68 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



of local pride that our banks contain more money per capita 

 than those of any other county in the State. 



Pubhc schools were early organized, but the people who came 

 to this town to make, homes wanted more for their children, 

 and one of the first public buildings was the old academy where 

 for many years the young men and women were taught in the 

 higher branches of learning. It made the town in a peculiar 

 sense a center of culture and influence that has had much to do 

 with the social and moral atmosphere of the community. The 

 time came when a sacrifice was called for, and where the acad- 

 emy stood arose the first normal school in the State. Year by 

 year this institution has sent out large classes of yovmg men and 

 women to teach in the schools of the State. More even than 

 the old academy it has made the village an educational center. 

 Its management is efficient, and everyone has a special pride in 

 the institution. I regret that the school is not in session this 

 week, but the building is here and Principal Purington will 

 enjoy having you all call. 



For several years our public schools were overcrowded and 

 there was a pressing demand for more room. It was finally 

 determined by the school board to ask the. town to erect a new 

 high school building. When the matter came before the town 

 the moderator anticipated a hard fight over the issue. A propo- 

 sition to raise $30,000 for a new school building would require 

 much deliberation in most towns, but without a word of oppo- 

 sition or a single vote against it the money was raised. The 

 high school with nearly 150 pupils is now occupying the new 

 building for the first term, and Fannington people would be 

 delighted to have you visit the school. 



The interest-bearing town debt is now $26,000, and our t(T\vn 

 tax rate for 1906 is just 13 mills. The village corporation, 

 organized within the town, has a water debt of $71,000, and 

 the water system, which is now just completed to \^arnum pond, 

 about five miles away, yields an annual rental of over $6,000. 

 The rate of corporation tax is two and seven-tenths mills, so 

 that the village resident pays a tax of .0157 on the dollar. 



Franklin county owns its fine county buildings and has no 

 debt. These low rates of taxation speak more plainly than 

 words of our material prosperity. Not only do they speak well 



