Oxford Democrat., 1916-02-29
State Grange on Education.

State orange on Eoocdti0u.
Report of committee on education
Maine State Grange, Portland:
Education is the foundation on which
free government is built, and the better
the education, especially among thecom
mon people, the stronger and more en-.
during the government. Tho demand
for better education is greater to-day
than ever before. Our government, all
large corporations and business interests
which employ vast number Of young
men and women, are seeking to obtain
the best educated ones possible, for II is
an admitted fact that the better educat-
ed the man or woman, the more efficient
they are in whatever position they may
be placed.
The farmers of Maine are awakening
to the fact that they are in need Of more
education as 1t applies to their business,
that they may be better prepared to
meet the fast changing conditions of
production, and especially the market
ing of their products. And the boys and
girls on the farms are asking that they
may have better chance to obtain an
education that will better prepare them
to fill more successfully the places In the
business and social world to which they
may aspire. And as the cornerstone of
our order is "a better education for our
selves and our children" it behoOves rs,
as Patrons of Husbandry, not only to
make the best use of all means within
our reach, but to endeavor to find and
assist In bringing into use yet better
methods.
Much is being said about the conserv-
ing of Names resources; and we believe
that the boys and girls of Maine are the
states most valuable resource, and that
the state should 80 assist them In obtain
ing such an education that In future
years they may return to the state the
highest possible dividends.
We believe that the boys and girls on
the farms and in the rural sections of
the state are of as much value to the
state as are the boys and girls of the
merchant or mechanic in the city or vii
lage, and that they are entitled to and
should have as good an education.
To bring about the means whereby
this purpose may be accomplished is
we'll worthy the best thought and united
effort of this Maine State Grange.
In many of the small towns, the school
tar ia high enough to be real burden
upon the taxpayers, and yet their school
terms are short and their teachers are
underpaid, while In several cities and
large villages the school tax is so small
as not to be noticeable; and yet With the
large amount received from the state,
they have the longest terms possible,
with the best paid teachers they can pro-
cure.
As partial remedy for this condition,
we believe that the state school fund
should be divided among the cities and
towns of the state, according to the ag-
gregate attendance of pupils in the COM
mon schools, whereby each pupil attend
ing school, whether in a large city or in
q small farming town, should receive
from the state the same amount of
money. And we believe that when this
method is better understood BY the
people, when they realize that the prin-
cipal cause for the abandoned farms In
Maine is the lack of school privileges,
and that when q family abandons the
farm and moves to the city to educate
their children, 1t removes that family
from the producing to the consuming
class, thus increasing the already high
cost of living, practically all opposition
will be lost.
We would urge all members of this
State Grange to have this question thor
oughly discussed in their subordinate
oranges and communities, and at the
next meeting of the legislature they use
their whole influence in favor Of the
passage of the grange bill, so-called, for
the better distribution of the state school