Annual report of the municipal officers of the town of Belgrade, Maine, 1914-1915, Part 1

Author: Belgrade (Me.)
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Belgrade, Me. : The Town
Number of Pages: 58


USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Belgrade > Annual report of the municipal officers of the town of Belgrade, Maine, 1914-1915 > Part 1


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GEN


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01834 7283


GC 974.102 B415AR, 1915


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


TOWN OFFICERS


OF THE


TOWN OF BELGRADE


FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR


1914-1915


Mail Publishing Co., Printers, Waterville, Mains


ANNUAL REPORT


OF THE


TOWN OFFICERS


OF THE


TOWN OF BELGRADE


FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR


1914-1915


MONOTYPED


PRINTED BY


Mail Publishing Co., Waterville. Me.


Officers of the Town of Belgrade FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915


Moderator E. F. YEATON


Town Clerk E. H. MOSHER


Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor H. H. ADAMS L. A. BARTLETT D. C. STEVENS


Treasurer E. H. MOSHER


Collector F. B. ALBEE


H. O. PRAY


School Committee W. T. LARKIN . C. E. TILLSON


Superintendent of Schools T. W. McQUAIDE


Road Commissioners


HERBERT BICKFORD RUEL LAMB


Constable HOWARD E. GOWELL


Sexton CHARLES B. STUART


E. W. TOWLE


Cemetery Committee GEO. P. BUCKNAM J. M. CUMMINGS


Sealer of Weights and Measures F. C. FOSTER


Selectmen's Report


To the Citizens of the Town of Belgrade;


We herewith submit our annual report for the year ending February 14, 1915.


RESIDENT REAL ESTATE


Land values


$144, 110.00 199,790.00


Building values


$343,900.00


NON-RESIDENT REAL ESTATE


Land values


$59,350.00 84,990.00


Building values


$144,340.00


Personal Estate, resident


Personal. Estate, non-resident


102,778.00 26,070.00


Total


$617,088.00


Amount of tax on above


$12,650.30


305 polls, at $3.00


915.00


Fractional gain


. 19


$13,565.49


Rate .0205


APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1914


State tax


$2,664.29 887.18


County tax


1,000.00


Support of Common Schools


1,000.00


Repair of schoolhouses


200.00


Repair of roads and brigdes


2,500.00


Snow bills for year 1913-1914


1,000.00


1


Town charges


6


ANNUAL REPORTS


Bridges right of way


200.00


State Aid Highway


533.00


Horn Point road


500.00


Weights and Measures


150.00


Books for Common Schools


150.00


Support of Free High School


400.00


Books for free high school


150.00


Fire. Ward


25.00


Cemetery purposes


100.00


Superintendent of Schools


135.00


Picking Brown-tail moths


1,000.00


Purchase of Hearse


550.00


John Tibbetts, for Horse


150.00


State Road Maintenance


60.00


Overlay


210.83


Fractional gain


. 19


Supplementary Tax


2.10


Gathering moths on private property


36.56


Total commitment


$13,604.15


LIST OF PERSONAL PROPERTY Live Stock


No.


Av. Val.


Total Val.


