Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-25
SCHOOL BILL.
Measure for Normal Schools
is About Drafted,
MANY TOWNS WANT ONE
Bill Will Provide for Three Additional
schools, but Will Not specify Their
Vocation = Investigation OF
Shelby County Contest

Vocation = investigation OF
Shelby County Contest
Des Moines, Jan. 23.-(Special.) The
special committee of seven appointed
from the house and senate TO draft
a normal bill is working on its bill
and expects to complete and introduce
its measure today or tomorrow. 1t is.
expected the bill will call for the es-
Establishment of three state normal
schools, to be located by the general
assembly. Representative Cowles of
Algona is chairman of the special COM
mittee. The committee was appointed
at caucus of representatives and
senators whose towns are candidates
for state normal schools. The commit
tee was merely instructed TO draft a
bill. The members are from towns
that are prominent candidates for loca-
ton of schools, but there are also i
large number of towns who want the
institution but are not represented on
the committee. The question of loca-
ton will not be considered by the
drafters of the bill, it being the desire
OF everyone to merely get the measure
for establishment before the legisla-
ture. After this is done and the bill
passed, as it now seems will be the
case, the question of location viii come
up, and be disposed of along other
lines. The representatives on the
committee are Cowles of Algona, BY
ers of Harlan, Buchanan of Ottumwa,
Baker of Atlantic, Blume OF Denison.
The members from the senate are Cor
reA of Newton and Bachman of West
Bend.
: The normal school question, which
was considerab bly, in the embryo stage a
week ago, is beginning to clear little.
1t looked for time as tho the main
end in view, the object to be attained,
was lost SIGHT of. The likelihood of
the measures being altogether lost
was quite probable This condition
was brought about by the contest over
location. 1t seemed there was scarce
Jly a town in the state which was not
doing more or less to gain the location
of one of the! schools. The question
has been brought to much narrower
condition now, however. by the reali-
alton of members that the strength of
all not opposed to establishing the
schools must be mustered on one issue
Ia measure for providing them. When
that is accomplished the location
question will be fought out by it,
self.
The members Of the special COM
mittee are men who have been consid-
erably interested in the normal school
question for some time. They have
examined closely into the needs of the
state in this regard, and have Tsner-
ally settled on three as the number of
schools necessary. This settlement re-
garding numbers does not indicate
that the committee is in favor of :su-
3perintendent Rarrett's recommends
ton of three schools, one in each cor
ner ofsthe state. 1t simply means that
Judging from the conditions in the
graded and country schools of the
state, and the condition of things at
Cedar Falls, three schools are thought
to be the number required.
There are still a number of normal
school lobbyists in the city, in spite
of the fact that it is the desire of the
legislature that the question of loca-
ton should be made secondary. Most
of them, however, have gone. Wash
ington, Columbus Junction and Allan
tic people are here in small force.
Investigation of the question has
showed the committee that 300 to 500
students can be cared for as cheaply,
in proportion, as 1,500 on 1000. This
being the case it is thought there is no
economic question involved in reducing
the attendance at the state normal
school at Cedar Falls. There are near
ly 1000 students in this institution at
present, and it is admitted by the Of
ficials of the school that SO great a
number cannot be well accommodated
under the existing conditions. The APP
preparation asked by the state normal
school this winter is $146,000, and the
advocates OF more schools argue this
is evidence that the place is over
crowded. They ALSO argue that a
large per cent Of the students at Ce-
dar Falls come from Blackhawk and
surrounding counties, and believe there
is an equal demand for normal school
in other sections of the state. One Of
the members ofethe special committee
said yesterday:
"The greatest trouble in having SO
many. students at Cedar Falls is the
fact that it makes the school necessar-
lily grow away from what it was orig.
inally intended to be. 1t brings about
an increase in the number and course
of studies, until branches that We're
not intended by the founders as being
taken up in the institution are taught.
It places the normal school in compe-
tition with the state university and
college of arts and sciences at Ames,
which is entirely out of the vocation
of the original state normal school,
which was established for the purpose
of training teachers for the common
schools and grades.
"But the schools Of Iowa are in
need Of an overhauling. They have
been blocked and blocked by party
contests, just as the location question
came very near blocking the present
issue. The people of the state and
members of the legislature have been