Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-02

The following letter is written by q.
E. Lamb as an explanation Of the Gar
diner city governments action in re-
moving Mr.. Bates from the school COM
mittee:
l have been asked by good many
people who are interested in the affairs
of our city and particularly in our
schools to explain the cause Leading up
to the removal of Mr.. Bates from the
school committee. There has been
more or less friction between the school
board and city government, brought
about largely l think by the fact that
while the committee receive their APP
pointment from the city government,
many of their duties and acts are pre-
scribed by the laws of the State and
this seems to absolve them in some
manner from any obligation to the city
government or the people. The present
city government has never tried TO die
tate or interfere in any way with the
manner in which tie schools We're con-
Quoted except as regarded the expendi-
ture of money and this, as We thought
| was legitimate part OF our duties in
this as in other departments Of the
| city
II al! these matters in which we have
had a disagreement with the school
I committee none have had any bearing
| on the schools themselves, as they were
nearly all matters connected with the
expense of superintendent. such as in
crease in superintendent salary, ste
nographers' services. team hire, etc.
Small matters in themselves but suf-
fcient to keep up constant friction
between the two boards. Take the dis
agreement over the superintendent
salary for instance. The City Council
unanimously fixed his salary at s1700
and made an appropriation for their
proportionate part in the annual ap-
preparation bill and in July the school
committee with the committee from
Farmingdale. who, by the way, paid no
! conI5e raised to $500. making an I'M
- erY overdraft for the city gov
to take care Of, they claiming
AuuH we had voted 10 join a union
interchangeable that we had by that
) .ct Lest the right to say what the city
should pay for the superintendent sal
airy and this, notwithstanding the fact
that the City Council could at any
time either dissolve the union or re-
move the schoo, committee In the cleo
ton last fall there was a persistent
rumor to the effect that the defeat of
Mr. Berry meant a. change in the school
system, especially in the office Of su-
perintendent Of schools.
This rumor was perfectly unfounGed
and after the organization of the new
city government. in order to show the
people that we We're not playing poll
tics with our schools. We started to try
and see if il We're possible to run af-
fairs without any friction with the
school committee; and when they came
in for their annual request for their a.
preparations. we accepted their figures
without question and gave them all
they asked for, even to the increase in
the superintendent salary, making
their appropriation $1,000 more than the
previous year.
Then came up tho very small matter
of loanino the books to a few Dunils,
who were unable to attend the pub
| lie schools. 1t has been the custom in
previous years for the school commit
tee TO loan these pupils the books. Last
year the committee decided not to Go
so in the future and refused the par
ents the use Of the books for their
| children. They at once took the mat
ter UP with the city council. who re-
ferrcd the question to the city solicit
tor. who said the only people who had
any authority to loan the city books
would be the city government. Then
we passed an order requesting them to
loan books to any children, who by
reason of mental or physical defects
were unable to attend the public
schools. After the passage OF this or
der he books were loaned last year
| but J the beginning of this school
year books We're again refused and
the n. ser was again brought to our
attention. l took the matter up with
Mr.. Bates. who said he would have to
refer it to the school committee, who
were to meet that noon. I pointed out
the fact to him that the city solicitors
| had ruled that the city government
| were the only ones who had authority
| to loan the books and the school COM
mittee had already been requested by
unanimous vote of that body to loan
them, therefore there did not seem to
oe anything to refer to the school COM
| mittee. After the meeting of the school
committee Mr.. Bates told one of the
| parents over the phone that she could
not have the books as it was contrary
! to law but if the city government
wanted to buy the books and loan
| them to her, they were at perfect lib