Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-02


local officials. for you can't expect a
lawyer or farmer or doctor whose
schools are side line to give them the
same attention as does professional
superintendent, whose schools are his
first thought. and who is in touch with
other superintendent and the education
al system and development generally.
Their business is to attend first to
school matters" said Mr. Allan, land
consequently their work gives better re-
suits"
But under the voluntary system
which has been in existence some of
the unions are not formed to the best
advantage. or most economically, and
there are towns which are DESTROYS of
entering unions which can't get in. OF
the 107 towns which voted last year
to go into school unions only Sc were
able to do so. Mr.. Allan exhibited a
map showing the school unions, the
towns which have voted to go into
such unions and can't either get into
those already Sorganized or organize,
new ones, and those which are entire
ly outside of unions. 1t would be
benefit to the educational system of
the State, he said, as no one question
ed the advantages of expert superin-
tendence, to have the State superin-
tendent able to arrange unions so that
all the towns might be included to the
best advantage.
There is no question in my mind
but what. from an economic and an
educational standpoint expert super
vision is a good thing" said Speaker
William l.. Bonney of Bowdoinham,
who is an educator as well as legis-
lator. when the proper time comes
there will need to be a reorganization
of the union districts of the State I'M
der central authority, and to my
mind the time has come when it can
be done with very little friction"
District supervision has been gen.
orally success" said Rep. Ernest F.
Clason of Lisbon, who is also partic-
ularly interested in education. But
under the present system many towns
that want to get into districts can't
do So" He believed hat the large per-
centage of towns which had voted to
go into unions but were unable to do
so warranted the adoption of the pro-
posed system of arrangement by the
State superintendent.
Senator Arthur J. Chick of Kennebec
favored the bill, saying that his home
town of Monmouth had voted to have
expert superintendent but was unable
to either enter a union or organize a
new union, and he was in sympathy
with anything that would enable them
to do so. This was not a personal mat
ter, he explained, as under the present
arrangement he is superintendent of
the Monmouth schools.
Supt. Charles n. Perkins of Water
vile, one of the cities which would be
compelled to go into a union by the
amendments of the bill, stated that the
officials of his city were willing to look
at it in a broad way for the welfare
of the State, and to take on another
town. A question having been raised
as to friction being caused by COM
pulsory formation of unions, Mr.. Per-
kins said, Il was in Massachusetts
when the compulsory school union bill
was passed and there was very little
friction.
Rep. Frank o. Purington of Mechan-
ic Falls spoke for the bill. saying it
was in the line of progress and is sure
to come. He related the condition in
his town and two adjoining towns
where an attempt to form a school
union for the benefit of the schools
has been blocked by the efforts of one
man.
Rep. Clarence w. Dutton of Bing-
ham spoke for the principle of the bill,
representing n town that had been in
q union, had withdrawn and was now
DESTROYS of going back into union
but found it impossible to do so under
the present voluntary system.
Rep. George H. Babb of Sebago said
there were four towns in his district
that were generally DESTROYS of form
ing a union, and he spoke for the pass
age of this bill to facilitate the extern
sion of the expert superintendent of
schools.
J. w. Taylor. agent for secondary
school education; A. w. Gordon agent
for education In the unorganized town
ships, and Rept. Robert J. Andrews Of
Warren all spoke in favor of the bill
Florence Hale, agent for rural school
education. made ringing speech in favor
of the bill, telling from her own observa-
ton of instances where one man was able
to block the formation Of unions. and
the conditions existing outside unions
Wnlcn would De remed1ed by the employ
ment of expert superintendent. A great
many superintendent have expressed
the hope, she said, that this bill will
pass.
s. l.. Merriman, principal Of Aroostook
State Normal school, and Rep. Joseph c.
Hartman of Stonington both spoke in IA
vor Of the passage of the bill.
Rep. Allen of the committee asked Mr.
Allan if there was union of superinten-
dents behind this bill. Mr.. Allan in re-
ply said the bill was largely the work of
former State Superintendent Payson
Smith. and pointed out that there were
none of the superintendent. with the ex-
ception of Mr.. Perkins, present to favor
the bill.
State Superintendent Of Schools Glen
w. Starkey declared that much Of the
progress Of the school system in the last
10 years has been the result, directly or
indirectly. to the system of professional
superintendent. But the unions had
grown, like Topsy, he said. and he felt
that the time had come when. in the in
terests of efficiency, there should be re-
organization. There might be some fric-
ton, he said, as there has been friction
over school observation-disclosures rndar tY,;,