The Portland daily press., 1896-10-16


Mrs. Kenwiok; Every Monday club, Far
mington, Mrs. Mcdonald; Century Art
club. Pennington, Mrs. Keyes; Sterl,pe
club, Fryeburg Mrs. Hutchins Woman q
Library club, Fryeburg, Mrs. Gordon
Current Events club. Gardiner. M,s
Quimby; Current Events, Hallowell
Miss Cass by letter, Clavier club, Lewis
ton, Mrs Gerrish; Cosmos club. Lewis
ton, Miss Cooper; History club. Lewis
ton, Mrs. Chase.
The Evening Session.
The evening session of the Federation
was opened by an inspiring quartette.
Troubadour's song, by Watson, by Mrs.
White. Miss Rice. MIR. Day, Mr.. Pierce,
which: was given delightfully."-, and with
a stJ 10 that always characterizes the
work of this quartette.
Mrs Hart introduced here, Miss
| Homans. who by special request, read
paper on The character of Mrs. Mary
Heminway, which was OF greatest
interest, bringing SO clearly before us,
the wise, beautiful character of this well
known Boston philanthropist.
Next on the programme was a poem by
Mrs. Caroline W. d. Rich, Of the Sum
shine club, Lewiston. Mrs. Hunt gave
the opportunity to Miss Snow, to intro
duoe the two speakers, who were unable
to speak in the afternoon at her
Ground Table, Miss Snow very perth
nently said that it was fairly easy
thing to supsrinteud schools in city,
but in Rural District" 1T was another
matter, and as Mrs. Porter of Carl ou,
was a successful superintendent in those
same rural districts, we could guess her
ability.
| Mrs. Porter aptly responded that the
audience could see why they all liked
Miss Snow. because she said such nice
things to them. Her very able report il
as follows:
THE RURAL SCHOOL PROBLEM.
The Importance of this subject Ia so
universally recognized in educational
circles that a committee of eleven of our
prominent educators are now at work on
a report to be published in November
concerning the conditions that exist in
our rural schools throughout the coun-
try.
Had that report been already given to
the public valuable suggestions and sta
tistios taken therefrom could, doubtless,
be embodied in this paper.
But, while not assuming TO offer any
solution to this pro blem, am not with
out some valuable resources in presenting
some features of rural school work In tn 9
State of Maine.
The annual report sent outsby the State
: Superintendent of Schools Hon. W. w..
Stetson, Is a valuable contribution to tn g
cause of education and has attracted
much attention.
DR.. w. [. Harris, who stands at the
head of educational work In this country,
said in Augusta last Septem Der, which
d great delre to visit Maine, not only
because men of strong directing power
in the affiirs of the nation had come
from our state, but because he was ex-
ceedingly interested In this report of our
common schools. Therefore, from this
authentic source the basis Is taken for
many Of the statements made.
A better knowledge of the Importance
of this question may be had, Eperhaps, by
"a relative comparison Of the number
of pupils found in our rural schools with
those OF our cities and larger towns. The
wh0le number Of pupils enrolled in the
state in 1895 was 1876, 59S. Taking the
cities and all the larger towns having
more than five hundred registered there
are found TO be about 80, 000 which, sub.
tracted from the whole number gives
approximately some 85, QUO as the
lnumber of pupils who attend the rural
/ iohools. But in this so, 900 are included
Inany of those that should be classed as
lrural because of the small schools in the
.. bullying districts of the larger towns; go
lit will be seen at once that very large
tsSr A{<,, 80
found in the rural schools.
That these rural schools have degener-
z lated from the standard Of our fathers il
"a generally accepted fact.
One reason for this is that children
Enow-a-days leave school before they have
time to acquire the elements Of an Eng
Ilish education. That there are SO few
: common schools should alarm all who
I believe that the safety of the republic
i depends on the education of the citizens.
4 Out of 200 schools visited by Supt.
II Stetson 81 per cent of the children were
q under this age.
Il The tendency to leave school and en-
gage in soma work. or waste the time in
4 idleness, is increasing each year.
81 AS the boys and girls OF today are tC
II be the men aud women of tomorrow how
II oan we with such conditions become ar
4 educated people2 For it is not education
( to be able merely to write ones name OIL
4 to read an article in the constitution O.
our civil government.
That the state makes generous provis
ions for the education of the children Ia
shown In the fact that the expense ha
increased 80 per cent in 1896 compared
with 1885. IN 1885 the total amount OF
money expended was 81, OBS, Ao3, includ
ing supervision, and the number o
pupils registered, 1A4, 400. In '95 til,
whole amount expended was 81, 322, "a:
with 1876, 598 pupils, thus making the COS
per capita to be $9.68 in '95 compared
with 81. 16 in 49,.
There has been gain of 5000, 600 Ii
school property in the ten years. Nov
the question naturally arises, Why ar
we not with this more oostly machinery
and modern methods achieving results
proportionate to the increased expense?
Let US in answer to this inquiry con-
siderssome of the. e.oonditions under whiol
these pupils aressupposed to be laying
the foundation of an education intended
to flt them for the duties of citizenship
for the state maintains public schools al
pu blic expense. not simply for the pupil
, benefit, but for the benefit of organize
!, society. Our republican institution
rest upon the Intelligence and moralit
cf the citizens and our public schools ex