Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-11

sentiment In favor of making the high
ways of the state narrower, or at least
permitting them to be narrower Those
who voted against the adoption of the
lGnfavorable report We're: Bealer. Bu-
chanan. Cruikshank, Dodds. Donohue,
| Flenniken. Freeman. Greeley, Hamann,
Hertert. Hilsinger, Hufschmidt, Hughes.
Jaeger Jones, keagey. Kendall. Lam
gan of Clinton, Larrabee, McClurkin,
Mates, Payne, Warren, Whiting, Will
son of Washington and Speaker Eaton.
| The bill by Mr.. Powers, of Floyd
county, to benefit the rural schools of
the state, is declared by its friends to
be the first practical proposal which
has been made to the Legislature for
raising the standard of the rural
schools. There are over 100000 pupils
| in the rural schools of the state Near
| ly 400 of the rural schools are reported
as having an average attendance of
less than five, and more than $500 less
| than 10 each. The reports of the state
superintendent will show that there
has been a distinct deterioration in the
rural schools of Iowa the last quarter
century and that they are neither as
popular nor as well cared for, on the
| whole, as they We're in the earlier days
| of the state. Rural school attendance
| is decreasing and the town schools are
| gaining. The Powers bill is patterned
after Minnesota's law and it provides
that in every rural school of the state
wherethere is an average attendance
of twenty or more and the term Is eight
months and the teacher holds certain
| high grade certificate, the state shall
| pay to the district $50 annually for the
benefit of the teachers fund. There
are several things Mr.. Powers beiieves
will be accomplished by this payment
The rural schools will be encouraged to
consolidate. Where there Is school
be consolidated with another a little
better and the state aid will be secured.
A better school will result and better
teaching. In the end there will be a
distinct decrease in the number of
schools and the number of teachers and
thus a saving in taxes to the people.
This will much more than offset the
cost to the state in direct payments
from the state treasury. Another good
effect will be to encourage the school
officials to see to 1t that all the children
of the district are enrolled in the
schools. 1t will operate to help what
ever compulsory education law the
state may have or may afterwards
adopt. State Superintendent Barrett
approves the plan and says it will re-
suit in great good to the rural schools.
He estimates that there are about g.
700 rural schools in the state now that
would be entitled to the benefits Of the
bonus law, or cost of about $13,500 a
year. If the law accomplishes what is
intended it will increase this amount
frem year to year. In Minnesota there
is bonus for country schools of GER
tain grade and standing and higher
houses for still better schools, and the
high schools get as high as $500 and
treasury President Seerley, of the
State Normal school, approves the
Powers bill and says it will accomplish
great benefits for the rural schools. The
fact is. as one friend of the bill states,
that almost the entire legislation and
state outlaw in regard to schools has
been for the benefit of higher schools
and colleges, and the rural schools have
been shamefully neglected. 1t is esti-
mated that not to exceed 2 per cent of
this army of half million pupils at
tending rural schools In Iowa ever re-
receive any benefits from the state ex-
penditures. directly or indirectly. The
teachers who go thru the colleges sell
dom reach the country schools. There
is no way the rural pupil can gain any
benefit from state expenditure save by
going to the towns or cities. The Pow
ers bill has been referred to sub-com-
mittee and is being considered very ia
vorably 1t is an innovation in Iowa
and will have hard shedding to get thru
either house, but the educators favor
it.
Hon. Charles Aldrich, curator of the
state historical building. has returned
to the city. He has been at his home
a good deal of late because of severe
attack of the grip which with one as
we'll advanced in years as Mr.. Aldrich.
is a serious matter. Mr.. Aldrich has
not been strong enough to give to the
bill appropriating for the completion
of the historical building the attend
ance which it deserves. He is very
much interested In the measure. 1t has
been an ambition with him for many
years to have this building erected and
furnished and the work of making q
historical department will established.
He has realized the commencement of
the work Thus far the committees
have not taken up the bill at all. 1t will
be considered along with the other ap-
preparation bills.
The scheme to have commission to
dispose of the Iowa Nebraska boun-
Diary question appears to be sleeping.
Some opposition has arisen at Council
Bluffs to the measure, the belief being
that in the exchange of Cutoff lake
and adjacent lands for Manawa the
state of Nebraska would get the best of
it, The committees have also reached
the conclusion that the boundary can
not be corrected in this way, but that
constitutional amendment would have
to be adopted to secure a change in the
boundary line. Under the circum-
stances it seems improbable that the
boundary commission will be estab-
lished at this term.
The Hughes anti-pass bill went on the
calendar of the house today with q fa-
vorable recommendation from the judi !
ciary committee. but it had a narrow |