Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-10


home and school into closer relations.
The privilege granted by the new State
law for women to vote at school
elections should DO heartily regarded rs
a duty to all the children Of Delaware.
A woman may secure this privilege by
paying o smnil tax on any personal
! property except IN Wilmington where
| the ownership of real estate is q
requisite. The efforts Of the principals
Of graded schools for closer co-oEeration
in their work, for discussion of the
most improved methods, and to formu-
late as fur as possible uniform cur
| ficulum, were commended. Since the
Board of Education reported 10 schools
in the State with insufficient furniture,
these should DO located, their needs
iteniized and practical efforts be made
to SUPPLY them. Ii il very important
that the public shall have accurate and
intelligent understanding of tho exist
ing educational conditions for the chill
dren of the State. to whom it must look
for future advancement and prosperity.
The report Of the State Board has
already led to the supplying Of many
deficiencies mentioned therein.
A pleasant and encouraging feature Of
the meetings Of the federation Is the
interest shown by thu mon Of the neigh
| borbood, in their constant attendance.
a State Senator who was present at the
discussion remarked that he had been
opposed to compulsory education and
! not altogether in favor Of q normal
school, but he meant to vote for both
Mt the next session. Mr.. Jonathan s,
Willis admitted that The State Is
lamentnbly deficient IN educational
matters, but CALAMITY added that lit
has as exceptionally intelligent, suLerior
women as can be found anywhere in the
United States, who are leading 1t
towards better things. Hero Is the
hone Of the world, after all, when
women come TO tho front. Our State
no distant day il will come out" Miss
Mather asked II we could not have a
Photographic exhibition Of every school
house in the State, an outside and
inside view, for our next conference,
il local committees would take the
trouble. Mrs. Beniah Watson thought
each club should take the matter In
hand Of doing all possible for its local
schools. Decided Improvement followed
the report made by Mrs. RidGely last
year of tho condition of come schools
Of whose neglected condition the club
women nearest them were inoiedu!ous
when thoy heard the report. The recon-
inendations made Ia the report read by
Mrs. Buyce were adopted by vote Of the
federation.
MI. Gross, principal of the Milford
public schools, asked what percentage
of schools have libraries. There is n
demand Tor nature studies which arc
essential as ours is an agricultural
people and should learn something OF
| aud ,,lo ltFa x,at wa hara n ut
proper text books on this subject. a
travelling school library recently sent
ont is highly appreciated for containing
several books on natural history. There
are now 26 travelling libraries in the
! State. .w
, Mr.. Thomas L. Montgomery, librarian
of the Wagner Institute. Philadelphia,
made an address on the founding OF
town libraries. He gave short history
, of the library movement OF which
Benjamin franklin was the founder In
Philadelphia. but the first idea of a
, ice library came from Josiah Quincy
of Massachusetts. He told OF the sue
cess OF the Wagner Institute Library
, the circulation of whose books averages
1000 u day. Massachusetts has hut
seven towns without a free library.
j Delaware has but two that have, Will
: mington and Odessa They raise revenue
/ for libraries in Massachusetts by doc
tax. A free library is second only tc
! the public schools us nm educator.
0 When asked by Mr.. Cross how tht
I taste of community might be changed
Q Mr.. Montgomery said the main thins
Y is to get people to acquire the reading
0 habit and their taste will gradually
improve. Let them have course O.
] Mary j. Holmes, if they like her books
/ to begin with; they will before Ions
: outgrow these; give each reader thu
/, privilege of taking two books, only ON
8 Of which shall be. fiction. This mer'
1 fact of the other book being in tn,
o house, taken UP from time to time b.
@ members Of the family, will give then
r some information and lead to tHst,
b for higher books. Fa
7 Miss Mary /. O. Williums being
II unable to be present, Miss Mendinhall
n principal of No. 8 School, gare som
d demonstrations Of the methods Of teach
h ing arithmetic, vocal training, &c., nnt
y spoke of the value of child study ant
a OF the necessity that teacher should
!. vitalize her knowledge to make teach
II ing successful. The Penny Providen
IS scheme instituted by the New Centur
II GluE of Wilmington has been SUCCESS
70 EoO0lH Qbp'lSltOTd Hdfo opobCh uoSpuhi
- at the Savings Fund with their savings
10 others have bought shoes and clothing
}. President Harter, of Delaware Goliog
d said there is tendency in educatio
70 towards unihcatiun Of tho whol
y system; the college is shaping its wor
70 10 connect with the schools below; tn
L old scheme of education has disjointed
bat we must see to jt that our change
70 are not deteriorations; electric Studio
!. belong 10 the new methods, but the
Ii may be q snare for tho ildolent Wha
70 share does Delaware College take i
r; the general drift; what are we doing
1, bring us IN touch with tho schools {
20 Delaware? We are hampered by th
atomistic; each little district is cor
es tent with its own methods; each littl
ID school is Is law to itself; there is n
Of community Of interest or work an
to they lack the power they would hay
RS by a larger unit. The State shout
l. OMEN a pathway between school an
Mt college; the larger towns establish goo
10 high schools and the country boys q
in into the villages to enjoy graded scho'
IS privileges.
.. Mrs. Florence Howe Hall, who
ia chairman Of the educational committt
,g of New Jersey, spoke on "Moder
Methods OF Increasing the Usefulne'
of Public Schools and said priva
NJ schools had been valuable in that the
O. have tested many new schemes OF educi
10 ton and demonstrated whether the