358 Horses


$95.68


$34,250.00


13 Colts, 3 to 4 years old


111.53


1,450.00


6 Colts, 2 to 3 years old


72.50


435.00


18 Colts, under 2 years old


54.72


985.00


487 Cows


28.51


13,885.00


22 Oxen


43.63


960.00


143 3-year olds


25.07


3,585.00


185 2-year olds


21.15


3,915.00


228 1-year olds


12.19


2,780.00


497 Sheep


3.00


1,491.00


148 Swine


12.64


1,872.00


Total


$65,608.00


7


ANNUAL REPORTS


ALL OTHER KINDS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY


Bank Stock


$ 400.00


Stock in trade


8,050.00


Launches and Boats, 156


15,690.00


Logs and lumber


13,650.00


Wood and Bark


600.00


Automobiles, 22


9,025.00


Motor cycles, 3


200.00


Musical Instruments, 52


4,850.00


Furniture


4,450.00


Machinery not taxed as Real Estate


6,525.00


Total


$63,440.00


PAID BILLS ACCRUED PRIOR TO FEB. 14, 1914


E. E. Dunn, services as Selectman $88.00


A. L. Cottle, services as Selectman 50.00


W. P. Sawtelle, services as Selectman 38.00


E. H. Mosher, services as Town Clerk 10.00


E. H. Mosher, memorial services 1913 10.00


Wallace S. Ladd, printing reports 40.00


Wallace S. Ladd, printing moth cards


1.75


Total $237.75


ABATEMENTS FOR 1915


Nelson Blaise, residence unknown


$3.00


E. A. Bean, paid in Auburn


3.00


James Bartlett, Augusta town charge


3.00


Roland Clement, out of state


3.00


C. J. Cooper, under age


3.00


G. Guynor, out of state


3.00


Charles Harris, residence unknown


3.00


D. Hawler, residence unknown


3.00


Elmer Morrill, unable to pay


3.00


W. H. Matthew, residence unknown


3.00


2


8


ANNUAL REPORTS


Albert Mckay, residence unknown 3.00


Oscar Peavy, residence unknown 3.00


Edward Robinson, residence unknown 3.00


S. L. Spaulding, deceased


3.00


Ralph Sturtevant, paid elsewhere


3.00


F. D. Larrabee, on account sickness


3.00


F. D. Thwing, paid in Oakland 3.00


C. H. Wyman, paid in Mass.


3.00


C. H. Storer, residence unknown


3.82


2.56


Chas. S. Duke, boat sold


E. Hall, residence unknown


4.10


$64.48


CEMETERY APPROPRIATION


For Cemetery purposes


$100.00


Received from sale of hay


10.00


$110.00


Paid on orders cemetery committee


193.60


Overdrawn $83.60


SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS


ยท For Purchase of Hearse


$550.00


Paid J. H. Thing for same


550.00


To reimburse John Tibbetts for horse


$150.00


Paid John Tibbetts for same


150.00


For Weights and Measures


$150.00


Paid the Fairbanks Co.


$150.00


For freight on same


5.24


$155.24


Received from Town of Sidney


65.12


90.12


Unexpended $59.88


9


ANNUAL REPORTS


PAID FOR SUPPORT OF POOR, 1915


On Account of Jane Mignault


$132.00


Town of Abbott, on account Laura Couley 34.16


Dr. Williams, on account Fred Holmes


5.00


Henry W. Plummer, on account Fred Holmes 8.00


Dr. L. E. Reynolds, on account Fred Holmes


5.00


$184.16


PAID FOR SUPPORT OF POOR OF OTHER TOWNS


On account of Evelyn Palmer


$120.00


Due from Oakland on 1913 account


22. 25


$142.25


Received from Oakland


115.58


Due from Oakland


$26.67


On account Maurice Gordon, of Augusta


$80.35


Due from Augusta, for same


80.35


On account Anthony Paige


$35.00


Due from State


35.00


SHEEP ACCOUNT


Paid Foster Bros.


$70.00


Paid Clarence Chase


12.00


$82.00


Due from State


$82.00


1


10


ANNUAL REPORTS


FOR GATHERING BROWN TAIL MOTHS 1914


Appropriation


$1,000.00


Paid Elmer Morrill


$37.62


Clyde Varney


10.50


Milford Childs


5.25


Page Pulsifer


6.13


M. M. Larkin


7.58


Ed. Burgess


5.24


Philip Chandler


36.74


A. M. Johnson


8.75


Ralph Brown


22.75


Percy Yeaton


14.00


W. O. Willey & Son


10.50


Leon H. Kelley


10.07


C. H. Mills


12.25


Ernest Yeaton


14.00


Yeaton Bros.


17.50


William Wallace


10.50


E. A. Wallace


6.12


W. C. Mills


3.50


Will Foster


2.50


Henry Warren


7.00


C. A. Stevens


6.00


C. E. Brown


14.00


Charles Farnham


.75


M. L. Cook


3.50


Clarence Chase


3.50


Evans Minot


2.62


$278.87


Unexpended


$721.13


PAID FOR GATHERING MOTHS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY


Paid for gathering moths on private property $36.56


Received from F. B. Albee, for same $36.56


11


ANNUAL REPORTS


GATHERING MOTHS, 1915


Paid O. W. Richards $5.00


Herbert Scribner


2.40


Vernon Kelley 2.80


W. C. Mills


2.30


Clyde J. Varney


6.00


V. L. Foster


2.60


$21.10


Estimated cost to finish picking the bal- ance for 1915 $15.00


MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR 1914-15


Paid W. S. Ladd, blank notes American Express Co.


