River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-07-03
Some More Manual Training.

No one is trying to force Manual
Training upon the people of this
city, but SO many have expressed
themselves favorably since the mat
ter was first preached that it is due
to them as we'll as to others to give
them some definite figures as to
cost. AS told in our columns last
week, the introduction of the work
will call for two rooms, one fitted
for the use of the boys and one fit
ted for the use of the girls. Then
there will need to be one, and it may
be in time, two teachers to conduct
the work. 1t is the expectation that
one additional teacher is enough,
and that the other work can be di-
vided up among the teachers hired
for the other work of the school.
But it might in time be necessary
to have a second teacher. 1t is
customary where work of this kind
is introduced to take up only the
work in joinery for the boys the first
year, and then to begin the work
in domestic economy, etc., for the
girls the second year. Figures are
at hand to show that, by using
foundation and material already on
the ground, a two story, brick
veneered building, 28x40, with base
ment and furnace, cen be put upon
the school grounds for $4,000. Such
building would furnish a room
large enough to accommodate Is
boys at a time, and another one for
the same number of girls, making
ii possible to give to more than 200
pupils forty minute period in
Maual Training daily, or to nearly
500 pupils such period every other
day, leaving a basement that could
in time be fitted up for the iron work
of the boys. Divide the $4,000 nee
essary into four insrallments and
pay one part each year beginning
with Feb. l, 1904. These payments
would then take the place of other
payments for building which the
district has been making for years,
the last of which is to be made this
next year, but the payments would
be $500 or more less each year than
they have been in the past. Hence,
other things being equal, the yearly
tax would actually be less. 1t will
cost $3.50 to equip the room for the
boys, and $3.50 to fit up the one for
the girls. Owing to the increased
amount which the district receives
from the state school fund, due to
the law of 1900, and by providing for
the payment for the building as
above, the district can equip room
for the boys and hire the necessary
teacher for next year without voting
any increased school tax on the
district for the coming year, over
what was voted last year. Then,
as-much-as the boys room would
be already equipped, and the amount
to be raised for indebtedness would
be less, the room for the girls could
be equipped and teacher hired
without increasing the tax more
than enough to equip the room, $3.50,
and perhaps without that increase.
After that there would be the matter
of support of the work to provide
for each year, and that ought not to
call for said increase of tax over
what is explained above. It has
been said before that it might mean
in the end an increase of tax of
$1,000 annually, but that sum is too
large. For two years it can hardly
increase the tax at all. After that
it can only increase it by reason of
a change in the state laws reducing
the amount of aid to be received
from the state for various purposes.
The question for the district to settle
is, "Is the Manual Training work
worth it?