The San Francisco call., 1904-12-11

Every rapidly growing city faces
grave municipal problems and to this
proposition the city Of San Francisco
is no exception. First Of all municipal
wants demanding attention are the
physical needs of city Its sanitary
needs Of water and sewerage, its pro-
lection from fire and from marauders
are essential to its existence Then
next in Importance. a cause dear to
every American, is the education OF
the children and youth, and, In these
days 1t may be added. the education
of the masses of the people through
out a lifetime.
San Francisco now has population
closely bordering on half million
The causes which have given 1t sud
den impulse and have brought its re-
cent strong growth are permanent
ones. Soon there will be three-quar-
ters of a million people here. and, not
long after, a million persons. This pro-
phecy is deemed by many residents to
be wild and visionary. but it is certain
that the rest of the country does not
share in the belief Of San Francisco's
moderate growth. 1t Is elsewhere a
common expression that San Fran
cisco is sure to become one OF the
great cities of the world.
This local pessimism is unfortunate
for the city's future welfare; 1t pre-
cludes sound judgment for the needs
of the hereafter. 1t is wholly unlike
the dominant spirit of Chicago. In
that city every resident has believed
in its great future and has acted ac-
cordingly from the days of it's village
life to the present hour, when 1t is the
home of 100000 people. 1t is not
true, however, that the majority Of
the citizens of San Francisco entertain
the belief that San Francisco will have
a slow growth The successful efforts
put forth for the bonding of the city
for modern improvements and those
now under way for it's artistic develop
ment forbid that opinion.
But the regrettable truth Is that
while this vision Of expansion has par
TALLY dawned upon San Francisco, ef-
forts for the development and advance
of the public school system of the
city are paralyzed. Charter amend
ments are discussed and action on
them is indefinitely postponed. The
new school buildings will be erected at
an uncertain date. 1t IS even pro-
posed that many of them shall be
frame structures. when the fact is that
hardly any city of 10000 throughout
the whole country will consent to the
use of any material but brick or stone.
1t is next to impossible to secure any
marked increase of appropriations for
the schools. The city authorities con-
tent themselves with annually grant
ing $350,00O, which is added to the
States allotment of $1.O1O, 900. max
ing a total expenditure for the year
Of $1,360,000.
notwithstanding all handicaps. the
Board of Education and the force of
superintendents are doing their utmost
to direct the teachers along the best
lines of educational progress and are
successful-to a certain extent. The
work done by the San Francisco
schools ranks well with that Of many
Eastern cities. But, it must be re-
membered, this work is performed
largely on the old lines OF a dozen
years or more ago. The educational
world has been advancing in that pc
riod in ideas and practice to a wonder
full degree.
Yet San Francisco practically stands
still. The educational leaders who
have recently returned from visits
among the schools OF the East tell but
one story, and that is that San Fran
cisco is far behind the times.
New York. Chicago. Cleveland and
many other cities have grasped the
idea that school education should be
a real preparation for life work. Com
mencement is made by wide adop-
tion of the kindergarten. The psyche
logical truth that play is a powerful
element in mental, as well as physical.
development is adopted through the
ample school Fairgrounds or by the
use of the platformed roofs.
Gymnasiums and manual training
form part of the equipment and courses
of even the elementary schools. School
gardens prove TO be no less valuable to
child nature in the United States than
in France, where it Is said that no
THEIR SHYNESS