Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1908-12-25
PROF SHOWALTER TELLS
OF FAMOUS SONS
Smoke at Wheat Convention
on Education of the
Farmer Boy.

nort of the program of the Wheat Con-
nontion should have been devoted tc
This Subject. Accordingly Supt. N.
Showalter of Colfax addressed the
convention at one of the evening ses.
sons He did not devote his time tc
serious fault finding of the present
condition of our school, but. in the
foce of the fact that our school system
10 one of the best in the country he
nointed out places for improvement
more efficiency. and better admins.
tration in our County schools. From
his thorough study and research he
brougbt to the audience many interest.
ing facts and problems, most of which
are here given.
"Our State annually spends about
81 900. 900 to educate its $50. 900 child.
rem of the common and high schools,
or S25 per pupil per year. This
amount which is excelled only by Cal
ifornia, goes to pay the teacher. in
terest on bonds, free text books. fur
nishings, etc. The cities of our state
nav on the average about $50 per year
for the education of each child. Spo-
kane. however, pays $36. This is
nearly twice as much as is paid for
educating boys and girls of Whitman
County. cit is the inherent right of
every boy and girl of our land to re-
ceive at least a grammar school edu-
cation" said Prof. Showalter. and
yet only per cent of the children
graduate from the eight grade and the
average grade reached by the children
of our county schools is about the
seventh. He then enumerated the
sources from which school money
comes, and stated that the city of
Seattle alone has borrowed Sc, 900, OOO
of our school money for street i'm
provements. Several grand examples
we're given which led many to doubt
the fairness of the local school fund,
where the districts got the money ac-
cording to the assessed valuation of
the property. District No. 16 of
Whitman County has an assessed val
uation of 5000. 600 and a school of Is
pupils; No. 164 has $18. 900 valuation
and has a school of 80 children. Now,
is it fair these 80 children should get
only ILL of the money of that of the
Is children. This is exactly the case
where the school money is part of the
assessed valuation. One district in
King County has 81, 900, 600 assessed
valuation and with only pupis,
while in Whitman County we have
l-3 of our school districts on the mini
mum list receiving only $240 per year.
Prof. Showalter then brought out
by contrast that although our people
feel the necessity for educating their
children they do most often not let
their feelings go into action and pro-
vide the means and plans.
One of our State senators who is
also one of the very best enterprising
farmers of the state some time age
planned to build one of the best
modern dairy barns that could be
found. He sought advice and sugges-
lions from the best authorities of oui
country, so a to make this barn per-
lect IN all details. The cows of that
oarn had every comfort that COW life
could get. Light and cleanliness was
not excelled and running spring water
al"ays IN reach of every COW. But
close by, there was a school house, q
eohlmon box frame building, restin g
oh blocks, and full of cracks. In this
mouse there are 80 children going to
School to a teacher getting $50 a
month. The water is not piped to
hem from a mountain spring, but the
u"iiuren draw it from a creek close
BY.
III whitman County several mer
company imported a splendid
stallion for $4,000 paying a man s65
month and board for caring for this
animal but in so many districts with
- or 80 children a teacher gets but
Wv per month and has to pag her
IO'fu from that. 1t is truly grand
nat cur farmers should have the best
,o"s In the best barns and pay we'll
~ 'he good care of their animals, but
s"ouid 1t he that our farmers should
~ 'ake the same real interest in the
''lcatlon of their children.
!. 'rof' Showalter lamented the con-
uOus changing of teachers and said
mat from 80 to 65 new teachers come
whitman County every year. Fur