The Portland daily press., 1883-02-06
THE SCHOOLS.
should the City Maintain High SCHOOL,

The late discussion in the PRESS we'll as
the remarks thereupon by many citizens,
would lead to the conclusion that a serious con-
viction prevails among a large rum Der that pub
lie education should be limited to grammar
schools. Que correspon dent says: al bellows
the attention OF our boys should he turned
away from books aud to the great need of this
country, skilled labor" | would ask:
d. lot cur best mechanics desire workmen
who have had high school education? And
do not he best educated boys have an advan-
tsge in learning industrial arts? II may be
said that High school boys do not learn trades
but pres into The professions which are al
ready overcrowded. This is true to a certain
degree, but only true to the extent that every
boy seeks the most desirable and remunerative
occupation AS the tide of business flows and
eobs, all occupations are equally overcrowded
Engineering has been favorite employment.
but how many engineers do we not now fud
engaged in other business?1 1t is true sthe
trades are filing up with the children of I'M
migrants, but that is because they press in to
improve their condition, while the children OF
our mechanics are striving for something bet.
ter. Ii industrial art offers better induce
ments than the professions the High school
boys will quickly accept them. 1t will be
noticed also that the children of immigrants
frequently try hard to get High school edu-
cation, if only one year of it. Their children
will be striving for the professions and their
foreign blood will be forgotten. In Europe
where they wish to continue The system of
caste, and keep each rank within its own con-
diton, it is desired to limit education among
workingmen, but it seems to me that our the
DRY is to the contrary.
l have heard it said that it does not nav to
keep the High school running TO graduate the
little class of boys who go through the course.
1T is true that many of the boys could be semitic
academies by their parents, but some of them
could not, and is it fair to say to the struggling
laDorer or journeyman mechanic, your boy
must remain in your own condition because
you are poor? is not our very theory If taxa
ton that of taxing the rich for the benefit of
the poor? But 1T Is said, the poor man really
pays the taxes. Let us see. A man who paws
taxes on $1,000 contributes say fifty cents a year
to the High school. If he has five children be
gets twenty years OF tuition from it which
would cost him eight hundred dollars at an
academy, and this sum would be likely to come
all within twelve years, or about sixty-seven
dollars year. If he sends but one child he
gets forty dollars year for four years. Now,
admitting that property puts its burden ON
the poor man in rent and profits, which is open
to argument, as to the proportion, this is the
relative proportion which the cost of the High
school bears to the total taxation, and the
poor man does not often pay taxes on $1,000.
This burden would keep many bright boy out
of the academy.
But, says your correspondent, "The boy who
is persevering, industrious, frug Il, will get an
education if he feels the need of it, either
from books or from contact with the world as
bis tastes lead HIM.
met man last week, man successful in
his vocation, man of excellent taste and high
appre citation in some kinds OF literature, who
has pointed out beauties in Dickens and Shak
spear which had escaped my uutice, who had
been invited to address society on a subject
with which he is better acquainted than per-
haps any other man in the State, ''bus," said
he, 81 had So little schooling that | was mo-
willing to subject myssf TO criticism 1t IS
true his audience would not have been critical,
but he felt The want oi exactly y hat the High
school IS giving our boys and girls Again IS
II not fsmi lar xperietce that the boy who un-
| deftakes TO study by hin sell often finds he
has lost months OF time which he might have
| saved with Com petent teacher? / wasted
! two years on one study accom- plishlng what
| 1 aiIerw ards found could have done in three
| months.
There are hundred and fifty boys in the
| High school, aud still larger number of girls.
| Some critics aver that they ,lesrnnohiug there
| When mpare High school scholar with
one OF the Grammar school, | fnd the same
| difference IN cuIlore that l sea in size. Ii is
| very marked. AS much SO as between Prma-
| ry and Grammar school. Now the social posi-
| ton iii This country is fixed more by education
| and manners than by wealth. Wealth may
bring its possessor into the highest society, but
only kindred tastes can make friendships.
| Shall not the poor mans daughter have an
equal chance if she will work for it? When
some have gone far enough they drop out, but
why say the others shall not go forward? In
this countrywe are just beginning to appreci-
ate art ana culture, and the coming genera
tion will demand all that is now taught in the
High school aud more. Time was when our
sturdy and practical Saxon aud Norman ances-
tors though reading and writing effsminafe;
we have got by thai, Let not make similar
mistake, and above all let us all have fair
| chance, MxsEAsIc,