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

known as the school fund On the A-st
one 1t was to be distributed on the sale
OF the wild lands, etc. but the last one,
the mill tax. was to be distributed
among the several towns In this con-
nection I want to read to you from the
report of the committee, a committee
Of which the Senator from Cumberland
was a member and strong advocate
Of the present mode Of distribution Of
that mill tax; and they say in that re-
port, on page 20. Regarding the State
school fund solely as an educational
fund. the valuation basis is indefensi-
BILE"
Now, gentlemen. I want to say here
that l want to go on record as being
in favor Of the boy in the log cabin who
should draw the same money as though
he was living in brownstone front in
Portland. l do not believe, as / said
before. that this was ever intended to
help out. any but the poor boy. The
rich boys can take care of themselves.
II seems to me that the committee did
not approve OF that method Of taking
the aggregate attendance. and ! am
willing to accept that; want the schol-
ars Of our State 10 have this money as
it belongs to them: and l hope when this
vote is taken it will be by yeas and nays
and that every member of this House
will go on record whether he is in favor
Of the poor boy or in favor of the ricn
boy In the 5rownstone front. I want
to say, further, that Mr.. Graham's block
on the corner Of Harlow and Center
streets in Bangor would draw more
school money with not scholar in the
city OF Bangor than would the town Of
Hudson in my class with every scholar
they have in that town. Now If you
think this is fair to the poor boy to
divide il according TO this method, 10
so. but l hope every man will stand up
here and vote not to be prejudicad be-
cause he lives in town Where there
is considerable wealth, but vote for the
under dog in the fight. as I say.
Mr.. FUTILE OF Caribou: Mr..
Speaker, 1t seems TO me that this
should not be a question Of whether
my town gets a few dollars more than
some other town or whether some
other town or city gets more than
mine. But the question is, the equal
distribution of this money for the pur-
pose for which ii was raised? 1t was
raised to educate the children of the
State, not the children Of any par
ticular city or town, but the chill
dren Of the State, whether they be in
q poor town or q wealthy one. And
il seems TO me that this bill proposes
the most equitable way of distribu-
ton of any that has even been pro-
posed, and it seems TO me that in q
matter of so vital Importance as this,
we should set aside all local or self
interest and consider what is best for
all
The Oranges, both Pomonas and
Subordinates, in our county have been
considering this school tax question
for the last three or more years in
their meetings, and / have attended
a great many of their meetings and
know whereof ] speak, and l can truly
say that of all the questions that
ever were brought to the considera-
ton of our oranges this received the
most careful consideration both in
committees and in the meetings, and
all were of the unanimous opinion
that this bill favoring the aggregate
attendance is the most just and eQuit-
able method for distributing the com
mon school fund.
To show you that the counties tina.
possess the wealthy villages and cities
have an advantage OF sthe poorer coun-
ties l will cite you Aroostook county
as compared with Cumberland. Aroos-
took County with Is less available
funds per scholar than Cumberland
County is taxing itself 2-6-10 mills
per dollar against Cumberland County
40 of one mill and if Cumberland
County should pay the same rate as
Aroostook County does, 1t would cost
Cumberland S93,368.S6 more than it
is now paying. and if Aroostook Coun-
ty should pay the same rate as Cum
berland County it would save S5o,43S. =
6S.
Mr.. DRUMMOND Of Winslow: Mr..
Speaker, l am not a Granger and yet
the town which ! represent has n
Grange of about 200 members, and
another town in the same class has a
Grange nearly as large as that. 1t
was attempted to have those Oranges
vote in favor of this bill, because t
came from the State Grange, as /
was informed by good authority, and
both of those Oranges turned down
that proposition. So it is not a unani-
nous measure among the Oranges, as
/ understand it. Now some mention
was made about houses with brown
stone fronts. We have none OF those
things in Winslow, but we are a small
country town; in my town this year
they voted to raise $4,000 and get what
we could from the state, and if this
bill is passed on the average attend
ance we are going to lose very nearly
a thousand dollars; of course we do
not like that. Our town is strongly
opposed to this average attendance.
Mr.. PERHAM Of Woodstock: Mr.
Speaker, you will remember a short
time ago asked for this matter to be
laid on the table until tomorrow morn
ing. My object in that was simply be-
cause this is matter of State wide
Importance and of Statewide interest
I felt that practically all or a large
number Of the people here standing ir
favor OF the aggregate attendance
method of distribution were not pre-
pared this morning to take up this ar
gument; in fact, We did not expect !,
would be forced upon US this morning
as it has been the courteous custom
of this body to lay matters upon the