The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-04-02
a CITY suprRlNTBNDENT
Instead Of a Clerk Wanted for the
Schools u Astoria.

Astoria. April i.--CEditor Astorlan. y
From time immsanorlal unity Of effort
has characterized efficacy. without
unity greater effort IL demanded, thus
energy Is expended usebssly. 'Tis
economy then to unity effort. or as
Baldwin put Il. We'll directed effort
IA the condition Of all development"
Each tcaeher may be proficient be-
y0nd question In her line. yet her
pupils. receiving oartain instructions
m hcr peculiar way. may experience
great difficulty. some perhaps meeting
disaster. in making a change. e.g.. how
troublesome Il ls % classify children
who come frrpm rural districts into
city schools. Many things have BEEN
done that must be undone and many
things left undone that must be done;
thus energy has been expended use
lessly. The need. plain TO be seen. Is
TO have We'll dlrecsed effort" The
above Is the extreme. yet the prin-
cipal II any school has to exercise
care along this line 10 promote the
welfare OF each pupil. One teacher
may persist IN doing things her way
to the detriment of the children under
her by demanding proper instruction
time and ene-gX oh the. 1art OF both
teacher and pupil are saved. Effort
IS unified. tbs well directed. II each
school had a complete course Of study
the prloipal would hc the only super
intcndcnt necessary, but not so. Pu-
pills finishing the grammar grades aIe
higher studies: hence, like chRdren
from rural districts come boys and
girls from the various grammar
schools into the high school. The pro-
cess OF pairing on, building on and re-
modelling in general begins at once,
In course of "A year Perhaps the most
OF them are in shape to proceed TO
the best advantage: yet time has been
wasted ensrgy expended and ambition
sacrificed. 'Tis like trying to excavate
without removing the debris The old
matter Is constantly In the way block
ing up that which mas been cleared.
You may dig and dig-expend unlim.
tied capltal-yet II you neglect To re-
move the debris no real advancement
can b. made. Now this debris in school
matters assumes varied forms, the
largest percentage of which may be
eliminated by judiclous supervision
Tis impossible to have It clean cut
rhe first time, yet under good manage
ment that which tends to obstruct
progress may be disposed of with COM
paradvely little waste Of energy. Then
10 economiZe In the most substantial
manner. procure an able educator in ev-
cry sense Of the term to take the man.
agement OF the schools. He could be
secured by adding $50 to the monthly
salary Of the present clerk. There is
no need paying SIS per month to q
very ordinary man who makes no
prstenSiuns as an educator, for per-
forming the simple duties of school
clerk. There are scores of men In AS,
toria who are equally good or better
who would willingly discharge the
duties of the present incumbent-Fer-
guson-tor S25 a month, Had this
been done at the beginning of the
present school year the high school at
least could have continued the fun
ten months instead OF being obstruct-
ed by this poor economy. II the board
does not see fit to economize in the
substantial way. 1T should at least do
so in a secondary manner. Have q
city superintendent with a respectable
salary or a clerk with ample remuner-
alton for his services, A mongrel is
usually hard formation.
A SUCCOR.