Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-10
SCHOOL REFORMS.

BY practically unanimous vote the sec
ond amendment to the Constitution of the
State has been adopted. The Republican
party has been triumphant in California
In its platform it was pledged to friendship
for the second amendment We therefore
no longer entertain any fears that the
amendment will be defeated by any antag-
onism on the part Of The Legislature. 1t
Will be carried into effect, and there remains
only the question Of methods
One of the important matters in this
connection TO come before the Legislature
will be the best means of printing the
school books by the State TO promote the
physical well-being of the pupils in the
public schools 1t may be said that this is
a matter that will be left to the State Board
Of Education, but yyc think the Legislature
must furnish that Board with the means
necessary, and the amount TO be so sup
piled viii DEPEND upon the kind Of work
to be done. We should have the best.
We cannot afford to do any cheap work
Our new school books should be in the
type best adapted to the eye, on paper best
suited to the human sight, and the illustra-
tons Of the best order of wood engraving.
There will be ultimate economy in such a
policy. As the people are to have text
books at cost, let them have books in every
way superior to anything yet printed
For instance it is known that short
sightedness is prevalent in our schools; it
is growing physical aiIment Il is de
monstrable thatit is due very largely 10 our
school books, desks and school-roo,n lights.
The two latter must be matters Of local
concern, bat the former is a matter for State
consideration. The French Government
sometime ago entered into an investigation
of short-siehtedncss in schools, and the re-
port of the commission snow that it is
caused by the effort o accommodate vision to
the requirements OF position by school seat
ing and in bending over; by defective
Lighting, by badly fitting seats and desks,
by bad methods Of writing, by premature
instruction, and by too fine print. The
commission recommend for books yellow
ish and tinted pape-; that each line with
its white should occupy Il minimum vertical
space of5;34 miilimctcrs; that there should
not be more than seven letters to each cur
rent centemeter of text; that every book
should be rejected which is not readable to
good eyes thirty-one inches distant, in the
light Of q standard candle one meter away,
and that every map that i, not distinct I'M
der the same conditions at a distance Of
sixteen inches should be discarded As to
paper and print to be used in textbooks,
therefore, it is within the power OF the Leg
islature 70 exercise an influence that will
determine the matter in the State Board.
1t may do more and introduce reforms
regarding the seating and lighting of school
rooms. 1t costs no more, in a true sense
TO seat aud light school-room well than
i'll. The commission referred to declares
in favor Of Sands rule of straight
writing on straight paper. with a straight
body" II finds that the horizontal dis
tance between the edge of the desk and the
front OF the seat one or two places back,
should be vigorously negative, that Tie
child may not be able to bring the chin
down TO the desk. The back Of the seat
should be inclined to fit the pupils back,
and give position Of rest. The desk top
should incline at such an angle as to make
the paper lying upon ii perpendicular to
the yisular rays. Our own view is that
the light should be ample from the left
side ana back, and should be so admitted
as to freely light the page of every book
1t was agreed by the commission referred
to that a sufficient illumination Of the
darkest part of the room should be the
standard, and that a bit of sky not less than
twelve inches in vertical diameter ought 10
be visible from the least-favored spot.
These are all important matters. That
builders and architects, teachers and school
boards are either largely ignorant of or ne
gIectful regarding the physical require
ments in school buildings is undeniablc,
since 50 many school buildings are defect
i've in lighting, ventilation and seating
That intelligent consideration of these
matters by the Legislature viii be product
i've of good, we sincerely believe, though