Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-23
BIENNIAL SCRAP
CONTINUED from Page One)

D1lIl 1 IL AL AIOASA
Continued from Page One)
his home there were 20 fine homes
closed up, but that in the cities of
Maine, it was difficult to get a rent.
This showed the trend of events.
1t was all fine to talk about helping
the country towns, platitudes sound
ed good, but the thing needed was
action.
The rich man is not taxed to help the
poor man, but his property is taxed
to make possible better conditions in
that section of his city where prop
erty is not so valuable; his property
is taxed to help the entire city, said
Mr.. Thompson. The pending bill, he
said, was a reasonable compromise
between the law as it is today and the
bills which have heretofore been pre-
scented to the Legislature.
Mr.. Thompson said the cities were
beginning to think that way, too, and
that the Chamber of Commerce of
Bangor has endorsed a change.
James B. Mountain-You say, Mr..
of Commerce has endorsed this bill;
what is your authority for that state
ment?
Mr.. Thompson did not intend to
state that. A member of the cham
Der at a Grange said the organization
favored a change in the distribution.
Mr.. Mountain-Did you not know
that the Chamber has, within a week,
adopted a resolution condemning this
bill?
Mr.. Thompson did cot.
State Superintendent of Schools
Thomas discussed the bill at consid-
cradle length. In opening, he said
that he could go into any city which
was adversely affected by this bill
and ask for twice as much rs this
would take from it for the starving
children of the Near East and it
would all be subscribed within a
week. The children here at home in
the country districts of Maine were,
he felt, deserving of some .considera-
ton and this bill was for their bene-
fit.
The bill made some radical depar-
then went into a detailed statement
of what. the measure would do and
how the money would be distributed
under it. The provision which allowed
800 per year for each teacher includ-
ed instructors in music and all con-
nected with the teaching organization
even to school nurses. There are in
Maine, he said, over 1000 single
teacher schools.
Under the provision whereby third
of the appropriations would be dis
tributed upon valuation would bene-
fit the cities and larger towns and viii
lagos. Il would not" declared he,
take from q city or town a dollar if
1 did not think it would help them
many fold in the end
Rep. Varney-Are there any cities
ana towns in Maine which are not re-
quired to raise money for schools?
Supt. Thomas-Biddeford and Lew
iston do not.
Rep. Varney-Do they have unex-
pended school balances each year?
Supt. Thomas-Yes, sir.
Rep. Varney-Can you give the fig
ures?
Supt. Thomas-In 1928, Biddeford
received $36,557 from the State and
expended s32,679, leaving a balance of
s45,765; in 1913, she had a balance of
$3.50; in 1914-15, a balance of sS,573;
in 1861 balance of s62SS, in 1917
IS a balance of s9,9S2; in 1852, a
balance of s14,449 and in 1890 a bal
ance of s14,652. In none of these years
was he obliged to raise money for
school purposes.
Rep. Varney-What about the city
of Lewiston?
Supt. Thomas-In 1928, Lewiston
raised $4,000 and received $59,S71 and
expended s45, 222, leaving a balance of
s2oSs1. That city's balance each year
since that time had been: $14,156,
1883, s12,655, s25,60O, s39,261; s31, SsS
and s14,239. In 1914 she raised ST.
900 and in 1914-15 the sum of $5,00O in
1856 the sum of $50, while in 1916
II the amount appropriated was 500,
and in 1917-1S it reached $4,000, since
which no appropriation has been
made.
Former State Auditor Callahan of
Lewiston inquired of DR.. Thomas
how much Of the money raised for
school purposes went through his Of
flee and the State superintendent re-
piled that there was about 100000
raised in the State for school pur-
poses, but the money which went
through his department was the
equalization fund. about 1865, 900, dis
tributed as the school mill tax fund
and about the same for the common
school fund. Replying to further
questions by Mr.. Callahan he said
that it would require some time to Sc
gregate the amounts which went to
small towns, rural towns from those
which went to what would be called
large towns.
w. Q. Perham and sevral others, in
Guiding Rep. Weeks of Fairfield
spoke in endorsement of the BILL
The Opposition
James B. Mountain, legislative rep
resentative of the city of Bangor.
opened the case for the opposition.
He said the bill was the most COM
plicated and complexed which had
eyer been introduced in the Legisla-
ture of Maine. He had been unable
to find anyone wins understood it. It
had been claimed that the bill was