St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-27
SCHOOL FIRE ESCAPES.
Hard Problems Given Small Chil
dren-Anent Taxes.

At the chamber of co mmerce yester
day the committee on fire department
%ported resolution, which was adopt
ed, Calling the attention OF the board of
education TO the Inadequate protection
in the high school building against fire.
| Mr.. Williams said there were 900 TO
1000 children in the building, with only
two ladders, and no fire instruction to
children. Attention was called to other
buildings, where 1t was alleged there
was even less provision than here.
Prof. Gilbert said the fire escapes were
inadequate, ana gave very clear idea
af what. in his Judgment, they should
be. He sad there were fire drills in all
the public schools, lasting, however. not
to exceed thirty seconds to two min
utes.
Mr.. Stahl called attention to diff
culties in the course of instruction in
the lower grades. In one. for instance,
where the children know nothing Of the
multiplication table and are not al
lowed to take up any combination Of
figures beyond thirty, he finds problems
like this: l sell two-fitths aud give
away one-third of my farm, and have
nine acres left; what is the size of my
farm? Think of such question put to
little tots scarcely in the second reader.
Another which came to his attention
was this: A pole stands two-tifths in
mud, eleven feet in water, and the re-
mainder in the air; what is the length
OF the pole? He did not wish to criti.
else the schools unfairly. but he did
think there was something wrong in
course which propounds such questions
to so young pupils. The difficulty came
to his notice through his own child. who
was marked excellent in her studies
until such examples were reached, when
he found her becoming discouraged,
and by inquiry he found like effect on
Others. and they lost interest in the
schools. He moved that committee of
three be appointed to examine and re-
port as to the course of instruction in
the public schools. This was amended
so as to embrace any other matter of in
terest in connection with the public
schools, and adopted.
Prof. Gilbert urged the adoption of
the resolution, as good would certainly
result from it. The course of instruc-
ton has been greatly modified since the
members of the chamber were In school,
and he believed. improved. As to the
examples cited by Mr.. Stahl, he regard
ed them as excellent intellectual exer-
else. Much more difficult ones than
these are readily solved by even
younger pupils, and yet inquiry will
result only in good. Messrs. Stahl,
Dorr and Suydam were appointed a
committee under the resolution.
Mr.. Dorr offered resolution, which
was adopted, that the committee on
taxes and city and county officers report
as to the salaries paid city and county
ofhcerS, and as to whether there had
been an increase or a decrease since
1889; also as to the number of officials,
clerks and inspectors under the pay of
the city and county, and the amount of
pay received by them, and as to the
amount OF fees received by them, the
matter to be made a special order for
the second Monday in March, at which
time all members of the chamber are
requested to be present and participate
in the discussion.
MesSrs. Hodgson, Auerbach and Stew
ens were appointed committee to pre-
pare suitable resolutions on the death
of Maj. Strait.