Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-12-22
gARRYINa PUPILs To s9nooL.

CARRYING PUPILS TO SCHOOL.
 It has been nearly twenty-nine years since school boards began test ing the adyisability of transporting to the schools, free of charge, those pupils in attendance.
 The first act regarding this was passed in Massachusetts, April l, lS69 It read SIS follows Any town in this commonwealth may raise by taxation or otherwise, and appropriate money to be expended by the school committee in their dis eretion, in providing for the convey ance of pupils to and from the pubic schools
 Very slowly did the author ities in the several towns and cities of the State take advantage of this opportunity of benefttiag the chiId- ren in this way; in fact, it was not agitated to any great extent, and few statistics were collected regard ing it, until the year before the Chi cago Worlds Fair, then by Snpt. Eaton of Concord, for his exhibit.
 Dr. Wm. T. Harris, Commissioner of education, published some valua- ble statistics in his report of 1S94-5, 1S95-6, and included in the article is published aletter from Mr, Seymour Rockwell, of Montague, Mass. He says: For eighteen years we have had the best attendance from trans ported children; no more sickness among them and no accidents. The children like the plan exceedingly. We have saved the town at least 5000 year. All these children now attend school in fine house at the center well equipped. The schools are graded. Everybody sconyerted to the plan. We encountered all the opposition found anywhere, but we asserted our sensible and legal rights and accomplished the work. 1 SEE NO WAY TO BRING UP the country schools but to consolidate them, making them worth seeing, then the people will be more likely to do their duty by visiting them"
 From the above letter you can see at once a few of the advantages to be derived from this system. 1t is one which may be employed equally we'll in the densely populated city or the sparsely settled country. Many other States have followed the ex- ample placed before them in Massa- ehusetts and soon had laws grant ing them the same privileges. New Hampshire, Vermont and Conneeti- cut may be regarded as leaders in this radical movement with Massa- chusetts. New York, Maine, New
 Jersey and Nebraska havefound sim
 liar laws to work admirably In pro
 noting efficiency and economy in the
 schools, especially in the rural dis
 tricts. This system gives the shy boy living in almost entire seclusion
 an opportunity of associating with
 a large number ofpupils at theschoo centrally located in the district ol
 township, instead of being compell
 ed to attend a school kept by :
 poorly paid teacher and to have fol l classmates four or five pupils witt : as low aspirations as his own. II r the consolidated school his horizon [. is hroadened and he becomes bette t fitted for the duties of citizenship r This system allows far bette U grading than can ever be obtaine'
 in schools scattered over the entir
 country, and at tke same time WI give the country an opportunity q giving the country boy and girl tn T. same advantages in writing, draw D ing, music and other special branehe + as are given to his city cousin.
 Ii No one can doubt in q short tim }. the work can be so systematized q this way that instead of having Il two or three months school, twi' n or thrice the time could be given.
 The fact that better teachers an