Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-04
Editors Letter Box
Longer Vacations.

Longer Vacations.
| Editor kennebec Journal:
At the annual meeting of the Maine
Hotel Association held at the Fall
mouth Hotel, Portland, Maine, a COM
mittee consisting Of Hiram W. Kicker,
Charles f. Cobb. Edward NJ. Banding.
Wilbur T. Emerson and NJ. D. Chatto
We're appointed by the association to
devise ways and means for the gen.
eral benefit of the hotels throughout
the State of Maine.
Senator Cha.to, who has been givs
ing considerable attention to the mat
ters involved, said today: 1T is gen
orally conceded by all classes Of
business men in the State Of Maine
that our summer resort business is
one of the greatest assets of the State.
1t not only is a benefit to the summer
resort hotels, camps and boarding
houses, but many of the tourists
spend much of their time through
July and August at the hotels that
are kept open throughout the year.
For instance. the hotels of the city OF
Portland receive a very much better
patronage throughout the summer
season, and in fact all of the hotels
from Kittery to PASSPORT, derive more
or less benefit from the summer trade.
The committee, after carefully consid-
ering the situation, believe the only
way to increase the tourist business is
to prolong the season, and are work.
ing in conjunction with the Chamber
of Commerce. The work Of the
Chamber of Commerce is to induce
the wealthy people Of the South to
come to Maine earlier in the season.
say the first of June. The Hotel
Committee is working on the other
end of the season. 1t appears to them
that the only feasible way to lengthen
the summer resort period is by post
poning the opening of the schools un-
til after the goth of September. By
SO doing a great many of the tourists
would stop in Maine from ten to 20
days longer than they do at the pres
ent time.
1T is a statistical fact that the
summer resort business is worth at
least 100000 a day to the State of
Maine every day the season can be
prolonged This not only benefits the
summer resort hotels and those open
all the year. but it benefits the farm :
err, the mechanic. and in fact all class
es of society in the State.
1--WE do not expect to accomplish
this without 4 Great deal of work and
!; more or less opposition on the part OF
|, educational workers; but have receiv-
, ed very much encouragement from the
, college presidents and superinten-
. dents. There has already been a
movement with the college people ad-
vocating a universal time for opening
of schools throughout New England
and judging from the dates of open
ing of colleges, which are as follows
, it is very apparent that it would not
be before the Goth Of September.
Yale College opened 1914, Oct. /;
1915, Sept. 80. VIII open 1916. Sept
%: will open 1917. Sept. 81.
commencement Day occurs the
next to the last Wednesday in June
and the first term opens upon Thurs
day, SO weeks before the date Of the
following commencement.
You will readily see by this quota
ton that Yale University has a year
period of SO weeks, inclusive of the
? several vacations.
"Middlebury College Of ATiddlebury
VT. opens the third Thursday of Sep
TENDER, or from the 14th to the goth.
"Bowdoin College Brunswick, Me.
opens Sept. ed. In quoting from
President Hyde's letter, he states:
".Our long vacation is mainly In
order to enable student to earn money
!, in summer position
president Ira l.. Reeves of Nor
wich University makes the following
statment:
"'Your letter of Dec. Is in regard to
l longer periods of vacation has been
t received. My own personal opinion is
, that the school year is entirely toe
long for the grades. l am thorough
believer in surrounding school chill
dren with every facility for develop
ing them physically and also with ar
environment which in itself will have
q, most excellent effect on their future
j., good morals and am therefore in en-
tire sympathy with your movement.
WILLIAMS College Of Williamstown
Mass, opened Sept. Fl. Reglstratlor
, day at Tufts in September 1916 comes
! on the 21st of the month. The Uni
, versity Of Maine usually opens about
: the 18th of September. Brown uni
versity of Providence. r. l., never
opens until the 22d Of September ir
, any year, as it always opens on the
fourth Wednesday of September.
"Westbrook Seminary opens for the
fall semester Of work on September
18th, that is the second TUESDAY II
: September. This, l note, is one weeF
: earlier than the date of opening the
city Of Portland schools. We nave
; two weeks of vacation at Christmas
one week at Easter. and two days ex'
ira at Thanksgiving. Our chartel
provides for the graduation exercises
to be held the second Tuesday II
June: hence we have to begin as early
as the second week in September, II
order to get in our 81 weeks OF schoo
. work for the year. In general woule
be in sympathy with the movement te
+ have all educational institutions put
: their date of graduation ahead up te
8 the last week in June, in ORDER 10 opeI
A the fall term nearer the last week II
) September. This is the schem'
r adopted by certain schools IN Massa'