Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-16

Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. This
was the first of series of several
similar meetings to be held during the
winter and IL the attendance and in
terest Sunday afternoon is any ind;ca-
ton Of the popularity of the meetings
in the future. the Chamber of Com
merce has rendered a service to rho
public of which they may we'll be
proud. Music was furnished by .he
city Opera House orchestra, Walter I.
Hood leader.
The speaker Of the afternoon was
scheduled to be Hon. William r. Pat
tangall, who was to speak on the d-
rect primaries, but Saturday evening ne
was called to New York on very IN
portant legal business and arranged
with DIR. Augustus o. Thomas. State
superintendent of schools. who was al
leady scheduled to speak in a few
weeks. to exchange dates, and SO it was
DR.. Thomas who gave the talk Sunday
Although talking on what he styled
as dry subject. DR.. Thomas held the
close attention of his audience as lie
gave facts and figures to show the
standing of the State of Maine in ed
ucational and agricultural lines, as he
called attention to the things that had
transpired in the last five years since
his coming to the State and to what
should be done in the future.
Leon 0. Tcbbetts. president Of the
Chamber of Commerce. presided at
The meeting and extended cordia;
welcome to the audience. He explained
about the meetings to be held in the
future, announcing some of the speak
ers to be Thomas Mott Osborne, Car
roll l.. Beedy and Commandments
Chief MacNider of the American L.
gion. The next forum meeting will
be held on January 90. the speaker to
be Judge Benjamin j.. C1eavAs, who
will have for his subject Seine Of
Names Industrial Problems and Some
Possible Solution
Mr.. Tcbbctts then told the audience
of changing speakers for the after
noon and introduced DR.. Thomas, who
was most cordially received.
DR.. Thomas spoke on what Re said
he knew the most about, 'Educa ton"
and said that he wanted to take it in
Iers with statistics. He declared that
he was booster for the State II Maine
and that she has great opportunities
and wonderful possibilities.
He referred to her extensive coast
line, which is great asset, to the for
ests where is to be found her great
wealth. He said that II reasonable
, amount of timber were to be cut each
year, the supply would last almost H.
definitely. and that even to the fourth
generation there would be as much AS
there is now. He spoke of the wonder
full water power in the State, saying
that there is 100000 primary horse
power at the present time. but if the
forests were dcnuded this would be
greatly lcssened by the drying up of
streams and other sources OF water
that helps to make up the great total.
The agricultural possibilities, the
speaker said. are also great. He es-
pecially referred to the potato. wheat
and apple crops, and said if conditions
in Maine were made favorable there
were great possibilities along agricu-
tural lines. Maine has IS schools
where agriculture is taught and direct
" from the students of these schools
there comes into the State SS1.706
earned by them through the knowledge
gained in the courses.
The climate of Maine, DR.. Thomas
said, is the best of any in the Union,
and if the Californians, who are the
greatest boosters IN the world. could
have the kennebec valley they would
never cease TO boast of it's wonders.
But best of all. Maine has a resource
which transcends her coast line. her
agriculture. her forests, her water
power and her summer resorts, and
that is the 23O,0o0 boys and girls who
are here to be educated in the State.
Or. Thomas then went on to tell the
increase in the number of pupils ard
the expenditures for education in the
state during the past five years. In
Waterville five years ago there were
5000 pupils. and there are now 1000,
but because of the lack of facilities
the city is losing &c per cent. of the
worth of the money invested in the
schools because of the loss to their
tHlIuI'Is IiNC dSo thC 'ApNiui-
turc for schools in Watervi.le was
$4,000 and in 1921 it was 100000. In
Maine five years ago there was invested
in schools s9,5OO,oO0 and now there is
s15.oO0,OO0.
Also that there is 100000 worth of
school construction under way.
DR.. Thomas said that when he
fva
ago his friends told him that Maine
people were moss backs and that he
would he back inside of year. In
stead of that, he said he found the
people of Maine the most sanely pro-
gressive of any state in the Union
and that he believes that Maine today
heads the states on the finished pro-
duct of education or the number of
young people who graduated from
high schools this year. He told of the
increase in the wages of teachers
during the last five years. He called
illiteracy one of Waterville's prob
lens and said that although it had
decreased eight-tenths per cent in 10
years thereare still 7S6 people in
Wateryille who sign their names with
a cross.
The speaker said that education is
n greater factor than ever before in
citizenship. That a high school edu-
cation enhances a persons efficiency
500 to 1 and a college education, 600
to I. And that only 10 per cent of the
people have the education to enable
them TO carry on the business of life
properly.