Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-03-09
VAIL SCHOOL STATE
MANAGEMENT SCORED
Hearing on Continuation of the
School Brings Out States
Poor Methods

Whether or not the state of Yer
mont should continue to operate the
Vail Agricultural school at Lyndon
was the question before the House
committee on educational instruction
in Representatives hall Friday even
ing. o. d. Mathewson, principal OF
Lyndon institute, and w. N. Hubbard
manager of the farms at the Vail
schools, gave facts regarding the
present condition of the school, ex-
pressing the sentiment that the state
should either appropriate enough to
put the school on the basis that Mr.
Vail intended and maintain it there
or else surrender it and allow it to
be taken over by the institute in as
good condition as passible. He thought
it would take from $35, 900 to $4,000
a year to carry on the school as Mr.
Vail had prescribed.
Mr.. Mathewson protested against
the way in which the Vail school had
been carried on by state and said:
eff an individual or corporation
had handled this property as the state
has handled it, we should have brought
suit aginst them"
institute would make claim on the
state for the depreciation on the Vail
school, which Mr.. Hubbard estimated
at about $4,000 since the state took
it over in 1915, in case the present
the school now, Mr.. Mathewson would
not say what would be the attitude of
the institute. He said that he thought
the state was normally responsible
for turning over the school in as good
condition as they had taken it, but
there might be a question about the
law on the matter.
After Mr.. Cushman of Rochestr
and Fred A. Rowland of the state
board of education had continued the
questioning along this line, Mr.
Mathewson said that personally he
would be willing to have the estate
turn it over as it is and have the
matter cleaned up, but he would not
speak for the trustees.
After it had been intimated that the
state board of education was response
BILE for the way the school had been
carried on, A. w. Hewitt of Plain
field. member of the state board,
defended the boards supervision of
the school. He said that the school
was not turned over to the board I'M
til 1917, two years after it was taken
over by the state, and that the equip
ment was then found in anything but
good shape.
With the appropriation of only $32,
500 from the state annually and the
rapid rise in everything, Mr.. Hewitt
said that it was not to be wondered
at that the equipment at the Vail
school had deprecated $4,000 in the
last four years.
O. L. Martin of Plainfeld, master
of the state grange and chairman of
the committee of the legislature of
1915, which investigated the matter
of accepting the gift 70 the Vail school
for the state, read a long letter from
Mr.. Vail, received at that time, which
set forth Mr.. Wallis plans for the
school, if taken over by the state. Mr.
Martin also read the report of the
committee recommending the school
be accepted. He said that the ques-
ton to be decided by this legislature
is whether or not the state needs two
agricultural schools and if she does
enough money should be appropriated
TO- operate them properly, or they
would be in the same condition that
the normal schools are in now.
j. Rolfe Searles of st. Johnsbury
spoke in favor of retaining the Val
school, as did Mr.. Simpson, represen
tative from Sheffield, who now has &
bill in the legislature for this pur
pose.
Mr.. Cushman of Rochester declared
that it was mistake for the state
to have taken over the Vail schoo
and since the meager support glve1
by the state had allowed the schoO
to deteriorate, it should now be give1
up before it becomes a greater bur
den, and the money spent in some
better cause.
Mr.. Blood of West Windsor tool
exceptions to this statement and asket
Mr.. Cushman what could be done will
an agriculture school when it hat
been so poorly managed as the Val
school has been.
If the gentleman wants me to ans
wer that question, I will try to d.
so, said Mr.. Cushman. 81 woult
turn it into a rendering plant to TAX
care of condemned tuberculosis cattle.
(Laughter.)
Mr.. Blood maintained that the stat
board of education was really res
ponsible for the present condition O
| the school because practical farmer
had not been placed in the manage
ment there. He thought that wit
proper management the school coul
be made to pay.