The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-29
THE TRUSTEES ORGANIZE
-FOUR HUNDRED OF THESE OFF,
GALS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.
b. n. Kramer Wants More Pra ctical
Teaching in Country SchOOIs-TOp-
les of Other Speakers.

The Indiana Trustees Association was or
ganized at Masonic Hall yesterday at a
meeting of the township trustees of the
State. Four hundred of these officials came
to the city yesterday to attend the annual
gathering which will continue over to-day.
Heretofore there has never been a regular
organization.
The meeting of the trustees opened at 10
o'clock yesterday morning. G. III. Greiger,
of Laporte county, presided as chairman,
and B. F. Johnson, of Benton county, was
secretary. The first work of the meeting
was to perfect a permanent organization,
which was named the Indiana Trustees
Association A constitution was adopted,
which set out that 1.-The trustees of the
civil and school townships of Indiana do
hereby associate themselves together for
the purpose of centralizing their efforts for
the advancement of matters under their
official charge" The association is to hold
annual meetings in this city during holiday
week. 1t was the understanding among
members of the association that the or
ganization was formed for the purpose of
considering matters pertaining to the duties
of township trustees, to the end that more
perfect laws may be secured for the gov
eminent of township affairs. The assoca-
iton is to have president, vice president,
secretary, treasurer and an executive COM
mittee. The treasurer will furnish a bond
of 81 600.
A slight misunderstanding occurred dur
ing the morning between the chairman and
one of the trustees of Marion county. In
the appointment of one of the committees
it so happened that four Republicans and
one Democrat were selected. The latter OBJ
jected to the political complexion of the
committee, and charged the chairman with
trying to bring politics into the organiza-
ton. The chairman denied the charge and
the matter was discussed and settled sat
isfactorily. After the organization had
been completed the trustees listened to a
paper by b. K. Kramer, of Lafayette, on
Our Country Schools; Compulsory Educa-
tion.' Mr. Kramer is of the opinion that
there is too much technical education in
the country schools. He thought there
should be more practical teaching. He be-
lieved bookkeeping and kindred studies
should be taught and that the State Board
of Education should include these things
in the curriculum Mr.. Kramer favored
the compulsory education law, but thinks
it should be extended so that it will affect
children until they are sixteen years of age
at least.
On the question of practical education Mr.
Kramer said THE practical side in the de-
velopment of language may be we'll illus
trated by the young man that desires to
learn the trade of printer. He is not
asked when he presents himself to the fore
man whether he has studied English gram
mar in the public schools; in face he may
not know one part of speech from another
but you will find that in a few years he will
have acquired a language and will be able
TO correct the language of almost all our
graduates or teachers should they present
an article to him for publication. Our text
books on the English language should be
used more as reference books. i hold that
language can be taught just well as
arithmetic. If the common artisan had the
command of language that he should have,
and must have If properly taught, there
might be fewer lawyers in our halls of Con-
gress and Legislature, whereby the varied
interests of the people might be the bet
ter represented. The parents themselves
are largely to blame for these deficiencies
They do not visit the schools; they seldom
ask the children anything about their school
work, unless the child happens to ask for
cil.''
Yesterday afternoon the trustees listened
to a paper by S. B. Davis, editor of the
ways" He would do away with the road
supervisors and so back to the old custom
of appointing road superintendent. In
stead of having the voter work out his
road tax Editor Davis would have the tax
paid into the county and expended judi
ciously on road improvements. The discus
sion of this paper was led by John Q. A.
Worth Trittipo, of Fortville, followed Ed
itor Davis with paper on Public
to advance. He recommended that bitches
should be ma ntained by letting out con-
tracts instead of by the individual labor of
He thought this plan would be more sat
isfactory. John Patterson. of Wadena,
Ind led the discussion of this paper. To-
day the following topics will be discussed:
Care of the Poor" by George Bishop, of
Richmond; County Auditing Roard.' by
p. Lyon of Koutz, Ind; Medical Attend
ance of Poor" by S. l.. Baugh, Nj. d.. of
the Farmers Institute. This evening the
officers will be elected.