Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-17
FOR CENTRAL SCHOOL
Farmers at County Institute In
terested in Address of Supt.
Ferguson.
ATTRACTIVE FEATURES IN SYSTEM
Has Educational and Social Adj
vantages--Other Topics
Discussed.

Perhaps no subject handled at the
farmers institute. which closed an
interesting 2-days' session at Reynolds
Yesterday. aroused as much general
interest and created as wide discus
sion as the talk by County Supt.
Ferguson on the Capitalization of
rural schools. 1t is question which
appeals forcibly to class of peo-
pie living such practically isolated
lives as farmers have always lived,
and bearing natural, though some
times unconscious, hunger for closer
social union.
In his remarks Supt. Ferguson
called attention to the fact that
township central schools are no longer
in the experimental stage, having
been proved an unqualified success in
several states. The interest that is
being shown in the system in Illinois
and neighboring states is most en-
couraging. AS regards the cost under
the new order, the superintendent
pointed to the fact that positive
saving has been effected in some
localities where the system has been
tried. He also quoted figures from
the school reports in this county
showing the comparative cost of
country and graded schools. In Mo-
line, where great variety of subjects
are thoroughly taught in the city
schools, the entire cost, from first
grade to the completion of the course
| in the high school, is $14 per year for
each pupil enrolled. In the country,
on the other hand, with imperfect
attendance and instruction extending
no further than few ninth grade
studies in scattering cases, the cost
varies from $t3 in the most econom-
ically arranged townships to SIT in
others. If the average attendance
were used as basis of comparison
the cost in country districts would
run in some cases almost double.
Plans Described.
Supt. Ferguson described two plans
of Capitalization that have been
adopted in some places in the east.
One is TO rearrange and consolidate
the district about the villages, max
ing them the center. The other is to
erect buildings in the center of the
townships and throw the entire town
into one district. The latter. of
places where there are no villages in
large area, but the former plan is
the one advised to be adopted in this
county. The present law provides
for the joining of districts on petition
of majority of the voters in the sec
ton included, aud the ordinary dis
trict school government will do as
we for large districts as for small
ones. The only change in the statutes
now necessary to make township GEN.
trail schools a possibility in this state
is the enactment of law providing
for the expenditure of school funds
for the transportation of pupils. This.
wit hout doubt, will be remedied by
the present legislature.
The move now on foot in Audalusia
township for the consolidation of the
three districts of which it is COM
posed. in Mr.. Ferguson's opinion, is
not only feasible, but is prompted by
the wisest considerations. Ia Edg
ington township. also, where there are
three villages, the system could be
adopted, and the cost for transporta-
ton might be made very small.
The value of the school as social
center was brought cut in the discus
sion following the talk by the super
intendent. and it was held that CEN
trail schools would be the means of
Introducing attractive features TO
country life that would have tend
ency to counterfeit the magnetism the
city has for boys and girls from the |
farm.
other Topics Discussed.
Other subjects discussed at the in
stitute were: Corn Culture" by |
William Ringle. of CISCO; '.Potato3
Culture" by w. S. McCulloch. of
Taylor Ridge; blouse Plants and
Garden Flowers" by Miss Henrietta
Sherrard; Domestic Science" by
Miss Anna Bailey. of Moline; Breed
ing and Care of Sheep by j. B.
Townsend, of D4venport; Practical
Dairying on the Farm" by j. B. Me-
Connell, of Reynolds. and "Good
Roads, by gentleman named Gross.
His wife Saved Him.
My wife's good advice saved my