$ 1.25


26


S. Blaisdell, account tramps


9.00


L. E. Reynolds, M. D., antitox-


in for Mrs. E. Farnham


11.66


L. E. Reynolds, M. D., disinfecting


Ellery Farnham's house 8.16


Charles H. Chandler, ballot clerk


4.00


E. W. Rogers, ballot clerk


W. T. Larkin, election clerk 4.00


J. M. Cummings, election clerk


4.00


Russell & Weston, blankets for tramp house


6.60


James Tibbetts, truant officer


2.00


James Tibbetts, labor on tramp house 1.50


25.00


E. H. Mosher, books and stationery


26.09


E. H. Mosher, food for tramps 2.75


Effie M. Adams, for making ticks for tramp house 1.00 James Lombard, rent of land for tramp house from April 1, 1912 to April 1, 1915 6.00


Dr. L. E. Reynolds, reporting births and deaths 2.25


E. F. Yeaton, services as Moderator 3.00


4.00


Belgrade Grange, rent of hall


12


ANNUAL REPORTS


H. E. Gowell, services as Constable and


care of tramps 16.84


H. H. Adams, postage, stationery, etc. 5.00


E. P. Williams, M. D., reporting births and deaths 1.75


F. S. Milliken, M. D., reporting births and deaths 1.00


W. C. Blake, M. D., reporting births and deaths


2.25


M. S. Holmes, M. D., reporting births and deaths 1.25


E. H. Mosher, recording births and deaths 7.30


E. H. Mosher, postage 2.96


F. C. Foster, services as Sealer of Weights and Measures 7.50


F. B. Albee, abatements 64.48


F. B. Albee, commission as Collector 225.00


$457.85


RECAPITULATION


Paid bills accrued prior to Feb. 14, 1914 $237.75


Abatements 1914 64.48


Support of Poor


184.16


Miscellaneous Expenses 457.85


$944.24


Appropriation town Charges


1,000.00


Unexpended balance


$55.76


Orders drawn on


Guy A. Yeaton, winter 1912-13 $ 1.75


Herbert Alexander, summer 1913 43.40


Herbert Alexander, winter 1913-14


732.89


William Wadleigh, 1913-14 258.08


Ruel Lamb, summer 1914 1,168.72


Ruel Lamb, winter 1914-15 15.50


Herbert Bickford, summer 1914


1,316.14


Herbert Bickford, winter 1914-15 8.00


Herbert Bickford, Bridges road


140.75


13


ANNUAL REPORTS


Herbert Bickford, Horse Point 491.60


-


Herbert Bickford, State Aid Highway 985.09


Herbert Bickford, Automobile Fund 127.20


Herbert Bickford, State Aid High-


way 194.18


Total Highway Orders drawn


$5,483.30


Total School Orders drawn


$4,860.67


Total Town Orders drawn


2,656.56


HIGHWAY APPROPRIATIONS


Summer, 1914


$2,500.00


Snow bills, 1913-14


1,000.00


Bridges road


200.00


State Aid Highway, by Town


533.00


Horse Point Road


500.00


State Aid Highway, by State


533.00


Automobile Fund


180.84


State Maintenance Fund


145.55


$5,592.39


Total Highway Orders drawn


5,483.30


Unexpended balance


$109.09


RESOURCES


Cash in Treasury


$393.92


Due from Mount Vernon common schools


75.00


Due from Sidney, on account High School


36.00


Due from State, dog tax refunded


100.00


Due from State, on account sheep killed by dogs


82.00


Due from State, burial expenses A. Pager


35.00


Due from Oakland, account Evelyn Palmer


26.67


Due from Augusta, account Maurice Gordion


80.35


$828.94


14


ANNUAL REPORTS


LIABILITIES


Due H. H. Adams, services as Selectman $90.00


L. A. Bartlett, services as Selectman 66.00


D. C. Stevens, services as Selectman 50.00


E. H. Mosher 10.00


Outstanding Town Orders


71.08


Printing Reports


35.00


$322.08


Resources above Liabilities


$506.86


Respectfully submitted,


H. H. ADAMS, L. A. BARTLETT, D. C. STEVENS,


Selectmen of Belgradc.


