Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-03-20

| an. e1lulllenl.
Mr., GAGNE of Lewiston: Mr.
Speaker, want this bill and amend
ment tabled and especially assigned
for Tuesday next.
A viva vocs vote being taken, the
motion to table failed of passage.
Mr.. WING of Auburn: Mr.
Speaker, will you give me the mum,
Der of the document?
The SPEAKER: 1t is House
! Document Alb, an act to require the
teaching of American History anc
Civil Government in the public ano
private schools. This is the same
matter that was introduced in an ole
draft in House Document No. Sc
Document 413. The pending ques-
tion is on the adoption of the
amendment.
Mr.. EUSTIS of Strong: Mr.
Speaker, | would like to explain
briefly why l asked for this amend
ment. \ knowledge of American
History and its background is es-
sential and should be required. The
constitution of the State of Maine
is based on the constitution of oui
national government. My short eX-
perience in the schools and the col
| legeS Of our State has led me to be-
iAS'S tHtth oI ASeot oCNSiANS iiNS = PSA
cent of our students have nc
knowledge Of the actual govern
ment of their own State. They know
nothing of the functioning of this
Legislature. They know nothing OF
how heir laws are made. This
amendment In a small way will tend
to do away with this difficulty and
TO teach the students of the State OF
Maine something about their own
| State. ] hope the amendment will
be adopted.
any doubt in the minds of the MEM
bers the Chair will read the amend
ment again. amendment read).
Mr.. PIERCE of Sanford: Mr.
| Speaker, after a hearing on this bill
the committee on Education report
ed it in new draft without the words
Constitution of the State of Maine"
The committee felt that this was un-
necessary. that the Constitution OF
| the United states was enough and
, that the extra expense of text books
and teaching the constitution OF
| Maine at the present time was not
necessary. think the majority OF
, the committee feel that this amend
ment is not necessary.
! Mr.. EUSTIS of Strong: Mr.
| Speaker, l am member of the com
mittce on Education and some mem
| bers. certainly, are in favor of this
amendment. AS to the matter OF
expense, | do not think that we are
going to put into the course in Civic
Government which is now taught in
our schools, anything that will re-
Quire a great deal of additional ex-
pense in procuring copies of the
constitution of the State of Maine
| / ln fn Int+
were only going to teach one, tC
teach the constitution of our own
State rather than that of the Ma
! ticnal Government.
The SPEAKER: Did the gentle
man from Auburn. Mr.. Sturgis
make a motion?
Mr.. STURGIS: Mr.. Speaker, ]
live in the State of Maine and ]
think the constitution of the United
states is greater than the constitu
tion of Maine. The constitution OF
tne state of Maine is fashioned
after the United States constitution
| live on a hill, and from sixty years
experience l feel that it is not good
policy to overload. | feel that this
would go through much easier with
out the extra load.
Mr.: WING of Auburn: Mr.
Speaker, Will YOU please inform the
House as to the report of the com
mlttee on House Document AS?
The SPEAKER: The report OF
the committee is upon House Docu-
ment No. Sc, the original document
reporting the same in new draft
which appears as Alb, and reporting
that 1t ought to pass.
Nr. BRAGDON of Perham: AS 4
II ember of that committee which
recommended that this bill ought tc
pass, | will attempt to add TO wha,
was said by the gentleman from
Sanford, Mr.. Pierce. There were
members of that committee who felt
that we We're loading up our schoo
system which was heavy enough al
ready. and would have objected to
the bill had this extra load been ad
ced, as 1t was owing to the fact tha,
II was kept down to the point thc
;, appears in the new draft that ma
lority report of the committee was
had on it.
There are some Of us who fee
that we have gone too far in addin&
holidays, and special assignment
Gays TO our school work, at the same
time adding a lot of new matter tr
The amount to be handled in the
schools. Personally. | have no OBJ
Jeclion TO the Constitution of tho
nlted states or the State of Maine
beng taught in our schools: but as
q former teacher l feel that we are
handling as much, up to the high
school course. as can be handled
profitably at the present time. | fee
that the new draft of the bill covers
enough ground without adding the
amendment at this time.
The SPEAKER: The Chair does
rot recall whether the gentleman
from Auburn (Mr. Sturgis) made
any motion or not.
MIR. STCRGIS: Mr.. Speaker.
moved the indefinite postponement
of Amendment a.
The SPEAKER: The question be.
lore the House now is the indefinite
postponement of Amendment A.
A viva voce vote being taken. the
Motlon to indefinitely postpone the
amendment prevailed. and the bill
was assigned for its third reading
tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.
II. =. No. 1881: An Act to grant 2
new charter to the city of Saco,
IL, L. No. 1870: An Act relating tc
the salaries of Deputy Sheriffs OF
Cumberland County.
IL. L. No. l19l: An Act to ament
chapter IA of the Public Laws OF
Maine for 1928, known as the Mill.
tary Law
III. p. No. 1892: An Act relating t.
me taking of smelts. suckers, bal,
flsh. white fish and cusk.
II. p. No. 1855: Resolve in favor
OF the Central Maine Sanatoriun for
maintenance. personal services, re.
pairs and equipment
II. +. No. 1883: Resolve in favor
OF Central Maine Sanatorium.
ii: +. No. 1893: Resolve in favor
oil the Directors Of the Port of Port
land.
Mr.. ATWOOD of Portland: Mr.