The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-04-03
WISCONSIN PLAN. OF
STATE FARM
SCHOOLS
It is Found to Be Very Salts
factory-Some Of Its Good
Features.


up, says the st. Paul Pioneer Press,
by the advocates of the so-called coun-
ty school bill-which has just been
favorably acted on by the Minnesota
house in committee Of the whole-as
affording an example worthy of imi-
tation. But investigation would APP
pear to show that. whatever theoreti-
cal eXcellences may inhere in the Wis
consin plan, its practical working pre-
sent it as something not at all at
tractive to those sincerely DESTROYS
of establishing institutions which
shall really advance the study of
scientific farming. and not mere local
gratis"
structor OF long experience in the St.
Anthony Park school and the other a
member of the legislature-both
sofa, recently paid a visit to one of the
foremost of Wisconsin's county schools
that at Wausau, Wis, established in
1902. The Wisconsin law authorizing
such schools throws the door open to
all counties alike. Under it county
commissioners are empowered to levy
a tax for the support of such schools.
The state pays two-thirds of the an
nual cost, the county one-third; the
total contribution from the state to
any one county school not to exceed
$4,000 annually. The Wausau build
ing cost the county $4,000. 1t is a
three-story brick. with a green house
annex, but no ground for practical
lessons in farming. 1t affords two
year course. The students are mostly
girls and boys living in Wausau. Those
from the farm find board in the city
at an average cost of $3.50 per week,
laundry not included. This, it will
be noted. makes the cost of living
slightly higher than at St. Anthony
Park. The expense of running the
school for the year ending June 80,
1906, was s6,121.60. The principal is
paid $4,000; the teacher of domestic
science, $1,000; and the teacher of
manual training, 5000. The term is
eight months. The total enrolment
for the present year, 1906-19O7, is sc,
II boys and 40 girls. OF the later,
two-thirds are from Wausau, attracted
by the course in domestic science. The
cost of maintaining the school is seen
to be $109.31 per pupil.
The upper story of the building is
given up to training school for
teachers in rural schools. But neither
in the course of study nor in the dec
larations of purpose made by the
principal or the county officials was
there found any indication of an in
tention of making speciality of agri-
cultural instruction so that the teach
er of the rural schools would be able
to show the students the beauties and
benefits of their own environment. On
the contrary. answers and appearan-
ces all indicated that the old library
curriculum, looking forward to a pro-
fessional or commercial career, is con-
sidered of more importance than ag-
ricultural studies.
The teaching of agriculture at Wau-
sau being almost wholly theoretical,
for lack of land and equipment, there
is small wonder that out of a popula-
ton of about $4,000, mostly farmers,
only IL farmers boys had been this
year attracted to the school, and none
at all from neighboring counties; and
that the total attendance of boys and
girls after five years is only about
two-thirds as large as it was in the
beginning. In this instance, at least,
the investigators were certainly justi-
fed in their own conclusion that the
Wisconsin system has proved failure.
AS one of them remarked, the work of
the Wausau school could be much
better accomplished with the same
money and at less expense in other
schools. If this school was district
school-by which l mean district
comprising several counties, and so
located on suitable farm and pro-
vided with dormitory and home facili-
ties, l feel sure it would serve it's
purpose better and do better work"
OF course, the district school in
wolves a large appropriation for each
school, but the aggregate for the en-
tire state will be smaller than for a
series of county schools. And the dis
trict school does it's work" which the
Wausau school does not. Compare the
St. Anthony Park school-which is 10
be taken as pattern for the district
schools proposed in Minnesota, with
the Wausau school. In the one case
the state gets big returns for it's
money; in the other, the returns are
distressingly meager
Another feature of the proposed
district schol plan is the correlation
of the district school work with that
of the university. The university COL
lege of agriculture, through its or
ganic relation with the district schools
will prevent the latter from becoming
as in the case of the. Wisconsin
schools, the creatures of the whims
and caprices of county officials, who
are very likely to give any school
some twist away from the sDecial
work of agriculture which has been
the bane of agricultural" school man
agement in many a state.
That the county farm school bill is
not wholly incompatible with the dis
trict school idea has already been
pointed out. The schools that are pro-
vided for are not we'll distributed, but
it would be possible to develop some OF
them into district schools. The meas
ure contemplates, however, agricultur-
al schools ultimately in every county,
and 1t establish a policy that may
lead to the building of many schools
in the future that will not be needed
and that will not do efficient work.
This and the fact that it does throw
the door open to competition are two
serious defects in measure intended
to fnaugurate so important a policy
as that Of more generally diffused
agricultural instruction.
MEETING Of PRESRY1ERY