Report of Treasurer.


TOWN OF BELGRADE IN ACCOUNT WITH E. H. MOSHER, TREASURER FOR THE YEAR 1914


Dr.


To paid Treasury notes $5,800.00


Interest


210.35


Town Orders


2,585.48


Road Orders 5,488.90


School Orders


4,860.67


State Treasurer, dog tax 1914


140.00


State tax year 1914


2,664.29


County tax


887.18


State pensions


63.00


State Treasurer, Belgrade's part of Main- tenance Fund


48.63


State Treasurer's commission 50.00


$22,798.50


To Cash in Treasury


393.92


-


$23, 192.42


Cr.


Cash on hand, March 2, 1914


$269.55


Rec'd from F. B. Collector 1914 13,604.15


State Treasurer, School Fund and Mill Tax 1,819.25


State Treasurer, R. R. and Tel. Tax 13.00


State Treasurer, Account State Pension's 63.00


State Treasurer, Dog Tax refunded 117.12 State Treasurer, Account High School 500.00


State Treasurer, Automobile Fund 127.20


State Treasurer, Imp. State Roads 452.09


State Treasurer, Account Highway 194.18


16


ANNUAL REPORTS


Rec'd cash and gave Treasury notes 5,300.00


Rec'd from Town of Rome, for schools 1913 129.60


Town of Rome, for schools 1914 134.52


Town of Mt. Vernon, for schools 1913 52.00


Rec'd from Acme Amusement Co., license 20.00


E. H. Mosher, Town Clerk, dog tax 140.00


Geo. P. Bucknam, sale hay in cemetery 10.00


Town of Oakland, account Mrs. Palmer


115.58


Culvert Co., freight refunded 5.06


Town of Sidney, account schools 1913


36.00


Town of Sidney, account Weights and Measures 65.12


Sale of one burial lot


25.00


$23,192.42


E. H. MOSHER, Treasurer.


1


Road Commissioners' Report


Summer, 1914


N. H. Varney


$12.00


D. McCurdy


3.50


C. B. Brooks


7.00


C. H. Yeaton


9.75


James Watson


237.00


John Wadleigh


47.50


Ed. Wadleigh


21.75


Ruel Lamb


242.50


Archie Bickford


22.62


Leslie Bickford


20.99


Perley Percival


73.63


J. W. Penney


5.20


Herbert Brooks


16.63


Willis Childs


.80


Alonzo Hill


15.38


George Stoddard


22.50


Manley Childs


3.50


W. Knowles


9.00


Don Nutt


14.01


J. Burke


3.50


Walter Buker


1.75


Berger Mfg. Co.


176.00


Ernest Yeaton


12.25


Percy Yeaton


15.75


Raymond Yeaton


14.87


Wadleigh Bros.


9.00


S. Blaisdell


82.83


W. J. Spaulding


8.00


Austin Kenney


5.00


Samuel Whitehouse


5.25


W. H. Sprague


7.00


18


ANNUAL REPORTS


E. E. Dunn


15.00


Clyde Varney


.75


E. H. Mosher


10.88


R. N. Guptill


15.63


$1,168.72


Winter, 1914-15


John Wadleigh


$ 4.50


Ruel Lamb


11.00


$15.50


RUEL LAMB, Road Commissioner.


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT


Summer, 1914


Parker Clement


$ 5.25


George Pratt


46.00


H. C. Mills


13.50


W. H. Knowles


148.00


C. L. Spencer


23.63


Anson Quimby


35.00


Herbert Alexander


279.50


H. A. Bickford


258.12


Ralph Brown


53.25


E. W. Towle


27.20


J. W. Alexander


33.25


George Davis


14.00


J. Merrow


3.50


Harry Bickford


11.62


A. R. McIntire


15.00


Morrison Libby


4.92


Berger Mfg. Co.


97.20


Fred Patten


4.25


Charles Mills


1.75


19


ANNUAL REPORTS


F. E. Clement


10.00


Fred Newcomb


2.62


Leroy Cook


3.75


Pine Land Lumber Co.


9.00


New England Machinery Co.


