The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-06
LANGDON PLEADS
FOR MORE ROOM
DWells on Crowded Con-
dition Of School
Buildings.
Urges Club Women in Lee
ture to Work for the
Bond Issue.

Bond Issue.
An interesting lecture was delivered
yesterday afternoon by Superintendent of
Public Schools William II. Langdon TO
the members Of the local Council Of
Women's Clubs in the assembly hall of
the Century Club. The subject Of his lee
tUre was The Future Development of
Our Public School System" He said. in
part:
The schools Of the city OF San Francisco have
not been and are not what they ought TO be. Ii
is not our business 10 engage in rancorOus dis
EusslCn as 10 the responsibility Tor this cOndi-
lion, or 10 engage in controversy as 10 the par
ticular causes which have left where are.
II Is your business and mine as your official
representative 70 take things as they are and
uft them 70 a high level, one commensurate
with our rank as the greatest city in the far
West. Before this can be done must learn
- 49, - -. - Let-SS, ~ q eiS -, VIZ Sahes
years TOT ITS accomplishment. The school de-
partuent cannot be brought the state that
We oeslre IN Two or three years-lt VIII require
sieAt NI zen ears OF CONSISTENT working toward
definite ideal We must first study our prob
lens, long and patiently and then set for our
selves the best known educational ideals that
Eiu TT our peculiar situation and then we must
be content TO gain ground slowly and steadily
an inch year until our mile is measured on
Then our work viii have been well d0ne-and
the superstructure that those who follow viii
build viii have a sound foundation We want
your cooperation. but we want that you shall
study ana work with us patiently Tor this is no
simple problem II any one offers you a simple
working principle 10 beware OF any simple rem
edy for great social problem. II you would
Work Win Us content 10 improve some slight
thiEg each month or year and 70 influence pub
llc opinion 70 support the public school more
lDeraily we can, together, overcome every DIFF
BETTER BUILDINGS NEEDED.
One OF the first things we need is a system
ol modern. wei equipped school buildings 10
relieve congestion Nothing less than a large
bond issue viii 90 for san Francisco has the
worst school equipment Of all the important
cities in the United States. Outside Of two
brick high school buildings. San Francisco has
not a substantial and presentabe building The
elementary schools are miserably cared for
Lhildren are crowded together in way not to
Be found IN other advanced centers Of oiviliza-
ton In these United States
Statistics compiled from the latest available
reports show that there is more overcrowding
~ san francisco tnan anywhere else. The av-
erage number OF children belonging 10 a single
teacher fl san Francisco is over fOrty-six In
tlie largest cities OF the United States. where
the evils OF overcrOWdiug are likely 70 be great
est, u is much less. No teacher can do justice
e primary children with more than a maximum
of FORTY children while the maximum for gram
mar grades should be forty-five.
We are behind and must catch Up. The city
Is growing so fast that il we do not catch up
soon We never viii. for this year alone there
has been an Increase OF almost 5000 census chill
oren. We cannot properly take care of those
we have. bow shall we take care Of the in
creaseE Then the last school census reports
census children who attended no school. public
OF private, during the past year. The last Leg
lslature passed compulsory school law which
We must soon enforce. We cannot properly
take care az those children who are willing ~
attend school; how snail We care for those who
g-snl % . competed TO attendE Nothing less
than something strenuous can relieve our situa-
LGn, ara that IS the strenuous support Of the
school bonds at the Coming election by ali who
have deep concern in the schools
hen you have given children healthy quar-
tiers. with conditions conducive TO comfort and
"a Inf he do
ZION Tor good school system. You cannot
which child lives. but you can make his arti-
fetal and human environment what il ought "a
be. Give the child beautiful and oOr9f1Itat.ie
buildings and grounds designed for his health
ana the cultivation OF his finer sensibilities and
you make his artificial environment powerful
evil. '''''1sii0s ior good as against
THE CENTER OF CULTURE.
DO you realize that there is growing up on
this Western coast a second new civilization
a new center Of trade and culture which Is 70
% more profoundly American than that on the
Eastern seab0ard2 Already there are sigrss I'D
our Qutckeuiug development Our commerce
and manufactures. the basis Of our new
majestic strides. In this san Francisco has
taken and must maintain the lead. The great
est city Of the Far West, it must rise TO the
responsibilities Of leading IN culture and edu-
cation a. u leads Ia industry and trade Sep
arated from the great centers Of American cul-
lure INDUSTRY ana life upon the Atlantic by
vast stretch'ss e territory, LOFTY mountain bar
l-tfE ana woe stretching plains. must
always largely dependent upon ourselves. Here
shall rise a second great American civiliza-
ton. IN matters OF industry this seems al
ready assured. In matters o. culture there are
many assuring signs. In the field Of letters
Western men and women-Harte. Twain
Markham. Norris and London-have spoken
with certain voices; in music our people have
risen 70 be the most apprecfa tive IN the ma
ton. Mascagni and Scheel, Gsdski and Eames
md a welcome here that no other place of
prOportionate size can boast In art the West
ern school has made its mark Keith and
Hill, Peters. Matthews and others have pio-
neerec IN our favor. IN scholarship two great
universities lead the way research and
truth We have but 10 grow we are grow
ing and the future leadership Of San Francisco
IS safe
Let US remember. however, that the higher
forms OF culture cannot best endure save where
the general forms OF culture and education
are WIDESPREAD II is one Of the functions OF
the public school service to spread wide the
spirit and the forms OF education and culture
And 50. some day. San Francisco must ssIs-
tain q public school system which shall be
worthy Of rank with its industry and music
its commerce and its art. Meanwhile in cur
enthusiasm for the future let US be ''about
and doing" The future is made I'd Of Just
such hours as we are living now. and the deeds
Of the future are but those we can now do.