The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-14

machinery should be rs simple IS IL con
sfSteftt with effective working. Its dietlon
shoEld be clear, that there be no reason 70
mistake IT, meaning
The revenua should not be STATED its
officers Should be ssaaried sufficiently %
warrant the command Of she best talent
for supervision; the state fund should %
30 Distributed that the xeak country dis
trse1s would fee les rejayenating inauence.
Just here let me say that it requires l01
teschers In the country 10 give instruction
20 the same number Of pupils thai may be
taught BY sixty teachers IN to.ns and
ezfies Therefore. the state fund Should Be
divided 10 the districts according 20 TIE
number Of teachers employed. insuring 70
each district, however weak. represents
ton Of one.
That the law may be simple there should
be q state superinsendent--which Is alrea1y
provided for-county superintendent, state
board Of education, county boards OF ex-
animation, uniformity OF examinations,
uniformity Of textbooks, etc. Country.
town and city should BE included in one
grand system. and care should be taken IN
decorating special privileges.
Tie question OF uniformity OF textbooks
is Of vital importance 20 the people. a
hili has been presented in the legislature
which provides that cities Of 500 inhabi.
tants may adopt their own series. Under
such las Washington might AZ once ind
herself burdened with four series of books
and the people put to much needless ex-
pense, Ia all cases Of removal from city 20
city, or from country or village 70 city, or
the reverse. ! can see no reason Why
reader, geography. grammar or an arith-
matte which is good for the country Is not
the best for the city. Is it not probable
that q state board Of education win be as
well qualified 70 select series of books as
the city board? Ii is urged that the state
board Is so hedged bout By legal condi-
tons that they are unable 10 procure the
best books. Would not the people OF the
cities be az the mercy of the powers that be
at every change in the administration. I'M
less the cities were bound down by legal
restriction2 Uniformity means saving
10 the people OF the state, tens Of thou
sands of dollars annually. am unable TO
see that it means any loss. All cities
should have, and now have. the right TO
select the books upon branches not pro-
yided for by the state board. Another bill
has been presented 10 the Legislature that
all cities of less than 20.000 inhabitants
have exclusive management Of their
schools. Were this 70 become law there
woald he no system. but instead, hundreds
of broken pieces. The schools would
at once become part of the
political machine. It is pro-
vided in another bill already in
the hands Of the committee on education
that a city board Of examination be estab-
lislied. 1t is urged that many efficient
teachers who spend their lives in lower
grade primary work are unable to pass the
regular county examination. Why not
provide spreciai primary county exanina-
ton. and preserve the unit. There are
many teachers in the country whose work
is wholly primary, and why should city
teachers be given favors over thsm7
Specialists in languages, music, painting,
industrial work, ETC., should be permitted
TO teach their speciality without being sub
jeeted 10 the regular examination.
One of the most pressing needs Is the
enactment OF law which shall provide
for the sale. or lease, as soon as possible, of
portion of the school lands. The schools
need the revenue which viii come from
this source, and since the interest
only can be used. II prompt action
Is taken, il viii be nearly three
years before any money viii be avail
able. Let us have q thorough high-school
system, untrammeled by restriction of sub
jeuts, with course leading 10 the Univer-
sity AS IL will be three or four years be-
fore State Normal school can be put in
working order, would IL not be good plan
10 provide for q course. and for efficient
training in normal methods in our State
University?
May our legislature realize the full inn
port of this subject and proceed with such
wisdom that the coming generation may
point with pride TO the school system Of
Washington rs the grandest in the nation.
o. =. JoSEs.