The Portland daily press., 1883-02-10
always formed before the pupil reaches the

| 11lRu 5C0OOl.
have not given instruction in the High
School since 1872, but, have given lessons IN
| the lower grades regularly as before mentioned.
Now once more il Enquirer wishes to know
| the exact state of our schools in writing when
| no special teacher was employed he can find
| the information by calling at my house, for
happen to have in my possession specimens
from all OF the grammar grades (no writing
was then done in the primary at the time my
labors commenced in 1870. 1t was not until
two years la6er that Isucceeded after repeated
ly urging the committee to make the expert
ment, to get copy books into the first class OF
the primary. The success was SO great that
another step was taken and now at least In
four OF the six years In the primary school
writing is taught and this term reaches TO the
ffth in some cas- 8. ssIt 'Tnq airer" wants proof
OF the above he can find il Dy referring to my
reports to the school board.
The advice of Palonius to Laertes, "to be-
ware OF entrance to quarrelp is wholesome,
but newspapers were unknown in his day, and
now, being in" it may be we'll to try and follow
the remaining clause, therefore may possibly
be allowed word in regard to special teachers.
Since my connection with the schools there
mas been constant change of teachers, and
this from the nature of the case will always be.
Take an illustration: In the North Grammar,
first class, at least seven different teachers
nave mad charge, covering term of service
from one to two years, viz: Misses Blanchard,
Crafts, Nutting, Foster, Babb, Coolidge and
Roblnson, (and for short time others also.)
aside from the principals. What is true of
this class is true of most others lin the
be well nigh impossible to keep the writing up
to the present standard, unless there was SON
general supervision.
do not wish to have it understood that it is
my right to claim all the honor for the i'm
provements, but at the time of nv taking hold
of this work the writing was poor, none at all
In the primary; no uniformity; although all
used the same kind of copy books, with pro-
fuse explanations at the head of each page.
Inc dlinculty was principally want of proper
supervision,-just the kind over the whole
clty as inquirer" mentions having met with
ana been attracted by at the Spring street
school.
One of the chief duties of my office is not on
~ 10 secure but TO retain just such supervision
as that, and this is no easy matter where such
constant change is going on.
IL gives me pleasure to testify in this public
manner, OF the hearty cooperation of the ma
lorlty OF the teachers, and am glad to accord
them the honor due them. H. W. SHAYLoR.
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION AGAIN.
To the Editor Of the Press.
had supposed, until the recent discussion of
the school system revived it, that the doctrine
that the State owed its youths fit training for.
the highest duties of life was acknowledged by
all. My interest cenrered in the direction and
ends of this training. My claim was for great
er simplicity in the primary studies SO that
greater excellence might be attained in Read
ing Writing, Arithmetic and Geograph at the
age when too many children, especially boys,
are called upon to begin the labors of life. But
when many European nations are turning out
youths better fitted than ours to command the
prizes of life, which are awarded only to those
best trained in the highest schools, it is no time
to talk about the beggarly three RS, and re-
turn to the school training of the past. The
very essence of republicanism is equal rights
te all; equal opportunities for children of the
rich and poor to attain knowledge.
No need of the State furnishing the highest
educationl What does history teach? When
Prussia lay humiliated painting for life at the
end of her struggle with the great Napoleon,
her wise men conceived the idea of nation of
educated soldiers. That idea was instruction by
the State, compulsory, equal, from the primary
school to the gymnasium, mental and physi-
cal training for ALL followed by years of SER
vice in the army. To-day the uneducated SOL
diery OF the bravest nations cannot cope, man
to man, with the disciplined soldier of Prussia,
whose education begins with the infant and
ends only with the mature man.
These monarchists are better republicans
than we, for their schoolmen are pushing us to
the wall in every country in North and South
America. For example: When some twelve
years ago asked Mr.. S. E. Spring what chance
there would be for High School graduate in
Buenos Ayres, the reply was, mo chance at
all; the Germans with their superior education
moEopoize the clerkships." Mr.. Horatio Fox
says of Cuba:-"Young Germans of 90 TO 81
VI NJ ayo fhar al oil
cant clerkships in the last years of my business
in Cuba, and as they were masters of the Ian
guages, excellent draughtsmen and thorough
bookkeepers, we we're able 10 employ them at
once, at the highest desks, as bookkeepers and
corresponding clerks"
For one, | do not wish to see our boys filling
places better suited for our girls, ss;, de- nqt
trades and to hear i; said that foreign born
youths are coming in to fill the places of men
who served as apprentices 10 master mechanics
thirty and forty years ago. | long to see an
honest, manly fight inaugurated between the
supporters of the practical or mathematical
school system and the upholders of the lltera-
ry and classical system of school instruction.
For one, / believe that our High school should
be made moreIpractical; and that. either con-
Dected with it or as new school, we should
have an industrial course of instruction
where thorough instruction should be given in
mechanics and the useful arts
/ look back with shame, and amusement too,
at the evident loss of caste which one of my
comrades and schoolmates sustained when he
appeared on the street in blue drilling shirt,
coarse clothes, overalls under arm and dinner
pail in hand. on his way to the Portland Com
pany. And when met him, later on, at some
party, he did seem to my silly fancy little
out of place; truly he WIS, for most of US were
not fit to associate with him. But his wise
father, learned lawyer and scholar, sustained
him in his course, and years before most of the
doubters had got beyond beggarly cerksnip.
he was crossing the Atlantic, in the pay of
rich corporation, to master the details of the
Bessemer and other processes of manufacture
ing steel, and had become master mechanic,
highest prizes of manhood.
One of the drones, non-producers-ma be
pardoned for wishing to see his boys fitted to
deal with the actual problems in this age of
steel. My demand is not for less expenditure
for schools, but for more, and for better schools
horo ubr,x inc. hr1f tho