Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-28
Plan Of Consolidating Districts
Discussed Pro and Con in
the Country
SOME OF THE BENEFITS SHOWN
Many People, However, Oppose the
Plan, Especially Where Children
Have to be Taken Long Distances
Better School Facilities Provided
Wilson'S Letter.
Special to Times Republican.

0peSIdl "
Albion, May 2S.--One of the much
agitated questions in rural commune
ties in the past few years is that of
school consolidation, and anyone seek
ing an expression of opinion from those
interested in the matter will not need
to make many inquiries to get posi-
tive and emphatic arguments both for
and against the proposition, for it has
ardent adherents and determined OPP
ponents in nearly every vicinity. 1t is
generally admitted that the rural
schools are greatly in need of improve
ment, that consolidation or centraliZa
ton would result in better schools, but
those opposing the id@ see objections
to the plan that overbilance the bene-
fits to be secured They argue that the
expense of transporting the children,
the exposure incident to the long rides
made necessary in the case of some of
them, the loss of their time to the pa
rents of the larger ones, whose SER
vices in doing chores and helping with
Homework are items of considerable
Importance. and that the town, If the
school is to be located in town, is
getting the best of the deal. The nom
resident land owner and those who
send no children to school oppose the
plan, and those who look at the ques-
ton only from the standpoint Of school
improvement are surprised at the num-
Der and variety of the objections of
fered by those who are not directly in
terested in such Improvement.
On the principal street Of this VIII
lage are two buildings, one of which
is being used as a blacksmith shop.
the other town hall. A third remod-
eled structure is dwelling on farm
a short distance away. ALI three We're
school houses which were sold and
moved from where they were built af-
ter the people of the districts in which
they We're located had tried consolida-
ton with the adjoining town year.
Three men are employed at $50 per
month each to transport the thirty
five or forty children from the former
outside territory. Every man who
sends children to the school appears to
be satisfied with the plan, altho the
cost is in one sense somewhat greater
than it was under the old way One
man paying taxes on $4,000 worth of
estimated the increased cost
to him at $50 per year and said he got
that much back in not needing to both
er about getting his chillnanl to and
from school on stormy days, when he
was sure to need the time for some
thing else. He said, too. that the plan
saved him several years tax in afford
Ing the opportunity to give them a high
school education without maintaining
th@n away from home two or three
years. Another who sends several
children to school notices consider
able diminution in the cost of clothes
and shoes, attendance is more regular
than before and the only opposition ex-
pressed was due to a dispute or mis-
between the residents Of
the town and those of the rural dis
tricts in regard to the construction of
the school building.
A few miles from here there lives
a man who knows something about
Kidding fruit trees and berry bushe,
of the many different pests that have
appeared during recent years and
which threaten to make fruit raising
for any except experts, impossible. He
has telephone in his house and when
his neighbors notice anything wrong