Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-03

HASCI Tie expenditures. Careful and eco.
nomical management the past two years
mas greatly reduced the Indebtedness of the
district. Even at this early closing of the
schools today, there is a debt of several
thousands of dollars for salaries and Incl
dentals which must be paid from the taxes
and incomes levied for the coming school
year to begin September l.. But there is no
reason for complaining. This city has the
resources, and the push. and the enterprise
to meet whatever expenses are necessary
to support the schools.
before stated, we cannot, ever if we
would, rid ourselves of this great expense
and responsibility. They are our nineteenth
century heritage, thank God, and it is the
duty of every citizen to cheerfully assist in
their Improvement and support. They are
worth more than they cost, whatever that
may be. They are cheaper than police Of
ficers. sheriffs, jails, penitentiaries and
a~lmshouses.
During the past. public education. as 1
view it, has been broadening and is better
because 1t is more practical. This is espe-
cially true of the schools of this district.
While they have been so rapidly increasing
in number it appears to me they nave been
advancing in efficiency until, fellow citi-
Zens, we have a corps of teachers and
schools of which to be proud. I am in
clined to believe that the idea which seems
to prevail. that the schools are not philan-
thropic institutions. but rather necessary
business Investments, is having a good eff
feet. l am pleased to know that the chill
dren in our schools are so fortunate as to
have escaped the frauds pcrpctrated by u
certain class of professors who herald the
coming of the millennium in the announced
discovery of the 'roya, -oad." | am in
formed that the boys and girls are taught
in these schools to work for what they get:
that the patent medicine idea of curing
every disease with one remedy is not APP
proved: that the only way to get to the top
is to climb. Just as all Of us old fellows
had to years ago. am glad to learn that
the children of this city are taught to read,
write. spell and cipher. This is business.
These rldiments we'll taught and backed
up with law and order are what we are
after. We want the children taught to
work for themselves. We send them 20
school to learn to behave as we'll as to learn
to read and write. There may he a way of
avoiding work, but | never found it. I
don't believe IN II. nyway The dollhouse
flower Il not half as hardy as the strug-
Cling plant on the prairics. Right here I
want to say a word to the teachers. and in
doing so they must not be disappointed #
what | say is not a shower of bouquets.
The trustees have already by their vote eX-
pressed their confidence in the fidelity,
ability and success of the teachers of this
city. We have approved Of your efforts
and accepted the results Of your work in
the schools the past year. We did this in
the belief that YOU are progrcssivc: that
YOU are Improving yourselves in u profess
siOnal way; that you are not satisfied with
present attainments. that you realize that
the teacher of the future must become
more efficient as they grow larger. There
is not even now room for a single teacher
who is not willing to assist in every way
to make the schools just as good as edu-
cation, skill and high purposes can make
them.
THE time has come in the history Of this
city when every teacher must stand upon
his merits. The public schools are not eie-
emosynary institutions. They belong nci-
Their to politics nor to the churches. the
teachers of these schools were elected as
experts in imparting knowledge and we
lcXpect results accordingly. The trustees
are satisfied with the past, but VIII not by
any means be satisfied with the same re-
suits In the future. The teachers who ~
main in tho schools of this city must look
to their sclf-improvemcnt. If you are FRO
greSsive and awake to the responsibilities
and importance of your position we want
you, If you are self-satisiied and expect to
get along without working to instruct and
improve yourselves, for one ! am ready to
allow YOU to gracefully retire. ! speak for
the trustees when | say we are going 10
put just as much common sense in this
public trust as we try to get into OR bust
ness affairs. We want Value received from
those in our employ. Whnu / employ u
main | want his time and his best efforts.
If | give an employee work to do ana pay
him therefor, / want him to put his brains
into his duties and attend TO his business.
This same rule holds good with persons in
the employ of the public. No teacher s..oll!a
accept a position without the determination
to give full value received. The trustees of
this district have n great responsibility
resting upon them. There Gre 50 many
questions of public and private interest pre-
scented to them from time to time. Teach
crs, you have been elected by this board,
and should at all times stand ready and
willing to assist its members, by observing
strictly the rules and regulations govern
ing the schools. BY doing this you will
materially tighten its many RESPONSIBILITIES.
"You have been elected for certain duties,
and in due time the superintendent will
iagain assign you to them. You are to teach
the schools: they are not for you, hut You
are for them. We expect all Of your time,
ready compliance with authority, AMI your
very best efforts. In speaking thus plain
~, ] am following out one of the rules of
my business life; that is to say in plain
terms what / think. This Is a purely blsi-
ness affair, and | know you will not lais-
take me and treat it as such.
"And now q word to the members of this
class, presented by the superintendent for
the honors of graduation from the city
high school. Young ladies and gentlemen,
l wish to congratulate you. This is an
event of great moment in your lives. You
are about to leave the public schools. some
to go into higher schools, while others will
enter the different callings, trades and oc-
equations. During your school life you
have been at home and directed by it's in
fiuences. You have been school girls and