Daily Kennebec journal., 1923-02-09

Endorsement of the law under which
the schools of Augusta are now man
aged was given at a meeting OF cltl-
ZcnS held last night at the common
council rooms which was called for
discussion of the so-callcd Augusta
school bill which was introduced at
this session of the Legislature and
which would materially change the Sc
lection of the members of the board
and put the finances in the hands Of
the city government. The citizens
present did vote to have new bill
drawn, making 1T compulsory Tor the
hoard OF education to refer their bud
get to the mayor and the city govern
mcnt and setting a day when the school
committee, the mayor and a commit
tee from the city government would
confer regarding the budget and then
would go before the city school meet
ing and il an agreement had not been
reached. both sides would present their
arguments. The final decision would
rest, a $ now. with the people. 1t was
also voted to include in this draft a
change III the fiscal year and the annual
meeting of tie board of education. both
to be set ahead one month.
All the speakers opposed the pro-
posed bill, or the Manlcy bill as 1t has
been called, in it's general principles.
and all favored some method by which
the city government could inspect the
school budget before ii was presented
to the people SO that the school cX-
pcnditures and the expenditures for the
other city departments could be viewed
by them. About so people attended the
meeting. which was called TO order by
Mayor Ernest l. Mclean, who in his
opening read the Manlcy bill.
Martin Favored Conference
Eurlcigh Martin, n former mayor
of the city and a member of the IegiS-
laturc. stated that he had presented the
bill to the Legislature at the request
of Samuel G. Manley. hut that he did
not support the proposed changes. He
favored the election of the members
Of the school board by the people as at
present. and thought that some ar
rangement could be made 50 that the
fiscal year of the school board would
coincide with the fiscal year of the city
government. Cooperation between the
school board and the city government
would he a means of doing away with
the complaints that follow every school
meeting that too much money is being
sueut aud too littlh is known about
WnQt 1t is spent loT. ne SuSStSttu
that a committee from the city govern
ment could go over the figures with
the school board and then have the
matter go to the people, declaring that
the Judgment of the people will he
right if they had both sides of the
question before them.
Mayor Mclean then read letter
from Frank A. Southard who was i'll
and unable to be present. in which he
declared that If the meeting for maxi
ing the appropriation could be held
month earlier It would help the city
government greatly in making up it's
own appropriations. lie also thought
the accounts of the school board should
he audited and that the action Of the
citizens meeting on appropriations
should be final but should be referred
to the city government so that the
appropriation could be pared TO agree
with other city expenditures.
No change in the method Of selecting
the members of the board was the
opinion expressed by Lewis \. Bur-
leigh in a letter to the mayor. lie
thought that the mayor aud tho finance
committee could act with tho board In
a preliminary conference to discuss the
budget. The matter should then be re-
fcrred to the town meeting. whose vote
should be considered advisory but not