The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-09

rOrrnWdC street school, which IS At
lanta's best Mr.. Smith is not now
is the father of manual training in
Atlanta, and is always ready to do
all things for it's advancement.
AT the Formwalt grammar school
manual training in the first to fifth
grades inclusive, the manual train
ing comprises drawing, color work,
paper cutting and folding, done in the
class rooms. The seventh and eighth
grade boys take tool work instruc-
ton in rooms in the basement of the
building. They walk from their re-
speetive school house to this central
shop This course is elective, bur
nearly all the boys of these grades
take it. The girls of the seventh and
eighth grades take sewing lessons, but
have no chance to learn cooking as in
Columbus. The grammar school
equipment for manual training is poor
AtIanta's System Good.
In the Boys High School the equip
nnent in carpenter and blacksmith's
shops which are the only courses. is
excellent, and teachers and pupils do
good work 1t is the best of the man
ual training we saw, and a credit to
the school authorities. Out of 80 boys
in the High School forty take the in
dustrial course. There is nothing do
ing in manual training of the girls
of the Atlanta High School.
The manual training scheme costs
for director and assistants $3,775 a year.
The cost of equipment, High School,,
$2,S32; Grammar Schools, 1915; total,
$3,107, making a grand total for the
inaugurattng year of $6,872.
I'VE were informed that at the open
ing of the Atlanta public schools last
September 700 white children could not
be accommodated, but the most of
them had since been admitted because
of vacancies that had occurred. Sew
eral hundred eolored children are with
out school accommodations. No man
ual training of any kind is provided
for colored children in Atlanta and
there is no prospect that anything
will be done in that way for them.
During our visit to the High School
we met Supt. w. F. Slaton and Prof.
w. M. Slaton, the principal of the
school, two of the ablest educators in
the state.
Macon Schools Not Visited.
1.-THE committee did not have the OPP
portunity of examining the work of
manual training in Macon. They ar
rived there in the evening and were
honored by visit aboard their car
from T. d. Tinsley Esq, president of
THE bOdIQ OE EuuCdJlOHs ana Oupl. y.
M. Pound, Messrs. Hertz and Ware
of the public school system. These
gentlemen spent two hours with the
visitors.
Manual training has been in opera
ton since November, 1902. and is
taught in all grammar schools, but
there is no tool work. In the High
School there are twenty-five benches,
at which eighty minutes a week is
~ - TIL u.
supervisor, which appeared to be The
only additional expense incurred in
manual training, is 1910 year.
81 found manual work in the public
schools popular with everybody in the
three cities visited, and also a general
desire to do ali that is possible for it.
Much of what is done in the way of
manual training in Atlanta and Ma
con, that is, drawing, singing and
marching exercises, is already in vogue
in Savannah, and our discipline and
if not a little ahead of those
cities, and our principals and
teachers have just as much
snap as their co-workers in
other places. Our school buildings
have larger and better lighted school
rooms, and a heater appearance than
those of Atlanta and Columbus, and
are far better adapted for the pro-
posed new work.
SaVannah's Needs.
"Of course, if we are to have car
penter rooms and 'smithies.' we must
have special buildings. a central man
ual training school building at the
Chatham Academy, or the conversion
of the Barnard Street School house in
to an exclusively manual training de-
xuil no
1.-The Board of Education is promised
the entire amount necessary for man
ual training without cost to that
body, so that can be left out
of the calculation of the outlay
necessary, so it may be asserted
that with $1,000 in sight with which
to pay teachers Savannah might
safely enter into this new educational
project. Possibly much smaller sum
might cover expenses if the system
were introduced gradually.
Il am heartily in favor of manual
training. but 1 want the best that is
to be had. 1t is worse than useless to
waste a child's time and the people S
money in a job-lots education. Have
the best or have nothing. l also favor
abolishing tuition fees in the High
school " was made a pay school in
a spirit of false economy. The poor
boy or girl IN Savannah Is eItltleu 70
high school education free of charge,
lust as those of Atlanta, Columbus and
Macon. No charge is made in these
cities for tuition of any kind, and none
should be made in Savannah. 1 am
also in favor of free school books. or
the School Board owning the books
and renting them TO pupils at a NOM
inal figure. This would save many a
poor family money that is badly need
ed for living expenses. and which
would not be felt in the general taxes.
l think renting school books at a low
figure would be the better plan, as it
would insure the book being cared for
and returned.
Il think the committee will make re-
port in favor of introducing manual
training at the regular meeting on
Monday night"
BAKER WAS ENDORSED