The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-09

Mrs Porter. who Is principal Of the
Canterbury street school. IS in favor
Of the free text book, al least II schools
where there are poor families. She BE-
gan he presentation Of the question
with Z sketch Of the movement which
had been begun by Homer 3. Sprague
for the protection Of the INDECENT fam
lies Of the community. The law max
ing the furnishing OF text books and
other materials OF education compuI-
so-y in Massachusetts,. was passed in
1854 The result is said the essayfsr,
that school now begins on the first
day Of the term, whereas formerly II
might be days OF weeks before the
pupils got fairly started Then, par
snts used 10 delay in getting the books
for their children, or would get old ed
lions, or insist On doubling Up two
children on one book. With the Danish
ment OF states from +he school rooms
the amount OF papsr used has greatly
increased, 50 that one child now uses
290 sheets Of paper q year in its num-
Der work not including its spelling.
geography. etc. To Day for this would
impose a burden upon many parents.
The public supply Of school materials
enables schools 10 enjoy z generous
supply Of supplementary reading. and
renders II possible 10 change books
when desired. and il also produces q
reduction Of 20 per cent in the expense,
while bringing about an increase OF 10
per cent in attendance.
With regard TO the DANCE from
contagion- but one case Of the con-
traction Of a skin disease from this
source has come 10 my knC Tledge
since 1854 The parents generally are
satisfied with the system. for very few
buy school books for their children In
any case. the danger from contag ion is
not greater than with the books of the
public library, which all are glad TO
use. AS for the objection that there is
a loss in the little home Libraries there
are so many cheap editions that a IL
brary can be easily made without the
need Of school books. II is sometimes
said that the extra expense entailzd
by the system is unjust to those VINO
have no schildren in the public schools.
but the increased taxation is very
slight"
Mrs. Eddy's paper was a resume Of
the curfew bell movement il this coun-
Try. When 17s.o00 children could be ar
rested in one year in New York city.
she thought there was need Of some
agency. The curfew bell was first ad-
vocated by Boys and Girls Improve
ment Association, in 1894, and since
then II has been adopted widely, par
ticulariy in the west where over 800
cities and towns have adopted it, but
Of late in the east also, Cambridge.
Waltham and Portland being among
the latest to adopt it, AT first the feel
ing prevailed that the curfeN bell was
better adopted to small places but il
has proved equally successful in Den
yer, Indianapolis, and ST. Louis At
present the law is administered by
cities, il being felt that for state TO
make II compulsory would be To run
the risk Of mistakes. Where children
work all day, they need some part OF
the day for amusement. There has not
been the trouble in enforcing the lag
that was anticipated" said Mrs. EDDY:
1T is not true that ii cannot be en-
forced, but the fact that a law not en-
forced is worse than no law at ali
should serve as warning 10 those who
are eager TO introduce it everywhere
In talking about the voice" Miss
KimbaH said that she did not pose K
a model Of what she should say: that
her remarks had reference to the
speaking voice and, in parts at LEAST
~ "oiilSh voices rather than to mems
she then proceeded to criticise women.
because you could not hear them when
tnsy talked in any place larger than
room in a private house. The first raa-
son for this she said, SIS because fbs,,
are not accustomed to speaking In pub.
lie, and for that reason it is absollIteIv
necessary that they should practice If
Personally, l believe that woman has
something to say. While all men have
not good voices, as rule they are hat~
ter speakers than women. because thew
are USED 10 speaking. In the second |
place, women are not possessed of a |
mans strength. but after ali II is maj
ity Of tone that counts. From lacir ~