Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-03-24
Superintendent Barrett Urges Them
to Employ Teachers by the
Year Instead of Term.
SAYS LATTER WAY IS DEMoRALlzlNG.
School Elections Authorize Issue OF
Many Bonds for New Buiidings-
Forestry Prizes Onered-Bankers
OFFER Reward for Burglars-Other
Iowa Notes of Interest.
Ispec,al correspondence.l


necessity and good sense of employ
ing teachers for the year authorized
by the law instead of for term. In
cities the teachers are hired by the
year, as rule, but in the country it
is rather the custom to employ by
the term. This is demoralizing to
the teacher and to the school. The
teacher doesn't know whether she
will stay more than term, and does
not do her best in trying to organize
a school she may lose, no matter
how excellent her work; the children
have no interest and lose much
through the changing of teachers.
There was an effort in the last leg
islature to permit school boards to
employ teachers for three years, but
this was defeated. Nevertheless
school authorities everywhere urge
that the teachers be employed for
full year, which the law now au-
thorizes, instead of being hired for
single term.
Many Bonds Authorized.
More than quarter of a million
dollars of bonds were authorized at
school elections in this state the past
week. On the question of the issu-
ance of school bonds women can
vote. 1t is their votes which carry
these propositions as a rule. The
largest issue authorized was $4,000
at Mason City. The bonds were au-
thorized for the purpose of building
new school houses, largely. School
bonds in Iowa are sold above par.
Fully per cent. of the school dis
tricts of the state authorized sub
stantial improvements at the recent
election.
Prizes offered.
The Iowa Park and Forestry asso-
citation by it's officers has offered sew
eral prizes for papers prepared on
different subjects relating to the
tree growths of Iowa. These prizes
are as follows, to be awarded at the
next meeting of the association,
which will be held in December in
Des Moines:
1. $25 for the best account of the
native forest trees of the state, their
present distribution and condition.
2. $25 for the best essay on "Trees
for Iowa Farms"
3. $25 for the best paper on s'The
characterization of School Grounds, in
City and Country"
4. Two years. membership in the
association to each high school in
the state, to be given to the student
who prepares the best essay on
"What We Can Do to Make More
Beautiful Our Own Town.
The papers must be in the hands
of the secretary of the association,
L. II, Pammell, Of Ames, by Novem-
Der 80 of this year.
Bankers oner Reward.
The association of Iowa bankers
meets in Davenport in July this year.
It is possible FIAT it will be ad-
dressed by Secretary Shaw, of the
treasury portfolio. The association
has decided to make standing offer
of $1,000 reward for the capture
or conviction of bank robber.
There have been several bank rob-
berries in this state in the last six
weeks, and the bankers are alarmed
at their frequency. They think the
81 900 offer may induce the discovery
of some Of the robbers through their
associates or confederates who are
not professionals. The association
this year will also raise the protec-
4s,,o f,,,S3 fxo,,, CT nm ~ 90 mn Ul:.
fund is to employ attorneys in de-
Tending suits and prosecuting for
gers, etc. There are 1900 banks
in the association.
Organising for Relief.
The, counties of the state have
been assigned to the different mem.
bers of the Scandinavian relief com.
mission and the commissioners are
now engaged in organizing the coun.
ties with view to raising all of the
funds possible for the starving 1eo,,
900 people in the north OF Sweden
and in Finland. Canvassers will be
sent into every part of each of the
districts. Each commissioner Il
given charge of certain numbe,
Of counties and is busily engaged in
organization Of them. Secretary c. A
Dahlberg, of Des Moines, said this
week that certainly the full amount
expected of Iowa would be raised IN
this state by this method.
Louisiana Purchase Day.
A Louisiana Purchase day will be
set aside for observation by the
schools of Iowa. Either April 30
1904, the anniversary of the day on
which the treaty was signed, or De.
cember 20, 1908, the one hundredth
anniversary of the day on which the
treaty was ratified, will be selected
On that day the schools will be ex.
pected to hold appropriate exercises
commemorative of the biggest event
in the history of the United States
antedating 1898. Programmes in.
Guiding essays and exercises which
will require the pupils thoroughly to
inform themselves with respect to
the Louisiana purchase will be rem.
dered in every school in the state. It
is expected to make the event one
OF supreme educational value, and at
the same time to emphasize the ex-
position.
Lawyers to Meet.
The State Bar association pro-
gramme committee was engaged the
past week in making up a pro-