8.50


W. H. Ellis


19.25


C. E. Tilson


25.24


F. E. Bunker, watering trough and labor


6.00


S. Blaisdell


10.47


Frank Lord


6.75


F. W. Pray


13.25


Page Pulsifer


.87


John Stanley


10.20


W. J. Foster


5.00


Arthur Bashier


1.75


J. W. Carrol


1.70


Ernest Bachelder


4.00


G. G. Stevens


4.00


Charles Tobin


6.20


H. L. Parker


4.17


C. J. Anderson


.70


E. H. Mosher


5.07


E. C. Lord


2.37


F. W. Pray


4.00


W. L. Withers


38.97


$1,278.77


Winter, 1914-1915


H. C. Mills


$8.00


HERBERT BICKFORD, Road Commissioner.


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT Winter, 1913-1914


Andy Buker


$8.00


Herbert Brooks


1.75


John Wadleigh


12.00


20


ANNUAL REPORTS


Bert Damren


13.75


A. M. Johnson


1.75


E. H. Wadleigh


12.00


O. H. Gowell


8.05


Geo. A. Stoddard


16.00


William Wadleigh ' -


11.00


J. W. Penney


.75


John Tibbetts


3.13


Fred Tibbetts


6.45


Rodney Tibbetts


20.00


Roy Yeaton


4.50


C. L. Richardson


3.15


A. C. Dudley


12.00


Pray Brothers


16.05


Arthur Piper


3.50


Albert Ashland


2.85


Joseph Ashland


7.30


A. M. Wadleigh


8.15


Christina Bartlett


9.10


John Hanson


1.00


Lawrence Minot


2.00


Charles Webster


1.00


Raymond Yeaton


3.50


Ernest Yeaton


5.50


John E. Ham


6.75


L. F. Hill


4.00


O. H. Groves


5.15


E. C. Knowles


16.00


E. E. Dunn


11.95


Frank Dunn


6.00


C. L. Richardson


2.50


R. N. Guptill


10.50


$258.08


WILLIAM WADLEIGH,


Road Commissioner.


21


ANNUAL REPORTS


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT Winter, 1913-1914


H. C. Mills


$20.13


Clyde Damren


5.25


Howard Bickford


29.25


Ed. Burgess


5.10


A. R. McIntire


21.50


R. B. Wyman


13.50


M. K. Stevens


10.20


Albert Furbush


17.80


H. L. Alexander


32.25


Geo. Davis


1.50


Herbert Bickford


36.00


W. P. Sawtelle


22.10


A. E. Page


37.50


Charles Boynton


1.50


Leon Kelley


2.40


Wm. O. Willey


25.69


Elmer Knox


2.70


H. C. Mills


10.50


Vernon W. Kelley


1.95


H. W. Scribner


8.00


F. A. Scribner


16.30


Roy A. Cook


10.10


Ed. Carter


3.00


-


Charles H. Chandler


3.69


Philip Chandler


10.49


E. A. Wallace


3.90


C. B. Stuart


9.00


Harry Bickford


8.90


Will Foster


3.80


Forest Stevens


3.98


William Wallace


2.70


Albert Furbush


5.00


George Eldridge


4.50


-


22


ANNUAL REPORTS


E. L. Page


5.25


John Stanley


10.20


Oral D. Page


1.50


Charles Rowe


11.77


M. M. Larkin


11.55


W. T. Larkin


12.85


G. G. Stevens


5.50


W. H. Knowles


9.00


J. H. Warren


8.25


Elmer Chandler


1.36


A. P. Farnham


3.00


H. C. Mills


13.50


F. W. Newcomb


12.00


Charles Farnham


. 75


W. E. Farnham


1.75


W. P. Cummings


10.50


M. L. Cook


14.00


Herbert Alexander


31.00


H. H. Page


36.75


C. W. Moody


3.90


F. E. Clement


6.36


E. L. Bachelder


2.62


Foster Bros.


13.50


C. E. Tilson


9.00


L. A. Yeaton


36.00


C. L. Willey


3.00


James Stevens


25.20


Frank Kelley


2.10


D. A. Cook


5.25


E. C. Lord


3.30


F. J. Lord


28.00


E. S. Farnham


4.00


$732.89


HERBERT ALEXANDER,


Road Commissioner.


