Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-08-17

| years; this increase being generally in
tile cities of the State. Notwithstand-
+, ing this the actual taxes levied against
the real and personal property within
| the State based on "a months period
were less during the last two years
! than during the two years before the
| war.
Actual tax leyies 1921.
! 1922. 1923. for 80
| months % mills. s6,059,525.2
! Less pro rata for six
! months to make "a
| months period 1,e11, 905 o4
! Actual direct tax "a
mhnths' period Baxter
| administration, 4si7,e20.o0
| Actual direct tax "a
| months period 1915
| 16 administration, =. lSs4STs4
| Saving in direct tax for
| corresponding period, 137e5S.29
Roads
| The Governor referred briefly to the
! road question and stated that he rea =
! ICED it was one of the great questions
! before the people of the State. He
! said at the outset he felt that Maine
need not apologize for its roads, be-
! cause considering our resources and
! population we have made unusual pro-
| gress in our road construction and
! maintenance. A great system Of State
| highways have been laid out with
| State Aid roads S branches. leading
. into all sections Of the State. When
-, one considers that Names roads are
| more than % 900 miles long and if laid
| out in one line would more than go
! around the entire earth, it can be real
! lied what problem there is before a
| state Of approximately three-quarters
! of a million people and with a valua-
ton considerably less -han one-half
! that of the city of Boston.
| The Maine road program has grown
| during the past six years for where
| S6D1 900 was spent in 1916, s2S70, 900
was spent in 1922; an increase of
! 376re. Governor Baxter said that it
was not surprising that everybody
! takes an interest in roads and he was
| glad that they did. He further stated
! that he doubted if anyone would want
to go back to the roads of Maine 10
years ago even if by doing so the State
could get back all the money that had
| been spent upon them. That was the
! real test
! AS to maintenance. in which Cover
| nor Baxter expressed a particular in
| terest, he said that in 1914. 6SS miles
| We're maintained and that in the pa st
! year 1906 miles We're under constant
maintenance with ASP patromen. The
! Governor stated that the citizens of
30 at
, tunitv to vote upon how their High
way Department was to be conducted
and he hoped that every citizen would
| take an interest and look into the aues-
lion Of getting at the facts free from
prejudice or personalities.
The Governor said that the High
| way Commissioners had worked UNI
| selfshly for the good of the state that
! no suspicious of dishonesty or politi-
:, cal favOritism had ever been raised
| against them, end that regardless of
! the vote in September the Commission
! deserved the thanks of the people for
what it had accomplished This is a
question for the people themselves to
| decide.
! Schools
! In discussing the school question
| the Governor said that ar the outset
! he determined to obtain first hand in
! formation about the schools of Maine,
and with that purpose in mind he has
( visited hundreds Of schools through
out the State and had come in contact
with the school authorities. the teach
crs and the scholars. Marked progress
! r
school life during the past six years.
! As an example the Governor said that
i in 1916 the school buildings through
out the State were not in Satisfac-
tory condition and had a very low rat
. ing. Their Va Tue AT that time was APP
pr0Ximatciy ~ million dollars. where
as q the end If the present year, tho
: school buildings in Maine will have a
! value of at least $4,000. 600, and that
! all new buildings hereafter must he
/ constructed under certain uniform spc-
cifications. IN 1916 the State spent on
It's schools s2019, 600, whereas in 1872
it spent s2so5,ooo, an increase of
1854 coz
| Marked advancement has been made
in teachers salaries and this class of
public employee has received a we'll
earned increase. The future of the
state is largely in the hands of the
teachers especially those in the ele-
mentary and rural schools. In 1871
the average salary paid TO these teach
crs was 1868 per year while in 1927 IT
was sos or an increase of more than
500. The average salary paid to high
school teachers in 1914 was $40, while
IN 1921 it had increased to $1343. al
increase of more than 500. 1t is in
,tercsting to note that the high schools
Of the State now have $500 more schol-
ars than they had SIX years ego and
that Maine leads all the states IN The
number of high school graduates per
1000 of the population.
The Governor referred TO the health
. Norl. now being done in the schools
ond toid Of the school physicians and
physical directors who aye doing so
much to bring up the average health
f the scho.. children Of the S:2'a.
All the children are examined and
9ra taught hygiene and simple rules
. If health. The Governor spoke espe
eaIly Of the rural schools and told
ioW one hundred teachers were being
especially: trained each year by the
state in this work which vas begun
n 1919 with an appropriation n.
$40, 600 Today every child in t"
! State is entitled to and has an t.,
portunity to receive the fundament,
! of an education.