The Butte inter mountain., 1903-12-31
Montana State Teachers
Association Elects
Officers.
ADOPT RESOLUTIONS
Many Suggestions for Bet
terment of the Public
Schools Made.
srrclAr 10 ln rNrra MorNrNv.

anaconda. het ji Helena WAS unani-
mously chosen today a. the place lor hold-
my the next meeting ol The state l,aeh-
crs' association one ycii hence There
was no opposition to The Capital city, the
general opinion being that The meeting
should 80 there ~ tooj.
The following officers we're elected
President Lewis lcrw,lligcr Of Living
aon. first vice president. Hiss Ama
Evans OF Missoua second vice president.
T.. :. Brothers of Billings secretary. Miss
Frances Miller ol boulder treasurer,
John +, Cuirau OF Sheridan members of
the cXccuivc committee, Dr Eaglcy Of
Billings Miss Ida Fullerton ol Helena.
Resolutions Adopted
The report ol PROT K J. Condor Of
Helena, for the committee on resolutions.
was unanimously adopted.
The resolutions recommended the cstal-
lishmcnt oi a kindergarten department III
all Of the public schools.
II Was also recommended tha, more at
tcnlon he paid Ia manual training
II was further The sense OF plc asaocia-
ton that more care should be exercised IN
arranging the heating and vcniiling "a.
cililics IN the schools. It is proposed that
the state board Of education be given
supervision over these facilities IA all
school buildings.
More attention qhould also be paid to
rh, decoration OF the school rooms and 10
bcautiymg the grounds. There was the
usual resolution oi thanks to the people
ol Anaconda, the reception committee, the
stree, railway, The press of Butte aud Ana
EDuIa and ptuprs IN Ia uua Ia.
cided TO print 900 copies Of the annual
address OF President John NJ. Kay for dis.
tiibuiion
The closing day Of the session
found interest III the proceedings as
keen as ever Although part Of today WAS
given over 10 sightseeing the teachers put
IN busy day winding up the program.
clcciing officers aud otherwise finishing the
work Of the session
There is no discouning the fact that
the 18th annual meeting Of the association
has carried of lie palm for being the
most successful III every sense. The at
tendance has been larger, while the char
actcr Of the addresses and the discussion
Of educational matters generally lett little
doubt that the teachers Of Montana take
high rank IN their profession.
Go Through Works.
Two parties Of visitors went 10 the
new works today aud we're shown through
the great Washoc smelling plant lie
FIRST party lell the city about . go a. III.
on ears specially provided for the oc-
casion and spent the balance OF the morn
ing viewing the wonders OF the big plant.
This afternoon al ; O'Clock the second
party visited the smctcr Those who did
not go sightseeing wound up the program
and participated III the business meeting.
! he morning session began IN the High
School with an Invocation by Rev A. X.
toopman.
D. G. Ahlcrs Paper.
d. e. Ahlcrs Of the Butte High School
read an interesting paper on Commercial
| Training in the Public Schools He stated
, that the public has reached point where
| the conditions Of the country favor special
training along commercial lines
"'Thc work in the school ROOM" said he
SHOULD always reflect the work done in
the outside world. Courses Of study are
made by the popular demand and .he boy
who leaves the High School should lie
equipped for the battle in the business
world"
Mr.. hhlers went on to tell Of the good
that might be obtained from a course in
| French or Latin or chemistry. THE pupil
may derive much benefit thcrefrom," said
| the speaker, but the same time spent in
the study Of commercial law or learning
how to write or spell or in learning how
to add up column Of figures will better
enable him to srapple with the problems
OF life on leaving school.
Utility should be the watchword The
three Rs, without frlls or llourishes. In
| this way the time spent in the grades can
be made Of lasting benefit This age is
essentially an industrial and practical one.
| The spirit of commercialism seems 10 be
the dominant factor IN our social economy
and there is no better proof Of the need
Of a commercial training than the pres
encc Of the business college itself. Ihou-
sands and thousands Of these schools have
been established and are being maintained
in the United States at the present time
II there were no demand for them their
doors would soon close.
In General Need.
"No one, unless he is totally ignorant
Of the work done in these schools and the
practical needs OF the world today will
say word in opposition to them. Yet il
you take shorthand out Of your calculation
and consider it distinct and separate, like
you would drawing and music, you will
find four-ifths OF the time spent in the
business college consumed in learning to
read, write, spell and in dong practical
work in arithmetic
Mr.. Ahcrs stated that in his experience
with business colleges, high school gradu
aes came to him deplorably deficient in
these fundamental branches. He adyo.
| I,>, ;,, aIa