Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-24

Declaring that under the proposed
amendment TO the Constitution CT
the State of Maine, prohibiting the
use of public funds for other than
public institutions and public pur-
poses the great University of Maine
Is exempt from the conditions I'M
posed although this institution has
been declared q private one by the
courts Of the State and the legls-
lature has refused to make it a pup
lie institution, Major Arthur j.
Thayer, candidate for the Republi-
can nomination as governor IN the
primaries of June next, made a SUR
ring plea for it's defeat before the
members of the Augusta League OF
Women Voters and others interested
in the question on Tuesday evening
at a meeting which was held IN the
Council Chamber at the Augusta
City hall.
Major Thayer went on to say: 1t
is for you to determine why one
college, doing much the same work
as the other three colleges in Maine,
should be exempt from the provi-
sions of this amendment while the
other three are subject to 1t.
with the exception of the Uni
versity of Maine. specifically exempt
ed from the provisions of the pro-
posed amendment, every other one
of these institutions. including Col
by College, Bowdoin College, Bates
College and So secondary schools,
will be directly affected by this
amendment. Because the secondary
schools are for the most part less
a,.I nd nf "
listing general statutory laws having
to do particularly with the secondary
schools they will be more directly
and seriously affected. Immediately,
by the adoption of the amendment
than will be the colleges named. How
long that condition will obtain cam
not be foretold. A serious fire or
some other catastrophy wholly with
in the realm of possibility might Gre
ate an immediate and very definite
need on the part of any one of these
colleges for justifiable assistance
from the State of Maine.
Disseminating the Bowdoin Medi-
cal School is distinct loss to Maine,
and ito establishment should be
seriously considered at once. ! men
ton this here because if the school
is to be re-established. unquestion-
ably the State will have to render
some substantial aid financially. II
the proposed constitutional amend
ment is adopted, Maine cannot con-
tribute a dollar to such project no
matter how deserving it might be.
THE summary of list OF acad-
emies receiving State aid shows that
there are now in Maine fifty-flve
secondary schools. under private
nf xr.ninl, have
aggregate endowment of 1,694,214, in
which there are 344 teachers, and at
tending which are 1913 students. and
toward the support Of which the
state paid in 1924 and 1926. by virtue
of general statutory laws S22,750. and
by virtue of special legislative re-
solves $51.950. OF the AZ schools re-
ceiving aid of any kind from the
State, but one was located in a city,
and in but two was there any sec
tartan doctrines taught.
IF from this list there is left out
Hebron Academy with an endowment
of $217.276; Maine Wesleyan Semi
nary with an endowment of $307Ol7:
and Thornton Academy with an en-
6owment of $233,450, no one OF which
received in 1924 and 1925 any State
aid; the total endowment of the re-
naming % ScflOplS is but sooo,f i.
These IS schools accommodated 597S
students in 1925, making an average
attendance of over 100 pupils at each
school The total aid received from
the State in 1925 by all of these
schools was but $74.700. which is an
average of but $12.49 per student.
Quoting from the Journal of pro-
ceedings of the Maine state grange
held in Bangor in December. he said:
'The valuation of the property of
these schools is upwards of $4,000 900
with an endowment of over $4,000 900.
Under the proposed amen iment none
of these schools will receive any state
aid, and no town which does not
maintain a high school will be al
lowed to pay the tuition of any pu-
pills attending such school. Hence it