Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-02
DAILY KENNEBEc JOURNAL, SATURDAY. APRIL 2, 1921.

dition generally and Anticipated. As
far as the funds would permit. have
inaugurated changes. The new books
have been put into those schools that
were most in need. No teacher can
produce results in the school room
without modern texts any more than
the farmer without modern tools.
The schoolhouses and toilets are in
a most unsatisfactory condition. The
grammar school building Is the best
of any in town None of the others
are suitable for school purposes in
their present state of repair In
view of all that has passed here this
winter in regard to these matters.
notice these observations of their
own school superintendent: Again,
rcsuming at the top of page 2S:
None of the others are suitable
for school purposes in their present
state of repair The toilets are in
worse condition than the school
rooms. I havo not entered any one
of them that is in fit condition for
use. The complaint comes to me that
in some instances where an effort
has been made by the school to keep
them clean. nuisances have been COM
nitted when teacher and pupils were
not there. The only cure is suit
able building connected with the
school house SO that there is no en-
trance from the outside. To spend
few dollars each year patching these
buildings or the schoolhouses is
money wasted. The economical thing
Il o., Iaxr
repair and building program over a
series of years." a little further on:
The surest way for the town to-
continue to lose population is to al
low it's schools and equipment to fall
behind the times. The best business
investment which it can make is in
modern school plants, structures to
which the pupils and the townspeo-
pie can point with pride and around
which can be built a school spirit
and q town spirit that will make
peorl9 do things for the public good.
L cannot make specific recommends
tons in this report because it would
be too long"
And so it goes on. / will not take
the time of the Senate, which / know
is very precious at this time, to read
more. My only excuse for talking at
all is that we might have talked this
matter over two or three weeks ago
just as well as We can now, and L
beg of the Senate to be indulGent
with me for that reason, and | ap-
D 4al for that reason to it's spirit of
fairness.
relative 9
bills. Among the resources of the
town are uncollected taxes and tax
deeds as though there We're a double
resource there. l have taken pains
to find this out that among the I'M
collected taxes are the tax deeds, so
that which. appears to be double re-
source is only one resource in fact.
And their total liabilities after de-
Quoting their resoul ceS they figure at
S911, so that when you count the
double resource that is in the re-
sources of uncollected taxes and tax
deeds, your surplus disappears.
Now they have in here something
that is due from the high school on
account of the high school fund, due
from the State $1,000. Five hundred
uD4IdiS OI lltdl Has DGSH WlpGu out
~ .he resolution about which | spoke
Only a few moments ago. Now for
the year ending July /. 1920 is an
other 5000, and under the suggestion
Of the State superintendent | see no
method given under heaven or among
men whereby they can get this $500.
which was due year ago. until the
next meeting Of the Legislature. Now
/ submit to you, gentlemen of the
municipal government from which
any reasonable man might justly seek
to be divorced. | submit to you tina t
it is.
There is something else that | re-
call here as l have this report.
one Of the men who appeared be-.
fore the committee, and l heard him
1estify-although | cannot say hon
1stly that | heard everything he said,
but he admitted at the hearing before
the committee that there was a differ
ercc in the amount expended for
schools as published in the report and
the amount of money spent for
schools as shown by the figures of
the town officers themselves Now
that man here is against division Do |