Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-04

There are but four more weeks OF the present
school term and the teachers arc busily en-
gagged in their efforts to bring their classes up to
a standard of scholarship that will compa Q fa-
vorably with that OF other cities on this coast.
1t has been found that this has been nearly In
possible, for no matter how hard they worked
they could not instruct the children in all the
branches OF study nearly as Well IN the hkli
day sessions as they might have done bad each
scholar been able to attend fuii sessions;
that at the end OF the present term the
children will compare favorably with those
educated in San Francisco and elsewnere,
where they have received the benefit OF from
five to six hours schooling every day. The
teachers here realized how hard the work was
which was before them at the commencement
bored hard and faithfully, and had they been
less efficient selected with less care the chill
dren would undoubtedly have been IN far
therefore, together With Superintendent fries-
ner aud Deputy Superintendent Mrs. A. 5.
Aveiill, are 70 be praised for their loyalty to
Los Angeles interests, even while lnbor1ng for
less salary than is paid in san Francisco and
other places on the coast 1t 10 said that Los
Angeles has grown from 2; quiet . country town
I there hiss been less growth than in the other
departments Of the city government. In all
citics teachers are engsged BY ne year and are
means 1t has been found possible 70 keep good
| teal hers who feel secure OF their. positions
\ whether school keeps or not. In this city the
| they are in school, or nine or ten months In q
year, still prevails and the best teach rs natur.
ally drift away to other cities where their ser.
vices seem to be better appreciated. That this
state of affairs prevails IS not the fault OF the
Board of Education. which would without
doubt pay teachers, by the year Il enough
p ssas BUT wsfe this ASSs sanoh OF the city
Government iinds itself without the money to
enable 1t to keep up the schools In any other
AZ \. uDfr
Nearly year ago the City Council called an
election for the issuance Of $150,00O in bonds
for the purpose Of erecting school houses then
Issuance of the bonds, but owing. to the timid-
ity Of capital to take any risks. in purchasing
them, they remain still unsold, although de-
clared to be perfectly legal under the act OF the
legislature. 4he money which would have
been obtained from the sale OF these bonds
would have placed the school department in a
condition to compare favorabiy with that
Of other cities. There would then have been
NO complaint from parents that their. children
were on the streets the half Of every day when
they should be in school Instances would not
occur where parents with families would take
them to other places. preferTing 20 live else
where, than to allow their children TO waste the
actually occurred. In one school three
families have been known to leave this city,
and for no other reason. How many more such
there, have been many, and the fact
that Los Angeles possessef no accommodations
for. school children has much to do
with keeping people away, who otherwise
would have settled here. The last report Of the
Board of Education shows that there are seven
ty-three classes averaging sixty scholars In
each, who attend school but half day, and
there are only forty-six classes which, have
been enabled to attend full time After the
coming vacation matters will be worse, for
there have been applications for admission to
the schools which have been refused because
there was no room TO accommodate the appli-
cants. The possibilities nre therefore that ur-
less the bonds are sold, there will not be sin
gle scholar in this city who win be taught over
one half Of the usual time. IT has been
suggested that the bonds might be sold
10 advantage in Eastern centers of
money. y has also been suggested that Super
intendent W. M. Friesner having the interest
OF the schools at heart should be delegated By
the City Council 70 take the the bonds Kast and
dispose of them. II this is not done 1t ID suggest
ed that the Board of Trade and City Council
CONFORMITY take the matter Of raising funds in
hand. TWAS possible TO raise several hundred
thousand dollars for other permanent improve
ments for the city and 1t Is thought that an ae-
tive effort on behalf OF the schools would be
successful, 1t Is urged that Whsteyer IL done
should be done before the schools reopen for
the next term.