The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-09

al succeeding years. The result II that
improvements are commenced on an ex-
tensive scale, and then suffered to Ian
guish and die. 1 should be sorry to
have the State of Kansas repeat this fol-
" here, or upon the grounds belonging
to any other of her State Institutions;
but small appropriation should be,
and trust viii be, made. The import
ance of tree planting is too generally
recognized in the State to make further
comment on this point necessary.
| 3. Inside shutters and blinds for the
windows, of well seasoned pine, oiled
and vanished, have been provided, and
put in place. By diminishing the In
tensity of light from the numerous
/ windows in the Assembly Rooms, and
| by enabling the students to exclude the
direct rays of the sun from their books
while studying, the blinds have proved
of great utility.
| 4. Chemical and philosophical appar-
atus, excellent in quality and sufficient
in quantity, for purposes of class Illus
tration, has been purchased and is now
in use.
). Large mural maps and q globe have
been added to the facilities for impart-
ing geographical instruction. Consid-
cradle addition has been made to the
textbook library during the year.
More chairs for the Assembly Room
have been procured. Suitable record
books have, within the year, been man
ufactured by the State Record Company
of Topeka, for the school. The books
prove to be entirely satisfactory.
NEEDS OF THE INSTITUTION.
The most pressing need is additional
room. The Assembly Room, in which
the students have seats and desks, is not
large enough to accommodate the pu-
pills. 1t has been crowd
ed this year. For the coming year 1t will
| be utterly inadequate to meet the require
ments that will be made upon it. Young
men and woman who desire to become
| teachers must be rejected and sent home.
| The recitation rooms are too small for
the largest classes. Rooms that would
accommodate comfortably twenty-five
pupils, have classes of forty thrust
| into them. The classes next year win
be still larger. The Model School is
densely crowded. Every available
space is occupied with the seats and
desks of the pupils. 1t is herculean
task to provide standing room even, for
half a dozen visitors. With it all, pu-
pills who apply for admission are turn
ed away every term. The fact is this,
and simply this, the school has fully
outgrewn its building. More room is a
necessity.
How shall it be provided? 1t is pos
sible to make additions to the present
building so as to supply the present
needs of the school. Whether it is the
better way or not, is an open question.
The present building is complete in it
self. 1t is not well adapted to receive
additions. Even if they were made as
large as they could be without destroy
ing the symmetry of the edifice, the en-
larged building would subserve the
purposes of the school for but a couple
of years, at the most. At the end of
that time the school wonld be as badly
off as it is now in respect to its accom-
modations. My own judgment is that
to begin the erection of a large perman-
ent building for this Normal School.
Not only do the educational interests
OF the State Justify the expenditure of
a considerable sum for this purpose,
but the dictates of common prudence
and economy make it a necessity. The
income of our common school fund is
being wasted in the payment of incoIn-
petent teachers. John G.. McMynn of
Wisconsin, says:
81 would use one-half OF the income Of our
common school fund to educate teachers, IL II
| were necessary, feeling sure that the other
half paid to qualified teachers would produce
4 better results than the whole would If paid to
those untitled for the business of teaching,
There is in my opinion no expense that can be
incurred for the support of good normal
schools, that Is not justified by the require
ments of the public good in these Western
States "
Our own excellent State Superintend-
ent, the Honorable Peter McVicar,
holds the same opinion.
The cost of suitable building for
the Normal School ought not to be less
than 100000, and need not be more
J than 100000. Less than sixty thous-
i and dollars would build house that
would need rebuilding within five or
ten years. More than one hundred
thousand would construct an edifice
} more pretentious and ornamental than
the plain, practical work of normal
school would seem to justify. 1t is not
} ornament that is needed it is more
room.
Permit me, Gentlemen of the Board
of Directors, to invite your earnest at
} tention to this, the greatest present
need of the institution. Without
new building it is capable of no further
expansion; it can receive no addition
to its corps of students. The school
has already reached the limit of its in
huence and usefulness.
In the matter of providing suitable
building for the State Institutions, Kan
sas should be governed, manifestly, by
) her own needs and resources, and not
} by the example of other States. There
. can be no objection, however, to know
ing what is done elsewhere. The ex-
: perience of others, while no certain
guide for our own acts, may still be of
assistance to us, however. We may
profit by the extravagance of our
8 neighbor, by avoiding like extrava-
gance. The prudence and economy of
e our neighbor may help us to acquire
l similar habits. The State of Illinois
e has one Normal School in operation at
g Bloomington, occupying a building
/ which cost $4,000. Illinois is now
t erecting a second Normal School build
1 g.. "a. = =