The Portland daily press., 1893-04-25
THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
Prompt Steps Toward Establishing a
School for Manual Training-Great Sue
cess of School Gymnastics-Other Mat

tiers.
The school board met last evening.
After the transaction of the routine
business, Superintendent Lord addressed
the board, briefly calling attention to the
generous offer made by Mayor Baxter in
his inaugural, to apply his salary for the
year towards the establishment of
school for manual training. Mr.. Lord
suggested that the committee take some
action in regard to the matter.
Mr.. MCGOWAN moved vote of thanks
to the Mayor for his generosity and his
interest in the schools. This was unani-
mously voted.
Mr.. Thompson then moved that COM
miItee of three be appointed to confer
with the Mayor, and investigate the sub
ject of schools for manual training. This
motion was carried unanimously, and
Messrs. Blake, Brownson and Lord were
appointed as this committee.
There was then some general discus
sion of the subject of manual training,
in the course of which Superintendent
Lord read to the committee extracts
from the school reports of Boston, where
the system has had most excellent re-
suits.
On motion of Mr.. Mcdonald, it was
voted that the committee be allowed to
go to moderate expense in visiting the
manual training schools of Boston and
New York.
Physical Training.
The subject of physical training in the
schools was brought up by Superintend-
ent Lord. He said that the introduction
of this had been a great good to the
schools, and he felt that DR.. Whittier of
Bowdoin ought to be engaged to carry
the work little farther than it has gone
at present, especially so as to keep up
the training and interest of the teachers.
Mr.. Blake concurred with Mr.. Lord in
the opinion that the gymnastics had
wrought great results for the school
children physically; and he was in favor
Of having DR.. Whittier engaged for the
remainder of the term after the May va
cation.
Seventy-five dollars were appropriated
for this purpose.
In response to inquiries. Mr.. Lord said
the results of the training were seen in
fewer STOPPING shoulders and in the fact
that the children walk better and sit bet
ter than before. They also like it. 1t
has been very valuable, and might be
more so if the school rooms would per-
NIT it. About Is minutes were given
each day to the exercises.
Miscellaneous.
Bills to the amount of $S6s2.3O were
approved.
About 5000 were appropriated for the
purchase of books for supplemental
readings; the following works being Sc
lected, Shakespeare Tales, by Lamb;
True stories of New England History;
Six Tales of the Arabian Nights; Hans
Andersen; Wonder Book; Grandfather's
Chair; Larkin Dunton's s'The World
and Its People,; Tanglewood Tales;
Hawthorne's True Stories.
A request was presented from Mrs. F.
E. Boothby that the school children be
allowed to contribute towards the cost
of the liberty bell for the Worlds Fair.
The request was granted unanimously.
Twenty-Five dollars were voted for ma
terial for the kindergarten.
The subject of putting weights and
measures into the primary schools was
referred to the committee on text books.
From the evening schools, Mr.. Allan
reported that the school for women had
been closed, as the attendance had drop
ped to two or three members. The school
for men still continued in interest, but it
would soon be time to close it until next
next fall.