23


ANNUAL REPORTS


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT Bridges Road


Anson Quimby


$12.00


Russell Yeaton


8.75


Herbert Alexander


33.00


George Hutchings


10.50


C. A. Moulton


8.75


Rodney Tibbetts


31.25


H. A. Bickford


12.00


George Pratt


12.00


Arthur Lord


12.50


$140.75


HERBERT BICKFORD, Road Commissioner.


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT


Horse Point Road


Carl Spencer


$25.38


J. W. Alexander


23.19


Louville Cook


23.20


Minnie Cook


8.75


Henry McCormack


16.62


George Pratt


7.88


Anson Quimby


27.13


Ed. Burgess


26.25


Alvah Watson


56.25


Herbert Alexander


50.00


H. A. Bickford


86.37


Elias Stevens


14.50


E. S. Willey


8.30


24


ANNUAL REPORTS


A. M. Alexander


11.25


Howard Bickford


22.50


Will Ellis


25.38


Berger Mfg. Co.


51.65


Willis Stevens


7.00


$491.60


Appropriation


500.00


Unexpended


$8.40


HERBERT BICKFORD,


Road Commissioner.


ROAD COMMISSIONER'S REPORT


State Aid Highway


A. M. Alexander


$40.50


Fred Tibbetts


18.37


Herbert Scribner


10.00


Rodney Tibbetts


47.25


C. E. Farnham


28.00


Leon Farnham


21.00


Lester Perkins


6.00


Vernon Kelley


36.87


Vernon Foster


27.13


Foster Bros.


73.25


H. C. Mills


90.00


D. F. Lynch


28.00


L. A. Yeaton


90.00


Charles Brown


19.25


William White


8.75


25


ANNUAL REPORTS


W. H. Knowles


40.50


Charles Stevens


12.25


Charles Tobin


10.00


F. E. Clement


47.33


C. E. Tilson


29.25


W. E. Farnham


81.00


C. E. Tilson


33.04


Herbert Bickford


91.00


Henry McCormack


12.25


A. M. Alexander


72.00


Arthur Lord


9.20


Ernest Bachelder


5.10


Frank Lord


77.80


$985.09


HERBERT BICKFORD, Road Commissioner.


AUTOMOBILE FUND


George Hutchings


$40.00


George Pratt


14.00


John Hugree


32.00


Herbert Alexander


41.20


$127.20


Available from State


180.84


Unexpended balance $53.64


HERBERT BICKFORD, Road Commissioner.


26


ANNUAL REPORTS


STATE ROAD MAINTENANCE


C. A. Moulton


$14.00


Mrs. C. C. Pray


5.30


Fred Newcomb


36.75


Herbert Alexander


133.50


E. C. Lord


4.63


$194.18


Received from State


194.18


HERBERT BICKFORD, Road Commissioner.


Report of School Committee


At a meeting held Feb. 2, 1915, it was voted to recommend that the town raise the following amounts for school purposes, viz:


For Free High Schools $850.00


Common Schools 1,350.00


Text-books and supplies for High and Common Schools 300.00


Repairs of School Property


200.00


Superintendent's Salary 135.00


H. O. PRAY,


W. T. LARKIN,


C. E. TILLSON,


Superintending School Committee.


School Report


In accordance with the provisions of the school law, I here- with submit to you and, through you, to the citizens of Belgrade, my annual report for the town year 1914-15.


Upon assuming charge of the schools a year ago, it soon became apparent that, before we could hope for any permanent improvement in our schools, three things would be necessary :- First, a higher standard of teaching ability. Second, a greater interest in the schools on the part of parents and citizens. Third, a supply of modern text-books and necessary educational ma- terial.


It is evident that we have had a few very good teachers in our schools, but it is equally evident that we have had too many of the other kind. Some of our citizens seem to be under the impression that any teacher is good enough for a rural school. This is a great mistake. The conditions are such that the rural schools require the best teachers that can be had. Many parents will never be able to give their children anything more than an education. That education should be the best the town can afford. Some of our citizens may feel that we cannot afford to employ the best teachers for all of our small rural schools but there is no logical reason why we cannot afford to employ better teachers than many of our children have had in past years.


