, 1907-04-19
MEMBERS OF LARAMIE LITERARY
CLUB IN OPEN MEETING ON
THE PREPARATORY
DEPARTMENT.
Position by superinte adent and Others
That Superintendent Should Have
Power to Employ Teachers-So-
called Gap Between Public Schools
and State Observation-Disclosures
or Bill Nye Monument Matter.

The meeting Of the Laramie Literary
club last evening was called to order
by e. N. Rogers, president of the club,
who appointed DR.. Delaney to the
chair and Ross Moudy to act as critic.
The proposition made by the Press
Humorists' association to erect a mon
ument in this city to the memory of
the late bill" Nye was brought up and
a committee, consisting of w. S. Ing
ham, A. N. Hasenkamp and DR.. De-
Laney, was appointed to make inqui-
ries and report to the club concerning
the genuineness Of the movement.
Good School Laws.
Prof. Lee, in opening the matter up
for discussion, referred to the excel
lent laws passed by the late Iegisla-
ture regarding compulsory school at
tendance for six months in the year
and the appointment Of a state ex-
aiming board for teachers. Prof. Lee
referred to the fact that there are a
number of children of this city who
are Of school age, but attending no
school, but more particularly to the
fact that thereSre many pupils who,
after passing the eighth grade, leave
school altogether and attend neither
the university nor the high school.
May Get Children Into School.
A committee Of teachers Of the
schools has the latter matter in hand,
said Prof. Lee, and hopes to induce
many children to again take up
school work. and bridge over the gap
between the eighth grade and the uni
versity. The same trouble is being
felt all over the country and is not
peculiar to Laramie. AS regards the
standard Of the schools here, Prof.
Lee said that he found they measured
well up to the standard of the schools
of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa
and Colorado, as determined by pu-
pills coming here from those states
and by his own personal observation.
At the next meeting Of the school
board the question of manual train.
ing, kindergarten work and more
would be discussed.
Better Teachers Coming.
DR.. Quaintance of the university
also referred to the new laws passed
and said they would lead to better
teachers and more congested condi-
ton Of the schools. 1t was mentioned
at a previous meeting that the ninth
grade of the East Side school is now
occupying a cloak room as a class
room, and that should a tenth grade
be demanded there would lie no room
at all for it. The kindergarten is also
a crying need, and would crowd from
the other end. Most of the counties
of the state are now making provis-
ions for properly graded high schools,
or already have such schools estab-
lished.
Things Most Needed.
DR.. Brown Of the university asked
Prof. Lee to name three things which,
in his opinion, the public schools Of
Laramie are strong in and the three
things most needed by the schools.
Prof. Lee, in answering DIR. Brown,
said the schools are strong in punctu-
atty, music, arithmetic and reading.
Among the things most needed, Mr..
Lee mentioned the giving of more
power to the superintendent by the
board, especially in the matter Of hir-
ing new teachers. This, not because
there was not perfect accord between
the board and the superintendent, but
because the superintendent was better
in a position to know what kind Of
teacher was needed and to find that
teacher. A kindergarten is also badly
needed, more room and a special teach.
er in penmanship.
Mr.. Corthell's Views.
Mr.. Corthell agreed strongly with
Prof. Lee that the superintendent
should have the power to choose the
teachers. The superintendent should
be the general manager of the school,
and must know more than the board
as to the needs of the grades. If the
superintendent took such power upon
himself the speaker was sure that
general sentiment would back him up.
Teachers who are kept in the same
grade for vars are apt to become
narrow and fall into a rut which is
harmful for the school and pupils.
Financially Well Fixed.
The kindergarten matter, said Mr..
Corthell, has been thrashed out for
the past ten or twelve years. Years
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