Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-23

the various schools for building better
ments.
Discussing the past years work he
said that Maine lost an aggregate %
5000 weeks schooling az result of
the influenza. The average length Of
teaching life in Maine was three years.
so that a third Of the staff of Maine
schools must be replaced each year.
DR.. Thomas continued at the at
ternoon session of the Budget hear
ing, which was transferred to the
Council chamber owing to the Sena-
torial election case hearing in the
Senate chamber.
DR.. Thomas said that travel ex-
penses had so increased that $500
was necessary for the superinten-
dents expenses and $500 for the dep
uty, the latter having taken over
part of the field work. Printing ard
binding would ask $4,000 and postage.
stationery and office supplies s4o10.
The income would be 10000, corr
ing s351,O0) from the savings bank
tax. s523. 900 from the trust and bank
ing company tax, $261 900 from total
Ddllh ldA, SsJsAoc IL oIIl SitO 'ASSlCol VII
permanent school fund and $4,000
from the mill tax.
Deducted from this will be VIE
cost of teachers meetings. 5000:
schol unions, s145.COo; Normal schools,
$3.50 industrial education, so, 900.
equalization fund. $4,000: schooling
of children. $4,000; State certificates.
$1,000; teachers pensions. $4,000; reg
istration of teachers, $500; summer
schools, $4,000. and special training Of
rural teachers, $4,000, a total .of
s4S4.500.
DR. Thomas stated that the $4,000
for teachers meetings was contin-
gent on legislation. 1t was in the line
vice for all teachers and very neces-
sary.
The school union system had work
ed out very satisfactorily. Difficult
les had been encountered, such as
dividing old unions, taking some ST.
perintendents from their positions,
taking into account the business, So
cial and transportation needs, etc.
All had been overcome so successful
ly that the plan was now popular and
giving satisfaction.
The State has 142 heads of school
unions, who received from the STATE
$500 net. and with provision for two
more, would call for $4,000. The
average salary OF a superintendent is
sl5s0.95 net: average cost Of admin
istration 1862 Sc; average net salary
Of superintendent, s121S3 So To equal
irn ho o,.,@
Of $29.S00 is asked.
Some superintendent travel 400
miles in making the rounds Of
schools. The minimum is "a miles
The minimum salary is $1,000 and his
administration cost $780, leaving TIE
superintendent a net salary Of 500.
The equalization fund will be used
in the more sparsely settled sections;
when union is compact and the
schools easily accessible, the funds
will not be used in that union. The
cost of travel this year will reduce
the salaries by s47.S0O.
DIR. Thomas then took up the sub
ject of industrial education showing
what Maine had been able to accom-
plish ir. this line. A large number Of
young men had been educated for the
army in various trades in which
they had been able to take places as
signed to them after enlistment. The
night schools and the various trade
schools have all proved their worth
The amount Of the appropriation for
1918 was $4,000 and the deficit,
s5565.12. This year an appropriation
Of $4,000 is asked for. The re-im-
bursement, two-thirds cost of IN
struction. to the towns, and the cost
Of administration, amounted last yea.
to $7O.565.12
In manual training the figures were
as follows: So elementary school
with 1868 pupils. is secondary schools
with 989 pupils; home economics, 90
elementary schools with 1853 pupils;
81 secondary schools with las pu-
pills; agriculture, nine schools with
212 pupils; and evening schools num-
bering 10 with 2163 pupils. A proper
division of this money would be one
third each to town, State and nation.
Home economics was taught to the
teachers at Gorham: manual train
ing at Pennington and agriculture a t
the University Of Maine. The needs
purely for administra ton of the fed
eral aid in vocational training in
Maine in the next two years are
$4,000 in 1919 and $4,000 in 1920.
DIR. Thomas described at length q
novel idea of teaching agriculture in
towns away from the railroads by
means of Il travelling school which
would use the unit system and teach
r., & ct.
in each town. 1t was desired to start
two schools out this year. Each school
would cover six or seven towns in Il
| year. This idea was a new one and
its progress would be watched by
educators throughout the country
with interest. continued Dr. Thomas
After giving some interesting fig
ureS about the status Of Maine as
an agricultural State. DR.. Thomass
explained the equalization funA
which calls for an appropriation Of
$4,000. This fund is used to even
the school expenditures throughout
the State and give to each town as
near as possible an equal number of
weeks of school and also to repair
school houses. improve hygienic con
ditions and aid in carrying out "a
definite program of improvement.
DR.. Thomas asked $50. 900 for school
Ing of children in unorganiZed town
ships. against So 900 last year. Of
which $500 was not spent It is
planned to extend the work to islands
IF the sea and lighthouses, in which
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