The Newtown bee., 1894-02-23
NUMBER s
They are handsome to look ar and sel
 readily in the market.
HATFERTowE.
A TAXPAYERS OPINION.

The article in the last issue of THE BEE headed "Have We Public Spirit? ?'' was at once pertinent and timely. It is a fact that we are away "behind the times;' in just one respect, and in what respect would be manifest to anyone taking a a peep inside the doors of our school house. Evidences are not wanting that the people of this place are wide-awake and progressive in most ways. The gen. eral air of comfort and thrift, character lstic of nearly every farm and home stead, is frequently noted and favorably commented upon by strangers passing through here. Talk to nine out of 10 of all the men in Hattertown about any of the ordinary affairs of life and you will find them well posted, intelligent, alert and business like, in fact,up to the times In every sense, every time. But branch oil on to school matters and, especially If you advocate improvements in line with the spirit of the age in which we live, they at once become as the prover- Dial oyster-mum. Some will discuss the matter readily enough, though, and find that most of them are opposed to | making improvements. Many of them are advocates of tariff reform, but when it comes to ''schoolroom reform they are mot in it, ''It was just the same when 1 went to school as it is now. did not need or expect anything better, and why should children now" is a favorite argument. They seem to lose sight of the fact that in the days of their youth schOolrOom equipments were much more costly than now Combi- nation desks and seats are cheap and they add vastly to the appearance of the room. Is it not reasonable to suppose that if we make our schoolrooms attrac- tive and pleasant the children will take more pleasure in study and, in conse- quence, learn faster with less effort? Take our own school as an example. Ask any child how it likes to go to school. The answer will probably be Pretty well," or words to that effect {. With easy seats and a well lighted, airy room it will be unnecessary to question them to find out what they think of it. They will take pleasure in telling what nice school they have, because, being pleasant for them, they are interested. An! that's the key of the whole thing; ''the one thing needful." Interested that's the word. Once the child is inter- ested and the first and most important step toward a good school is taken. The rest will come easily. How awaken this interest? Can it be done by seating them side by side on hard blanks that run the whole length of the room, one on each side and one across the end, ! with smaller station benches in the center for the little ones: I Urow not A hard seat is not conducive to comfort, a seat with no back ditto. Benches and seats marred and defaced by the on- slaughts of numerous ''jack'' knives in the hands of restless boys, do not pre- sent a pleasant picture to the eye; neither to the long reaches of bare walls, unrelieved by pretty Autograph or print. Children are intelligent, appreciative and susceptible. Give them painted, easy seats-seats that may be regarded as objects of beauty as we'll as of utility, the schoolroom will have Ia new charm for them, going to school will have a new meaning to theYs- They will prove susceptible to the influence you have brought to bear upon them, they will appreciate it and will become intelligent ly interested. Yes, give us new seats for our school house. No, not that, we will buy them. Won't we, neighbors and friends of our district school? Shall we not keep in the front ranks with all our sister districts and resolve that we will not be relegated to the rear just because of few old, worn out benches in our schoolhouse? Let us all work together
 ward a common end-the advancement in the educational facilities of our dis trict. If we do this, success cannot be other than an assured fact. But we should ''get move on." Now we're way back in 1S44-50 years behind the times. Take the first step and call a special school meeting so that we can ''contrive"' together to some purpose Tax Payer. -~s>