Milford chronicle., 1904-05-06
WANTED "A GOOD CLERK.

: Next to the teacher, the mos
potent influence for a good schoo
is a good clerk. The local com
missioners for each rural schoo
number three, but in my exper
ience, it is the clerk that dischar
ges almost wholly the little dutie:
that pertain to the management oi
the school.
In a district that numbers rs OF
80 voters, it is often a difficult mat
ter to find really good clerk. To
manage one school we'll, requires
the same good sense, the same pub
lie spirit, the same knowledge of
educational principles that it does
to manage a hundred.
In visiting strange school dis
trict, l have asked myself the ques-
ton of Abraham of old "Perad-
venture there is one Just man in
this district ?" But when I 90 into
the sChoolroom and find that they
have to prop the door shut with a
brick, that they shovel the ashes
from the stove through the cracks
in the floor into the open air, that,
in the middle of January, seven
window lights are gone, that there
IS no plastering on the room, that
there is practically no blackboard,
and really nothing but a teacher
and IS or so children, shivering
around a greeA wood fire, I know
that that just man has not yet been
elected clerk.
There are good clerks in Sussex
county. Many districts have elec.
ted them but many have not. When
l go into country school and find
it neat, comfortable and we'll kept
with its walls whitened or painted .
with a good blackboard surface
shades at the windows and good .
fuel, a good seat for each pupil. I
know that good clerk has added
at least twenty-five per cent. to that
schools efficiency, and while l give
the teacher a good mark for teach
ing, l know the recording angel
will give that good clerk 100 per (
cent. in practical, every day chris
-ianity, which is the only kind that
amounts to anything.
For some one in each district to
faithfully the duties of
,lerk, is religious duty. Christ
vas a teacher. He blessed and
IGNORED childhood. He blesses
he man that gives one of these lit J
le ones even a cup of cold water {
The highest privilege a man may
lave, next, to earning an honest ,
livelihood at a Congeuial occupa- s
ion is the opportunity to do some c
cal good for his fellows. Here is 6
Il opportunity for many men and r
women. Our schools suffer most
rom indifference and neglect. If e
our district school is one of them, e
care not whether you be an ex-
orter, an elder or a deacon in the e
hurch, these children who suf- >
er will condemn you at the last o
It is patriotic duty. The great h
st curse a country can have is ig q
GRANT citizenship. If we are capa- o
le Of self government, we must not a
lirk the duties and responsible h h
es it imposes. We pride our
lives on the local control of our R
,hools. confess that our sys- "
m is one of localization to the =
oint of attenuation, and if the peo-
.e do not take the pride i'll the II
laracter and condition of their re
'hools that they should, the power "'
ill depart into higher hands. I o,
cad not for higher taxes. but for d'
intelligent, patriotic manhood c"
lat from an interest in the general
BOD will give our rural schools
e benefit of wise and careful. To- lei
4 oversight. There should be a ga e.,
eat stirring of dry bones at this c,
,xt school election. tn
JOHN D. BROOKS, co
Supt. Sussex Public Schools. 'l' 'n