BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-11-23

printed on leaves 10 Do lnBer'
ed in the books. Already, the manager Of
he enterprise says, enough advertising has
been contracted for to inquire the success of
,he project. The plan is said to have the
endorsement Of the Governor and OF the
State Librarian. While no permanent sue. i
cess cen be assured to q public library which
is not largely the result Gf local endeavor, 3 !,
library as an adjunct to an advertising |
scheme is better than none, and in many !
townships may arouse local pride and inte- i
rest. and lead to homeowned library.
For some years the Illinois Steel Com
pany has supported somewhat altruistic
movement among its employees at Joliet
under the name Of the Steel Workers Club.
The prime purposes of the movement have
been to foster desire for education and the
spirit of sociability the latter as substitute
for the sociability of the saloon. THE head
quarters of the club are in fine stone struc-
ture Of ample proportions, built especially
for the purpose which it serves at a cost OF
about S6O,OOe. 1t is owned by the Illinois
Steel Company, and is leased to the club
for the nominal sum Of 81 year. The
building is provided with a gymnasium,
baths, and billiard. room, bowlingalleys, Ii.
brary, reading rooms, and lecture and enter
tainmeut halls. Any employee Of the
company is eligible to membership upon,
payment Of dues amounting to % annually,
which entities him to all the privileges ol
the club. While all fixed charges are paid
by the company, it is required that the edu
| cational and entertainment courses which
are provided shall be paid out Of the reVe
nues of the club. The payment of his duel
Iby an employee entities all the members O
his family to the privileges OF the club
although q slight charge is made for the
educational features. The management il
in the hands of board OF directors elected
lby the members. ssThat sehich We seek te
avoid here", says Superintendent F. NJ
Savage, ssis, frst, paternalisn, and second
linstitutionalism. The right policy is to be
honest and fearless, and help people to helI
themselves. Philanthropy that does moi
teach self dependence is NO contribution to
social progress. Purely charitable work
Ishould be kept IN the background IT at all
made part of club for the use of work.
ingmen."
Some interesting figures appear in Obi.
cago's bi.monthly statistics, showing the
number of pupils in each grade OF the pub
lie schools at the end of each month. There,
as in other cities, this table shows steadi.
lly decreasing attendance from the highest
to the lowest grade. Thus, IN June last,
when there were 1000 pupils in the first
grade. there were 36, 900 in the second, 3d.
600 in the third, 1000 in the fourth and
fifth, 1900 in the sixth, 5000 in the sew.
enth, and only about 1900 in the eighth
grade and in the high schools. The con
clusion drs.cn by the Chicago "Record
Herald" and which is applicable In other
cities, is that at least halt Of the children
never 20 higher than the fourth grade, and,
therefore, SIT is upon providing tue best
possible education in the primary grades
that the Board should concentrate at least
tsco thirds of its attention and resources.
The State is more deeply interested In the
education Of the children who never reach
the grammar grades than in anything else
in the school system"
New Orleans has recovered control Of her
public water system, after having been de.
prived Of its management for quarter Of
century. Prior to 1877 the city owned the
water.supply franchise Of the city, but It
had been so grossly mismanaged under
ssprofiigate Radical administrations" the
New Orleans "Picayune" explains, that the
people gladly sold it to q private corpora.
ton, at an inadequate compensation, for
fifty years. For years they babe been com.
planning of unclean water, poor service, and
unwarranted rates. Il was on the lsstnam
ed ground that the private company has
been ousted, the Supreme Court Of the
State deciding that the company had for.
feited its franchise because it had charged
rates in excess Of those autorised In its
charter. This decision means much to the
city. 1t clears the way for the carrying out
Of the plan Of filtering the water obtained
from the muddy Mississippi, and this bet |
terment, in connection with the modern
system Of sewers, now under construction,
should do much for the health Of the city.