The San Francisco call., 1903-12-31

Shivering with cold and wrapped up
in furs and winter jackets the teachers
Of San Francisco and members of the
California Teachers Association sat
through the third days session of the
annual institute in the Alhambra Thea
ter yesterday afternoon. The commit
tee Of arrangements had forgotten TO
have steam turned on and the big play
house was cutie cold. Despite the dis
comfort the pedagogues enjoyed the
excellent programme The singing by
the children from the grammar schools
has been, as it always will be, a feat
ure Of the sessions. Splendid addresses
were delivered by Thomas p Wood
ward, president Of the San Francisco
Board Of Educa ton, and James A.
FOshay, city superintendent of Los
Angeles schools As on the previous
Gay the lecture by Professor S. H.
Clark Of the University Of Chicago
proved very interesting.
The session opened with singing by
the pupils of the eighth grades of the
Hamilton Grammar School, under the
direction Of Miss Ida r. Strauss. The
bows and girls showed good training,
singing in perfect harmony They rem
dered Flow Gently, Sweet Alton, -
My Love Is Like the Red, Red Rose"
and Metcalfs beautiful Absent" The
assemblage was appreciative and ap-
plauded the efforts Of the pupils. The
demand was so great that the young
sters rendered Absent a second time.
FAVORS HIGHER SALARIES.
At the conclusion of the singing
President Erlewine introduced Thomas
J. Kirk, State Superintendent of Pub
lie instruction, who delivered an ad-
dress on The Output The speaker
struck a responsive chord in the hearts
Of his auditors when he said that
teachers are the most poorly paid Of
all public servants. Policemen and let
ter-carriers are better paid and have
permanency of employment" In part
he said:
The aim Of the modern business world is to
produce the very best goods At the least eN-
pense or outlay To this end the manufacture
is trying TO secure better raw material. better
machinery and more skillful worlmen- The
school must take its place among business
enterprises II employs more capital and more
labor Than any other one industry in the whole
country. yet its methods are in many respects
sutiQuated its equipment is comparatively
poor and its WorHmen are often unskilleQ. we
cannot improve the raw material; that we must
take as II comes TO hand. just furnished us
los nature We must. therefore, Improve our
equipment and train or wOrkmen.
Travelling east through Nevada and Utah.
find the railroad is everywhere cutting out
curves and reducing grades The roaebed OF
the seventies viii not do for the Overland Lin
tied and the increasing traffic Of to-day. In
education we are still travelling along trails
made bv the pioneers The course Of study
Is stiu encumbered with much that is useless
We still teaching the spelling Of apteryN
caOutChOuc and syzygy- We forget that the
child needs 10 learn only the words he will
probab bly, have 10 use. Spelling is not a pre-
requisite 10 reading We may read many
words that cannot spell. / recognize the
Governor whenever ] meet him. but l could
not draw his picture. / recognize in reading
many words which / could not picture with
my zen Oar rkLmetics are filed with
problems which may have appealed TO our fore
fathers. but which have no place in modern
business life Cut out the curves OF hounds
chasing hares OF stock exchanges. average OF
payments true discount. frustums OF cones,
etc Reduce the grade OF plastering. papering