St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-02-28
rom Tnt NlIIinU IItIdII
ArithmeticS.

books recommended by the Board oil
Education for use i'll the schools of this
state, by which it appears that Green
leafs arithmetics have been set aside to
make room for the series of which DIR.
French, the imported secretary, Is the
author. We have never examined
French's arithmetics, but from review
of them by Il teacher iii the HeTdld of
Saturday, it Is evident that they con-
tain many gross errors. and are almost
anything but an improvement upon
those now in use. Grccnleat aIithme-
ties we have thoroughly tested i'll the
school room, and we are of opinion that
any series of arithmetics must possess
extraordinary merits to make it neces-
sary to put the people of this state To
the expense of making change III this
time.
/ If the Board of Education would de /
| wise some plan 10y which our schools .
/ should he supplied with better teach /
crS. it would deserve and receive the
] gratitude of the people.
There is no doubt that live and skill
| full teachers will find in Grernlcat"s
alithmeticS all the assistance they need.
/ to give their pupils Il thorough kmowl-
edge of this department of education.
! y
state will appreciate the cNpedicncy OF
/ this change recommended 10y the Board.
especially when they take into consider
alton all the influences which may have
been brought To- bear upon the subject.
The secretary ought to have been
satisfied with his present salary and /"
have devoted himself to his Legitimate
business He receives tor his services
is secretary of the Board twelve hun
bred dollars annually. " it'll his travel
ing and hotel expenses paid. At the
same time holds the office and performs
the duties of superintendent of the
schools i'll the city of Burlington on IL
salary of one thousand dollars. Not
content with such an income, he came
before the legislature al its last session.
. and asked tol an addition OF four hun
| ,llcd dollars to his salary. But that
body Thought that he wa> already re-
, criling an adequate compensation for
/ services rendered and refused his re
quest. Ii seems. however. that he L. III
- Il fair WAY to obtain H. profit on the sale
: at his books (ii he can persuade the
. people of the state To buy them) Il sum
: hich ought To satisfy his gra>piug sell
T tiShntSS. Should he succeed i'll intro
ducimg his books into all the schools ri
+ the state. it will probably cost each pa
: pill an average not less than fifty cents.
I This will make the total cost for ScVcu-
|, tN-thou>and children. thirty seven thou
sand five hundred dollars. Thirty three
:. per cent. on this sum will Weld the seq
. rctarl iii such Ice his pcrcemtIgcl the
- nice little sum of twelve Thousand three
:, hundred and >cvcnty-tivr dnllar>: and
:, all this tur putting int" the schools a
series at alithmctic>. the merits ot
which. according to good competent
. Judges. compare unt;tN "rahly with hooks
" of the same class now in use Ne hope
I that teachers and parents will di>cuun-
temancc this contemplated change.
;, IittstOrd. Fcb. >. GINS.
e The following is the substance "t the
=, article referred to 10y the writer Of the
foregoing a. from the pen of Il teach
: ,cr:
Ii | cannot conceive how six sensible
ii men could hc persuaded to adopt Il st
ii ricS of hooks comparing 81 poorly viii
n other books "fthe SAME grade. II must
II he the aIitImctics were adopted ON tn,
X recommendation of the imported >ecIr
le tary and hook agents; tol il cannot Ii,
ii that the. members of the Beard are Il
1t devoid of ScI>c that. after Il careful eA
" animation. they would adopt Il book -
L. inferior 10 those now IL use, and 50 lum
Of beIed up with rule upon rule for alnoS
~ the same thing, and with :" ah>tru>'
II and misty explanations that they con
nj fuse the pupil and he fails t" get Il clca
re conception of anything.
IT, After giving several instances of gllr
- ing errors i'll the book. the writer con
IL timues:
These errors might lie enumerated
- ad HfHitUm. for the book Is full OF pal
=, pahle errors from beginning 10 end. ant
Am vet this is the book that the Board u
sh Education recommend tn be placed II
tL the hands of the children of Vermont Il
oil iii them for business i'll active life. ANY
nj pelson of common education. who Is I'm
nd biased by the power that turks behIn
10 the throne, will easily see by eXaminI
N, ton that French's aIithmetics are YER
ng inferior To the Practical now i'll Use /
mo- the state, and we do not wonder that :
,rf many of the prominent teachers OF tn
he state have expressed their determine
ox ton not to use them.
,st We think the Secretary of the Boar
~ has set IA bad example 10y introducin
ms his aritbmetics into the schools OF tn
.Iv state contrary to law, whenever h
cd could find any one that he could Undue
he to try them. and we shall expect to sc
ms the law regulating the use of schoo
,sS books in Vermont disregardtd by mo-
If teachers for the next five Years.
The Pittsburgh Commercial, spcakin
of the Republican party, says:
In its willingness To drag coiruptlU
ID to the light consists one of the strongcf
da assurances of the perpetuity of the Re