Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-09-27

Is vastly greater in a high than ID a low building. The Porter street building must also be enlarged at an early date unless in creased accommodations at Bank street re- lieve the congestion in that section of the dis trict.
 The welton street building was unfortu- nately located in low. damp ground. It Is impossible to keep the cellar dry and the building as now constructed is not well ven- tilated. If it could be raised several feet and the .cellar filled in to the same extent, 1t would greatly improve 1t.
 The present number of school rooms in use in the district is 93.
 The teachers including assist ants number 120.
 TEXT BOOKS.
 No changes in text books have been intro dueed during the past year as the board has been averse to putting parents or pupils to expense when 1t could be avoided during these stringent times. few supplemental readers were introduced with manifest ad- vantage. These were purchased at the ex- pense of the district and are in'erchanged between the different rooms SO as to lessen the cost. A few books of reference were also bought but the libraries of the schools are still sadly deficient and hardly worthy of the name. Good tools in the hands of m incom- petent person will not make him a skilled workman-but the best workman with poor tools works at manifest diz advantage.
 MANUAL TRAINING.
 The manual training department under the charge of MT. J. M. Taylor has made eommendable progress. Starting with op- position on the part of some and indifference on the part of many the better its work is understood the more 1t gains in popular favor. We have heard intelligent parents say: "I don't care to send my boy to school to drive nails or saw blocks-if wish to make him u carpenter will apprentice him to a builder or a machInist, will placs him in a machine shop" They forge! that some of the elementary principles of geometry and physics are easily learned by manual school methods. Even a small child will learn di- mensions by cutting paper with regular forms. We do not profes! to turn out prac- tical carpenters or machinists or handi- craftsmen by this method. but the training they receive in this department will be of benefit to the pupils no matter what avoca- ton they enter.
 By an act of the legislature of our neigh boring state of Massachusetts passed this year manual training is made compulsory in the schools of every city in the state con tainIng 2O.OOO population.
 The class Tn mecnanlcal urhWlnB neiu lh the Bank street school was we'll attended nd good work was accomplished. It was the most satisfactory class in our evenin r schools.
 MU=IC.
 There has been no teacher of music for some years until the summer term when MT. o. R. Bill was appointed. His success was so marked that he has been reappointed.
 sExISa.
 The work in this department under the charge of Mss Frances Lounsbury has fully justified her appointment. An exhibition of It's work made last spring in one of the rooms of the High school building was an agreeable surprise to many. It Is matter of regret that all the mothers in the district did not sec IL.
 The examination Of teachers, the GrhduRt- ing exercises of the High and grammar schools and several other subjects worthy Of mention are omitted We trust they will be fully treated in the report of our able and efficient superintendent.
 Finally we suggest as worthy sf serious consideration whether it would not bs .d- vantagsous 10 secure an amendment 10 our charter providing for the slectloa of the board of education and district committes for three years. portion 10 be chosen each year the same as town school visitors. Such a change would provide against any possi- bilIty of the board being composed entirely of new and inexperienced members.
 In behalf of the board,
 Gao H CowRTI