The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-03-27

value by reason Of the Normal School
being located there. And the wealth
and population Of the city are great
" increased by people who are in
duced to locate there on account of
the school privileges. All Of this goes
long way towards improving the
town. Now for the educational bene-
fit. As I said before, these schools
were established expressly for teach
ers. But they have not adhered to
that policy. They now have prim-
airy department where lin case) 333
small children of the city are sent to
school at the expense of the state. II
it were not for the Normal School the
city would have to build an extra
school building, at a cost of about
$50, 900, and it would take about
$4,000 for the current expenses of
the school, making 1924, 900, that the
city would have to raise by taxation.
This would require large increase OF
their taxes for schoolpurposes. Then
again, it is mainly beneficial to the
county in which it is located. Take
the Mankato Normal for an example.
Out of 3O5 pupils in the Normal De-
partment last year, IA were from
the county in which it is located.
Renville county furnished one, and
nine other counties furnished one
each. Six counties had no teachers
at any of the four Normal Schools
in the state. There are eleven coun-
ties which have not got single Nor
NAL graduate as q teacher, and some
OF these counties are among the best
in the state, having as many as $50
teachers in some cases, and not one
Normal graduate in the whole lot. I.
think these statements show con-
clusively, that the Normal schools
are local in their influence, being a
great benefit to the communities
where they are located and of very
little benefit to the state at large.
But it is said these schools are free
and our teachers can go there if they
wish to. l say they can not, for the
reason that the great majority of
our teachers are farmers children
who are too poor to afford the ex-
pense of going so far from home and
taking so long course (three to
four years. as is required at the Nor
NAL Schools.
They have been weighed in the
balance and found wanting, and the
sooiler they are closed, the better it
will be for the state at large. Then
the money that now goes to them
can be put where it will benefit the
common school teachers throughout
the state. Experience shows us that
the teachers of the common schools
can not go to the Normal Schools,
therefore what is needed is to bring
the Normal Schools to the teachers.
Not as they now exist, but schools of
a more practical character be estab-
lished in each county where the num-
Der of teachers will justify it. 1t is
not practicable for our common
school teachers to take four years.
professional course of training. Our
common school system as it now ex-
lists, and will continue ito exist for a
good many years to come, does not
require that they should. Now what
our Alliance advocates is this: That
the legislature appropriate suffi-
Gent amount of money to pay for con-
Quoting six weeks teachers train
ing school during the summer vaca-
ton, in every county in the state
having SO or more school teachers
and in those having less if it is deem
ed practicable. Those counties hav-
ing too small a number for school,
could have one by doubling up, or
where that could not be done on ac-
count of being widely separated, they
could attend the school of an adioin-
ing county. To maintain this sys-
tenn OF training schools would require
about one-half the amount of money
THAT is now expended yearly on the
Normal Schools, and the masses of
the people would derive much more
benefit from it than they do now
from twice that amount paid to the
Normal Schools. With such a sys-
TEN in operation, our teachers would
have the opportunity of taking
short professional course each year
right at home, at very small expense,
and still be able to do their usual
amount of teaching each year. We
then would soon have a much better
grade of teachers, and our common
schools and the people at large,
would reap the benefit.
TIC. GREENE.
Cor. Grant County Herald:-
plutocratic press of the jaded cities
is jumping upon Senator Donnelly
and the alliance party with full force.
Without doubt, there is no person or
ma rtu in oxistonco thot IN fo 11ltlorc