The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17

It gives me great pleasure TO comply with tho
reauss. Of The Times Times pispateh for brief de-
its Educational PAGE.
education. and are lending powerful aid toward
better pped teachers being employed. and
longer terms are demanded. Colncident with
these basic improvements comes the steady
growth OF high schoos--yital links in the vital
chain connecting the grammar grades with the
course. to render strong. secure and connected
every block between the foundation stone Of the
versity''-that is the high ideal toward which we
hopefully working. We know the aim Is q
large one. but we believe that Il can be attained
by making the schools SO efficient that they will
win. not only. the best patronage Of all classes.
lie at large.
invoking the sound policy of consoiidatlon--the
logical course OF every successful business Ven
Just in proportion as schools are unduiy multi
piled. just in proportion are their benefits mini
buted. diffusion means waste. concentration means
power We seeking to show the criminal FOL.
advantages making the yardstick the final
nrbiter between good and Indifferent schools.
~ at hand to prove the contention When for ths
same amount of taxation we can offer q patron
schoolhouses. and the immense advantages Of
uniform grading with only the slight disadva an.
find further arguments OF little necessity. OF
course there are chronic i'kiekersi, eyssFywhere
~,
take the opposite view for time, but eventually
the policy Of concentration wins the Hupnnrt ~
every Intelligent citizen, The first fair test OF
a consolidated school Is the final argument in
favor of consolidation. Just hero cannot re-
f,ain from citing two instances. showing
the immense value of the policy here In Abe
marie. At Aiberene there was two-room school
ing was wretchcd In itself and badly located. as
the accompanying cut decidedly proves Throush
the generosity and business acumen of the Albe-
rene Soapstone Company, thirty-eight hundred
dollar building was put up. The equipment was
excellent. and the grounds ample. To-day the
school has five teachers instead of two and an
enrolment OF two hundred instead OF eighty
At Red HILL there n single-room public
schoolhouse. and seven private schools. The en-
rolment of the public school about twenty
or twenty two. To-day fnely-equpped public
school building. costing 81 600. replaces the pub
lie and private affairs, and has an enrolment OF
nnety-odd. 1t has only been running three
lays in consruction) and before the term closes.
the figures will exceed one hundred
At Earlysyille. log hut and two single-room
buildings had mn aggregate enrolment Of some
seventy eighty scholars. Although tho new
building has only been occupied part OF the
nearly hundred and will exceed that figure
in short time, The new schoohouse cost 50 600.
and Is located beautiful hill, containing
four and one-half acres. The examples of Scotts-
vile and Crozet practically duplicate the situa-
lions described above.
or course, these schools of higher grade de-
mand wel-equipped and well-paid teachers. We
arc seeking to meet tho issue to the fullest ex-
tent OF our capacity, recognizing the vital fact
that every extra dollar spent In trained service is
dollar quadrupled in value without dis
crcditing In the slightest the excellent services