question is
on the motion Of the gentleman from
Castine Mr.. Kicker that the majori-
ty report of the committee or educa-
ton be accepted. This report Is
ought not to pass" and the question
is on the acceptance OF this report.
The yeas and nays have been called
fos. AS many as desire the yeas and
nays VIII rise and stand in their places
until counted.
A sufficient number having arisen.
the yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER: All those in ia
vor of the motion to accept the ma
jority report Ought not to pass" when
their MANS Uara ca1ied will apSwer