Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-14

$4,000 under the present estimate.
Now the town of Porter is willing
to do everything that it can do. 1t Is
willing to provide a lot. 1t is will
ing to appropriate $4,000. And If i,
didn't cost US anything for the lot
if we could get the citizens to give
the lot, that would only leave $200t
under our constitutional limit for the
town to COME and go on for emer'
gencies that might arise The towr
is willing to give every dollar that il
can give. but it does not wish tc
lose. and for the scholars to lose, fol
the boys and girls for the next ten
twenty. thirty or forty years to lose
the benefit Of the income Of this $50.
600 fund.
And they feel, and we feel. that i,
is the duty Of the State OF Maine to
step in. in an emergency like this
and help so that the town may pro-
vide suitable place for its high
school scholars. and that they may &C.
cept the provisions of these wills and
carry them out IN the spirit in which
the money was left by the donors
It is wisely provided in our consti-
tuition that the state of Maine shall
from time to time. as il finances will
permit. assist colleges. seminaries and
academies. AT the time this consti.
tuition was written a free high school
was unknown. The free high school
has taken TIE place in a great many
instances OF the academies and sem
inaries. In fact, fellow senator's.
believe that the free high schools
have sprung up in those places where
the needs are. They have sprung UP
in those places where the scholars
are. and where they need money Il
give them better education than
they could get in the common schools
of cur State. And fellow senator's
this question is a question that does
rot affect men personally. but il is g
question that affects the boys AMI
girls in the community around whe...
l live. in the southern part OF Oxenrj
and the northern part Of York, .al
th-s: boys and girls are the boys 1rd
girls of the State of Maine. ard
earnestly hope. fellow senators, tia
you Will consider this matter wei
and that you will substitute 1.-THE re.
solve for the report, with the under.
standing that an amendment De IL,
,roducei at the proper stage.
(Senator Davies in tie ChairD
Mr.. WALKER of Somerset: Mr..
President. l admire the zeal Of the
senator from Oxford Senator Stan
ley. for the pea which he has made
Tor a high school buildign at his
.lCMe town. and l assure him that tia
committee on education would have
been very glad to have helped
along the project if il had not been
departing from the custom of his
and all past Legislatures in relation
to appropriating money for build
ing purposes in high schools.
Our hearing was we'll attended BY
the friends of the project. They pu,
up strong plea to US. asked them
at that time if they could not ge,
along with less than $4,000. and they
thought they could no, because Fne
plans that had been submitted would
require an expenditure Of sao00o
! also asked them. inasmuch as l,ln
town Of Parsonsfield would be bel
Gifted by the erection Of the school
building. the village Of kezar Fails
being located in Parsonsfe;d. would
be benefited under the will Of those
generous men who left that money 10
the cause Of education in that town
and they thought il would be impos-
sible to raise the money BY the town
Of par>oES6e!d as municipality.
further asked il it would not he
possible TO raise the money by sub
s,cr.gtion in some way. 4 substantial
amount. and they thought that !,
would be Impossible 10 raise q sub
stantial amount by the citizens for
the erection Of that school building.
/ remember that it w, suggested
by some member Of the committee on
education at that hearing that pro-
videG tire figures were reversed. that
Porter raise SIS, 900. if the State would
raise sJ00o on condition that Porter
raised in some way. either by con-
tribution or by direct vote or APP
preparation by the town. $4,000. and
they thought it would be impossible
TO dc that.
/ also remembr that there We're
several gentlemen who stated at that
hearing that if we granted this re-
quest their towns which were much
worse off than the town Of Porter
would come in at the next session Of
the Legislature and ask that the
State appropriate money for TIE
building of high schools in their
towns. Therefore the committee IN
ducation felt that it would he a rath-
er dangerous experiment for US 20
embark upon the appropriation OF
money for building high schools.
Therefore, although we would have
been delighted to have reported on
the reso,"e. if it had seemed wise
for the schools as a whole Ct :hc
State cf Maine. yet under all the cir
cumstances we felt the only way was
to report that the bill ought not to
pass.
The CHAIRMAE: The pending
WnMcN nc