ame of the meeting.
b. The time for holding it.
c. The place for holding it.
d. The persons who take part in it.
e. The sort of business done in it.
7. Give an account of the selectmen:--
a. Their number.
b. The reason for an odd number.
c. Their duties.
8. When public schools were established by Massachusetts in 1647, what
reasons were assigned for the law?
9. What classes or grades of schools were then established?
10. What are the duties of the Massachusetts school committee?
11. What is the term of service of teachers in that state?
12. What are the duties of the following officers?--
a. Field-drivers.
b. Pound-keepers.
c. Fence-viewers.
d. Surveyors of lumber.
e. Measurers of wood.
f. Sealers of weights and measures.
13. What are the duties of the following officers?--
a. The town-clerk.
b. The treasurer.
c. Constables.
d. Assessors.
e. Overseers of the poor.
14. Describe a warrant for a town-meeting.
15. For what other purposes than those of the town are taxes raised?
16. Explain the following:--
a. The poll-tax.
b. The tax on personal property,
c. The tax on real estate.
17. What kinds of real estate are exempted from taxation, and why?
18. What kinds of personal property are exempted, and why?
19. Where must the several kinds of taxes be assessed and paid?
Illustrate.
20. If a person changes his residence from one town in the state to
another before May 1, what consequences about taxes might follow?
21. How do the assessors ascertain the property for which one should be
taxed?
22. What difficulties beset the taxation of personal property?
23. Mention a common practice in assigning values to property.
What is the effect on the tax-rate? Illustrate.
24. How do high taxes operate as a burden?
25. Describe a delusion from which people who directly govern
themselves are practically free.
26. What is the educational value of the town-meeting?
27. What are by-laws? Explain the phrase.
28. What of the power and responsibility of selectmen?
Section 2. _Origin of the Township_.
[Sidenote: Town-meetings in Greece and Rome.]
It was said above that government by town-meeting is in principle the
oldest form of government known in the world. The student of ancient
history is familiar with the _comitia_ of the Romans and the
_ecclesia_ of the Greeks. These were popular assemblies, held in
those soft climates
|