Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1907-02-23

per year and S201 In 1904. For the
female the average wage in 1890 was
SIG and $40 in 1904. In the same
period the average for the graded school |
female teacher was $4S7 in 1890 and |
5000 In 1904 For the male II was ST5l |
in 1890 and $3.50 in 1904. In 1860 WON
en- teachers In ungraded schools worked |
for as little wages as 81 per month. In
1904 the lowest wage paid was S15.
$50 you see" said Dean Davenport
"the country school is in a serious pre-
dicament. Unless something is done
shortly. many of them must go to the
wall Indeed. in n number OF districts
there has been no school for years be
cause OF lack OF attendance. Superin-
tendent Bayllss' last report shows that
1.15O schools had less than fifteen pa
PTS. that 525 schools had less than ten
pupils, and 229 less than five. Taking
$40 month as the cost OF teacher.
500 per year as cost Of fuel and other
expenses and you have for an eight
months school $3.50. which means In n
school Of five that each pupil is costing
the district $40 per year. II is impos-
sIble for anybody to successfully teach
Ave pupils, especially il they are young
and unambitious, as Is usually the
case"
Conditions in other states.
The conditions in Illinois are no
worse than they were In Michigan. In
diana. Ohio. and Iowa a few years ago,
before these States adopted consolida-
ton. In Michigan in 1902. fifty-one
! schools of the 6.452 districts had two
pupils or fewer and held no schools.
and elghty-three had five pupils or few
er. The cost per pupil in these eighty
three schools was $3.50 per pupil per
year. In the graded schools the cost per
year OF ten months for each pupil was
only 1910. The same conditions ex-
listed in Missouri and Iowa, but in the
latter State conditions have since been
materially improved.
by consolidation Of schools" says
Dean Davenport, lis meant the uniting
of two, three, or more small and weak
schools into one that shall be strong
enough in point Of numbers to be in
teresting and strong enough In the way
of money to afford a comfortable build
ing. two or more good teachers, and rea-
sonable facilities for work. 1t also
means that outlying districts with but
few pupils shall be combined with q
near by school that is strong. rather
than be organized into an Independent
but weak district. In its fullest sense
II means the uniting OF all the school,
of n township into one or two 80 10
, Gated as to he most accessible.
Consolidation either In full or II
, part means the transportation OF por
ton OF the pupils, and this is one o
the problems. 1t is generally accom-
plished in covered wagons. ARTIFICIAL.
warmed. holding 10 OF 20 children ant
driven by reliable men under contrac
and bonds as to regularity and good be
, havior At first thought this woul'
2 seem expensive. but experience ha
shown that 1t is cheaper to transpor
. a few children than to build schoc
for them. This is because wagon
cheaper than a schoolhouse. horse
cheaper than fuel. and because driver
!, cost less than teachers.
. where small districts already exis
: consolidation means some changes
!. buildings. These changes are sometime
n effected by moving together two G
more OF the little old buildings, or b
adding a portion to one, making a tw
or three room house. In other II
stances, new buildings are erected A
, ways are open. A makeshlft seems o
= ten best at first, until the plan Is
- full operation, when a permanent bull
ing seems sure to follow in good tim
~ Consolidation was first adopted
- Massachusetts In 1869. Now more this
-, 50 per cent Of the townships OF II
~ State have adopted the system. with
- saving annually 10 each township
a. 5000. Twenty States now have CO
y solldation, and all Of them report II
n. successful, operation at big reductl'
nj In cost Iowa reports that consolid
10 ton has been adopted In sixty-thr
ri districts OF twenty eight counties.
hv diana reports that 1S1 wagons trar
10. port $3.50 children in hfty-one countl'
BY tho largest number being in White
he County. where seventy-three WACO
In carry Lila children. In La Gran
County, Indiana. thirty-eight scho'
., were closed and 42s pupils transport
81 at saving OF S6,734 yearly.
oh From the reports OF the twer
he States using the system the AYERS
ed cost per month for transporting a ch
OIL, to and from school daily is $3.50.
Transportation n stumbling Flo.
This matter Of transportation
In been the stumbling block In the "
,04 Of the general adoption Of the systs
ity Farmers soy that the cost is too mt
Inc and that the roads and weather
led quently are In unit condition
adj travel. Dean Davenport declares Z
ne II is better to expose horses to
ere elements than children. Children
un- frequently made sick by exposure
storms and from sitting all day "
the wet feet and damp clothing after "