The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-02-18

J OoUlo " hne iNeW oooNe FHSPNSe W
Stafford Opposed to Reducing
Number Of Supsrintendsnts-Good
Rosds and Good Schools Import
ant Factors in the Building Up OF
Any Section.
Crest, Va Feb. llh, 1905
70 The Free Lance.
In regard To text books, the geography
adopted by the school board Of Stafford, ,
Maury r geography. is one Of The best. II
not the best hook. on the subject pub
llshed in America The recently adopted
gradrd literature readers are line. Step
by step takes the chill f5om the simplest
themes II every dey life To the highest
ruogs ol the ladder # knowledge. |
notice ia the second reader tn favorable
revision ni the story, Little Red Rlding
Hood which used To read hen Rlit.
IL boy. The ending WAS that the horri.
BILE wolf ate UP the old grandmother and
pretty Little Red Riding Hood, but 1t is
revised in the graded literature readers,
and Just at the right time noble hunter
shoots the cunning wOi. The old time
enGing # this pretty little story should
never be published in school book.
There are, sll through the various books
OF this series mauy happy changes IN
the old method OF arranging school read
prs. No terrible tragedy should be pub
lished ia reader designed for primary
schools We think Lees 5 history
equally good a. Jones Toe change Of
the former for tbs latter We think un-
necessafy.
shall tp ak now oi only one more
book the grammsr-Hyde. do not be-
lieye any teacher, relying only on that
book, can make grammarlans Of the
pupils In Whitney and LOckw the
subject il very we'll explained
We notice that the state Board Cf Edu-
cation cOntemplates reducing the num-
Der Of school uperintendents We see
no wisdom 10 such move In the tirst
place. it cannot be any more economical;
for, II their territory is increased, their
salaries must be corrrespOndingly in-
creased, il Justice is done to the superin-
tendenis And second, the schools could
not get as much personal supervision
| from the superintendent. Iney really
get but little anyway. but Of necessity
much less then. What we want In the
country is an increase 10 the school term
and better pay for teachers. This will
certainly give us better teachers. lt will
be an incentive TO the best OF those who
are now teaching to improve themselves,
! to labor more carefully for the benefit OF
those to be instructed, and the mass OF
the people-tax pay ers-seting this great
improvement. would be more willing TO
put their own shoulders to the educs'
tional wheel and thus move the great
chariot IL knowledge forward to the
splendid uphft Il the present generation,
and leave to the unborn generations the
best legacy Of which mOrtals are capable.
Besides, the improvement in our rural
schools would be very great induce
meut for good, thrift! citizens from other
sections 20 settle up our large surplus
estates Good schools and good roads
are the richest secular blessings that
earth can give Though country may
be cut # from railroads and nsvigable
streams, its laods poor, the dwellings
but ,abins. bat II IL has good schools
aud good highways people will flock to
its borders, and soon the steel rail- will
mark It's waste places, good dwellings
will to. the place of huts and log cabins.
and the barren fields would soon be COW
cred with waving grses or luxuriant
wheat or corn. or some other profitable
crop. \ country can improve fast that
has had roads and does not take lively
interest ia educational matters. One
dollar invested in these things will double
and quadrupl, itself pecuniarily, besides
giving such satisfaction and real pleas.
ure. Sometimes.