The employment of competent teachers, however, is not the only thing to be taken into consideration. In some cases the efficiency of the teacher is lessened by the attitude of the parents toward the school. Many parents take no interest whatever in the education of their children. Very few parents ever visit the schools and, consequently, there is no co-operation between the home and the school. Practically all of the misunderstand- ings which result in criticism and fault-finding over school affairs are due to the fact that the parent does not understand what the teacher is trying to accomplish. The average teach-


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ANNUAL REPORTS


er, who has made a study of teaching, is more competent to train a child properly than the average parent, who has not. Moreover, the average teacher is as much interested in the real welfare of the child under her care as the average parent. If parents could be made to understand these matters, what wonder- ful results could be accomplished by parent and teacher co- operating and working together for the good of the child, instead of pulling in opposite directions, as many now do, neither one having any conception of what the other is trying to do.


Irregularity in attendance is especially noticeable in some of our schools. This seems to be divided into two classes. Some parents do not seem to understand that it is necessary for the child to attend school regularly. If they think the child is needed at home they let him stay out of school one- third or one-half of the time and then blame the teacher because the child does not progress as rapidly as the children who have attended regularly. The impression seems to prevail that it is of no consequence if a child loses 2 or 3 days of school every week or two; that he can easily make it up. This is a great mistake. It is almost impossible for a child to make up time lost in school and, in many cases, his loss is much greater than the time he actually misses. Suppose, for instance, that your boy misses 2 or 3 days while his class is taking up, for the first time, some important principle of arithmetic. When he goes back to school he cannot do the problems in his lesson because he has missed the explanations necessary to enable him to under- stand them. A little later on the same thing is repeated, and the situation becomes even worse. By the time the child stays away in this manner three or four times, he loses so much of the substance of his studies that he cannot understand his lessons; he becomes thoroughly discouraged and loses all interest in his school work, and consequently makes no progress. No matter how hard the teacher may try, she cannot make up to the child what he has missed. It might be possible to do so in the city schools where a teacher has only one or two grades, but in our rural schools, where the teacher is liable to have every grade from the first to the ninth, her time is so completely taken up


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ANNUAL REPORTS


with the regular class work that she has no time for special work.


Then there are other cases where the parents seem to spend most of their time inventing excuses for keeping their children out of school. In these cases the welfare of the child demands the enforcement of the truancy law. We were obliged to resort to this measure in a few cases and there were others where we were unable to do so on account of the fact that no competent person could be found in that district who was willing to serve as truant officer. Satisfactory arrangements have re- cently been made, however, to enable us to enforce the truancy law in all parts of the town.


Passing from the parent to the citizen, we find a condition where much good could be accomplished if the citizens would take more interest in the schools. Many citizens who have no children in the schools seem to feel that school affairs do not concern them in the least. This is another serious mistake. The education of our children is the most important feature of our municipal life. The whole welfare of our town, its commer- cial and social conditions, its desirability as a place to live, all depend largely upon the education of our young people. It is, therefore, the urgent duty of every man and woman in the town to take an active interest in our schools and in everything else that relates to the welfare of the child.


One of the first things to demand attention at the beginning of the present year was the scarcity of suitable text-books. At first this condition seemed difficult to account for as the town reports showed that appropriations for this purpose had been fairly liberal. Further investigation, however, seemed to justify the belief that the shortage was due, in part at least, to the fact that there was no system of keeping account of and taking care of the books after they were placed in the schools. It also de- veloped that considerable loss had been occasioned by persons entering the schools after hours or during vacations and destroy- ing and carrying off books, as well as damaging other school property. Some of this damage was blamed on the "help" from the summer hotels and cottages, some schools near the


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ANNUAL REPORTS


railroad had been entered by tramps, our own children were responsible for some of the damage, while other cases were chargeable to adults who were certainly old enough to know - better. All schoolhouse doors and windows are now provided with locks so the buildings can be securely fastened. Any per- son who now enters the buildings out of school hours will have to break in, thereby committing a felony which is punishable by fine and imprisonment.


All the books are now labelled and numbered. An account is kept with each school showing all the books it contains. The teacher keeps a record of the books issued to each pupil and he is . held responsible for their proper care. Once a month the teacher inspects all the books in her school to see that no books are miss- ing and that no damage has been done other than the ordinary wear. Similar records are kept in the office of the Superin- tendent.


Before the close of the present school year a printed course of study covering all the work of our common schools will be provided and the schools graded accordingly. We have been unable to do this earlier owing to the fact that there were not enough standard text-books in the schools to form the basis of a complete course of study.




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