The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-10-15

Politics and Politicians. J:


I
| It would seem that no further action
would be necessary when $50 bust
ness men and taxpayers demonstrate
to put an end to the proposed manual
training building scheme on the Cen
trail High school grounds. ...
Much consideration is due the feel
| ings of a body of men who, through
! civic pride alone, serve as members
of the board Of education. They get
no pay. There is only the satisfaction
OF duty well performed when their
terms OF office are finished Never
| theless, 1t Is apparanet that having ex-
pressed a willingness to serve, they
should perform their work in conform
lty with public opinion when that opin-
ion Is crystalized in voluntary and
VoIumntous signature to a petition.
NO man will deny that public senti-
ments Is the greatest power In this
country. Free speech, free press, con-
st1tute great modern factor in the
destinies Of this country. The people
| are seldom wrong, and the school
board should heed the positive declar-
alton as found in the petitions before
them.
All over the country there is a better
tone, more earnest desire for mum
iclpal beauty. Bodies have been form
cd for no other purpose than to COL
lect and disseminate information on
this subject. In this body some Of the
brightest and ablest men in the country
are gathered.
In brief, the board Of educat ton pro-
poses to erect manual training build
Ing on the high school grounds adtoin-
ing the present educational structure.
! 10 be connected by a covered passage
way. On the grounds that it mars the
beauty OF this block of ground upon
which much of the peoples money has
oeen expended, the business men and
taxpayers have entered protest. The
1natter is now up to the board and
at the next meeting, unless wiser coun-
sci prevails, the board will let the con-
tract for the building.
A little above the center of a beauti-
1ul lawn which rolls gently downward
toward the city is the High school
building. 1t is proposed to lop off one
side Of this with a building devoted to
manual training.
In hearing the protest, members Of the
BOARD have declared that unless the
training quarters are located near the
High school the pupils will catch cold
In leaving the warm schoolroom to
reach the building, and hold to their
original position on sanitary grounds.
outdoor exercises Is what is needed.
else recess could be better improved
with study. A walk of six or eight
blocks, or even a mile to the train
ing quarters would not In the least i'm
pair the health Of the average pupil.
"A large majority Of the statesmen of
the country, and many of the financial
Kings IN all lines of business began
lie On the farm. They arose at tn
the morning, did the chores and MIXED
nerd OF cows before breakfast. Then
they walked from one to four miles To
the little white school house, where
they improved every moment, and
learned more In one month Tot school
than can be absorbed by the faddts It
pupils OF this city in twelve. They aid
not catch cold, and the death rate was
no greater In proportion to populate
than 1T is in Duluth today.
Because they took these long walks.
and because they were trained to the
chores performed in the hours Of
dawn they cultivated strength of char
acter and strength of physique with
the limited amount of learning that
their parents could afford to give
them. There were no fads in those
days.
1t Is apparent that the schools of to-
day are cultivating a crop of miserable
spoilers, and 1t is fortunate for many
who will one day enter the business
world that there are stenogra pliers.
Spelling and grammar, so vital in all
walks Of life. have been trimmed so
erfectually under the so-called up-to-
date methods that these studies have
no place worthy of the name. II the
outlay must be made for sum reach
Ing the cost Of training quarters
let it be expended for means of intro
ducing spelling and grammar into the
schools.
With public sentiment behind them.
the members of the board of education
cannot err in either abandoning the
the training quarters plan or purchas-
ing ground elsewhere. Duluth Is a pro-
gressive city. None can be found which
Will adopt modern methods more
quickly. Municipal beauty in streets
parks and public grounds is Of vastly
more Importance than economy in the
construction Of single building which
will be a backward step, and every
person who can do so should immed1-
ately file a protest against the scheme,
1t Is the opinion Of the Labor World
that Its supporters will never favor the
expenditure OF so much money for an
eyesore to the city.
Mr.. E. w. Prophet, an artist and a
friend Of unionism who needs no intro
ductton here, is to be rendered a bene-
fit at the Lyceum on Sunday, October
23 He expects to leave Duluth about
November l for New York, where he
will enter the operate field.
During the many years that Mr..
Prophet has been member of the
Typographical union he has steadily
been friend Of the great organization