The public-school system of Maine compares favourably with those of States of greater wealth. A well arranged program providing for school buildings of modern construction has been followed in cities and towns; and in rural communities single-room school buildings have been giving way to consolidated schools, transportation being furnished to pupils from remote homes. In 1936 the total educational expenditures amounted to $9,855,401, or a per caput expenditure, based on total enrolment, of $59.19. The State school fund, which amounts to about one-fourth of the total expenditures, is distributed ac cording to average daily attendance, except for $100,000 used as an equalization fund to aid the poorer districts. The legislature in 1919 provided for the schooling of children living in unor ganized territory. Since that time remarkable progress has been made in providing educational advantages for the children of lighthouse keepers, coast fishermen and remote lumbermen. Vo cational departments and industrial and trade courses are main tained in a large number of high schools. The State had about a quarter million children of school age (5-21) in 1936. Of these 166,507 were enrolled in the public schools, 129,147 being in the elementary schools and 37,36o in the high schools and academies. Of the farm population of high school age 53.8% were enrolled in high schools in 1930, as compared with 55.o% of the popu lation not on farms. Maine is said to have the highest percent age in the United States of farm boys and girls attending high. school. School attendance through the school year is com pulsory for all children between the ages of seven and 15. The average length of the school year varies from 175 days for ele mentary schools to 181 days for high schools. An effort has been made to eliminate illiteracy through evening schools and adult classes. Maine provides for the training of teachers in six normal schools, which in 1935-36 had an average enrolment of 898. In addition to the State schools, the city of Lewiston main tains a normal training school. The University of Maine is at Orono, to which is attached an agricultural experiment sta tion. Among the important institutions of learning which have no official connection with the State are Bowdoin college, at Bruns wick; Colby college, at Waterville; Bates college, at Lewiston and Bangor Theological seminary (Congregational), at Bangor.
The State's welfare activities were co-ordinated in 1931 by an act establishing the department of health and welfare. The department is composed of three bureaus : social welfare, health and institutional service, having authority over various aspects of the State's welfare program. Each of the State Institutions is in charge of a board of trustees appointed by the governor. The penal and reformatory institutions consist of the State prison, at Thomaston ; the reformatory for men, at South Windham; the reformatory for women, at Skow hegan; the State( reform) school for boys, at South Portland; and the State (reform) school for girls, at Hallowell. The schools are not places of punishment, but reformatories for delinquent boys from eight to 16 years of age and girls from six to 16 years of age who have been committed by the courts for violations of law, or, in the case of girls, who, by force of circumstances or associa tion, are "in manifest danger of becoming outcasts of society."
The inmates in the State schools get instruction in various trades and occupations so as to be able to earn a living when discharged. Paupers are cared for chiefly by towns and cities, those wholly dependent being placed in alms-houses and those only partially dependent receiving aid at their homes. The charitable institu tions maintained by the State are : the Augusta State hospital, at Augusta; Bangor State hospital, at Bangor; Central Maine sanatorium, at Fairfield; Northern Maine sanatorium, at Presque Isle; Western Maine sanatorium, at Greenwood Mountain; Pownal State school for the Feeble-Minded, at West Pownal; and Bath Military and Naval Orphan asylum, at Bath. The Maine Institution for the Blind, at Portland, and Maine Mission for the Deaf, at Bangor, with 37 other private charitable bodies, are assisted by state funds.
It is estimated that about one-third of the people living in Maine are engaged in, or are supported by agriculture, but over one-half of the food stuffs come from outside the borders of the State. The total number of farms declined from 60,016 in 1910 to 41,907 in
The number of acres in farms showed a corresponding drop, de creasing from 6,296,859ac. in 1910 to 4,721,842ac. in 1935. The total value of farm property increased, between 1910 and 1930, from $199,271,998 to $248,696,000. Approximately 93% of the total number of farms are operated by their owners. Numerous co operative associations have been organized in the interest of specialized producers, but they have not met with complete suc cess, one notable failure being the collapse of the Maine potato growers' exchange in 1925. The total value of all farm products, in 1935, was estimated at $59,100,000. The State ranks first in the Union in the production of potatoes. In 1936, the 6o,000ac. planted in potatoes produced 44,000,000bu., worth $37,400,000, or more than one-half the total value of all farm crops. The agri cultural product second in value was hay, with a production, in 1936, of 849,000 tons and an estimated value of $8,490,000. The only cereal produced on an economic scale was oats. Other crops of economic value are sweet corn for canning, apples, blue berries, dry beans and buckwheat. Poultry husbandry is on the increase and, according to the report of the commissioner of agriculture, in one or two counties eggs and poultry in 1935 led all farm products in cash returns. In that year there were 1,518, 665 hens on the farms of Maine, and poultry products aggregating $5,780,126 were sold from them. During 1934, 66,791,00o gal lons of milk and 6,720,000 pounds of butter were produced. The live stock raised on Maine farms, in 1935, included 52,000 horses, worth $4,005,560; 245,000 cattle, worth $4,780,850; 59,000 sheep, worth $254,880; and 44,000 swine, worth $260,480. The 898,00o tons of hay produced were worth over $9,500.
In 1925 15,00o,000ac., nearly three-fourths of the area of the State, were in forest land. Of the total stand of timber, spruce and fir are estimated at 25,500,000,000 bd.ft.; pine, 5,o6o,000,000 bd.ft.; cedar, 2,780,000,000 bd.ft.; hemlock, 88o,000,000 bd.ft.; and hard woods, 5,000,000.000 board feet. The annual cut of lum ber is about 1,000,000,00o board feet. There is much reforestation.