Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-04
STATE NORMAL
SCHOOL REPORT
New Library and Science Hall
Needed According to Plans
Outlined by Board
WANT SPECIAL TAX EXTENDED
President seerley's Report Makes
Some Interesting Statements in Re-
gard to the Depletion Of Teaching
Force by Transfer of Teachers to
Other Lines Of Employment.

Des Moines. Nov. 4.-Biennial re-
ports are now coming in in rapid or
der. The supply department Of the
secretary of state Is busy just at pres
ent sending them to members of the
legislature for whose special benefit
they are made and printed. The bien-
NAL report of the State Normal School
publishes ground plan Of the grounds
Of the institution with six proposed
buildings arranged for the inspection
of the members of the legislature The
plans. the report says, are the plans
Of the trustees for the completed insti-
tuition and 1t is presumed that appro-
priations will be asked in due course
Of time for the completion OF the worl1
The new buildings proposed are a IL
brary to be situated In the fore part
| OF the grounds. a science hall to be sit-
uated at the left of the other
buildings, a greenhouse just back of It
and manual training school just back
of that. On the other side of the
grounds a physics and a chemistry
| building Is planned and a cottage for
the superintendent in the fore part Of
the grounds at the right Of the presi-
dents cottage. The report Of I. j.
McDuffte Of LeMars asks for the ex-
tension OF the tax of one-tenth of Il
mill annually for five. years from the
expiration of the present law in ordar
that the trustees may have the means
for properly equipping the institution.
To enable the board of trustees to
successfully develop the school in all
the departments, to increase the salar-
les Of deserving teachers add additions
al needed teachers and the like, tfl,.
following appropriations are asked:
For teachers fund, additional annu-
ally, $4,000 for summer term fund
additional annually $4,000; IL
brary fund additional annually,
$2.500; librarian fund, additional
annually, $2.5O0; for paving and inn
proving for two years, $4,000.
The report Of President Seerley,
which Is a part Of the entire report Ut
the school, says that the teaching
force of the state is constantly being
depleted by the transfer Of teachers to
other lines Of employment which are
more remunerative and by the fact
that the salaries Of teachers have not
enjoyed the advance which other lines
Of employment have enjoyed, and says:
1.-THE salaries paid for educational work
for the year 1905 are but little higher
II than when the hard times were exist
| ing, while the cost of living in every
| line is at the high-water mark" The
report says that the removal Of teach
ers to other lines of work is taking
from the state normal to fill positions
as teachers pupils whose education
has not been completed, and who would
complete the course were the demand
for teachers not SO great.
President Seerley puts at rest the
charges as to the right Of the State
Normal to give degrees. After saying
that the school now confers the de-
gree Of Bachelor Of Arts in Educa-
ton" he says in his report that this
is not assuming the prerogative OF the
college, but is in line with the STATUE
tory province determined by the gen.
eral assembly in 1876 and says: This
diploma. Bachelor of Arts In Educa-
ton, was adopted by the hrst board
of trustees at the organization of the
Normal School in 1876 and is not a re-
cent invention as some inquirers have
supposed"
The same report discusses the cur
riculum of the public schools which
is ever up in educational circles and
says the public school course needs
more attention that is commonly ac-
corded it.; that 1t is not perfect in plan
and detail as some claim, and that 1t
is not the worst kind of pessimism to
ask for its reorganization and read
justment. President Seerley says fur
ther: "Too long have the people ac-
cepted the statutes determining the
qualifications Of teacher as more or
less divine because they are law and
custom, since by so doing they have
overvalued certain so-called elemen-
tary branches found in the customary
curriculum and have regarded these as
absolutely essential to intelligent liv-
ing and a successful career" He
proceeds then to tell Of the expert
ments Of the State Normal along this
line and has reached such success as
| to prove that at least two years time
can be saved pupils and much worry
by deferring difficult subjects OF
study till the proper time in the pup
| IFS life.
! There are now eleven applicants fos
pardon at the hands of the legislature.
| The two Rainsbargers are the last to
| ask pardcns. The others are George
Weems of Des Moines, who murdered
Ridpath; ]. B. Taylor Of Clinton; John
H. Carter of Fayette county; Louis
| Busse, Of Bremen; Joseph G. Smith ot
Monroe; T. w. Watson Of Mills coun-
ty; A. ID. Storms Of Louisa county;
John G.. Steel of Monroe; and William
! Tool of Sac county. Watson has beer
in the penitentiary since March 13
1884, and was convicted of the muir
der Of S. Shelley. a storekeeper whe
! was found dead In his bed. He KEEP