Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-01

AFTER LONG RANGE PROPHETS
United States Weather Bureau Will
Keep On Putting the Truth Before
tho People-some Good Boins Done
by Iowa Compulsory Education Law
Rural School Statistics.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 1.-Never before In
the history OF the state. SO far as the
records show. has there been hny such
delightful approach of winter by easy
stages thru beautiful month of No
vember DR.. Chappell. In charge of
the Iowa weather bureau, consulted
his records last night and found that
observations for the month of Novem-
Der showed n total precipitation of
moisture Of only six -hundredths of an
inch during the entire month. 1t was
n wonderfully dry month. OF the
thirty days IS were marked clear and
6 partly cloudy, while as a matter OF
fact one other was merely SD smoky
the sun didn't shine much. 'The rec
ord therefore stands 25 of the 30 days
were favored by sunshine The In
dian summer" really started ten days
before the first Of the month md Iowa
has had In fact forty days of dry and
delightful autumn weather. Running
back thru the records 1t was found that
at this station only four other years
could be found where there was less
than half an inch of rain In Novem-
ber and these all showed much more
than the mere trace Of moisture for
this year. At the same time there
has not been sign of 81 storm or q
"cold wave" In Iowa. and the temper
ature has gradually decreased for the
forty days, neither hot nor very cold.
Last night for the first time Ice in
considerable quantities was formed up
on the rivers.
Director Sage of the Iowa weather
and crop hurenu did not hesitate to
point to the record and invite COM
parison with the representations OF
the long range and almanac prophets
who pretend to foretell what will hap
pen. The Hicks prophesy for Novem-
Der reads strangely after November is
over. Hicks had scheduled fve sep
arate and distinct storms for the
month. He had them sweeping clear
across the country, with low tempera-
ture, followed by very warm, and In
fact most variable ard disngreeable
month Of November 'rhe Hicks pro-
gram would have done for almost any
month of November save this one. 1t
was q good guess, but guesses do not
go for this time. The United States
weather bureau is after the long range
weather prophets and will keep on
putting the truth before the people so
that men will not be deceived by the
guessers.
The Iowa compulsory education law
is doing some good, as indicated by the
reports on school work for the past
year The reports received at the
state educational department show
that the enrolment in Iowa schools
last year was not as great as the year
before, but the average school atten-
dance was greater. This may not be
an absolute criterion, as there. is some
suspicion that the reports sent IN last
year were imperfect as to attendance.
These reports showed last year 358,000
in round numbers and this year $4,000.
But beginning with six years ago the
reports showed as follows: 1898, 270,-
900; 1899, 364,OoO; 1900, $4,000; 1901,
$4,000; 1902, 374,000; 1909, 35S,000.
This would indicate that the reports
last year were deficient. But at any
rate the attendance Is keeping UP we'll.
State Superintendent Riggs in max
ing his study of the rural school prob
lem, has been turning up some inter-
esting facts. For instance, he has com
puted, from reliable reports, that the
total amount paid in tuition by rural
residents for attendance in the graded
town schools was over $114,000 last
year. and this for about 10000 pupils.
In other words, the desire to attend the
graded schools Is 80 great that the
country boys and girls will go even
tho they have to pay tuition, Nearly
5000 of these who paid tuition were
enrolled in the high schools. The
country schools are losing the char
acter they formerly held and the big
boys and girls are finishing off IN the
town schools. Superintendent Riggs
also made some investigation of the
relative labor for educating In the
country and in the towns. The av-
erage number Of children Of school age
enumerated in the country Is over 80
to each school, while in the cities and
towns it is about AZ. If allowance is
made for the tuition pupils going from
country to city the discrepancy is
greater. In short. the rural schools
are not doing the work they should In
the common school system.
The Iowa anti saloon league execu-
tive committee is meeting here today
t., check up on business of the year.
and members say that the league Is In
flourishing financial condition and is
doing a big business. The offlcers
claim that much work is being carried
on all over the state, and their ei1orts
supplement those of officials at many
points. Their latest fight has been In
Pocahontas county where they now
claim they are going to be able to de-
feat mulct petition and prevent the
legalizing OF the saloons there.
The flaw hunters for the biennial