Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-29

fond parent asks that the rules be i'm
fringcd upon for his or her child. Many
Of these requests are "flimsy," to say
the least. None are granted. Should the
bars be let down in one case a precedent
would be established, and soon there would
be no rule and the systematic methods
in vogue would go to pieces.
Principal Graft Is the man at the helm
right here. and It Is up to him" to keep
the rules intact, and by so doing to keep
the big high school running on business
principles, for in a business age business
principles must be invoked and lived up
to in all lines Of endeavor.
The business system of the high school
is shown in another instance. II may
be necessary Tor Johnny Jones to go home
right away. There are nearly 1000 chill
dren in the school. Many OF these children
answer TO the name OF Jones. Many, also.
have the Christian cognomen of John.
Where is the particular Johnny Jones?
Principal Graft can tell in a minute Just
where the boy is and just what he is doing.
He simply turns to the card index and
by running his fingers over these cards
has Johnny located at onre.
These cards show what studies johnny
takes, what hours he Is In the recitation
rooms, in what rooms he %recites and 20
what teacher. With this aid the matter OF
locating any one of the large army Of
students is a simple matter.
DIR. Davidson, the superintendent of in
struction, points out that 1t costs the city
of Omaha at the present time less than
SIS per year fer each pupil enrolled in
the public schools, or, in other words, IL
would cost at the present rate, s455 to give
each pupil in the public schools of Omaha
thirteen fun years of schooling. This by
starting him in at the kindergarten and
graduating him from the high school. "A
mere bagatelle,' the doctor characterizes
the expense.
Contrast this infinitesimal investment
in the schools with the expense account
of the criminal court which deals with
reformation, and see what you find?' asks
DR.. Davidson.
Il know of one instance alone which cost
$4,000 to send one poor wretch to the PEN
i~tentiary in hope that in some way his
eformltion might be accomplished.
1T would be interesting to compare the
total expense of our criminal courts M
the total amount invested each year in our
public schools. ! am sure that no more
striking Illustration could be given in proof
OF the fact that it is cheaper to form char
acter than to reform it,"
1T should be understood In this connec-
ton that the. vast majority Of criminals
have become such before reaching the age
of y. and that they belong. 50 far as
their connection with the public schools
is concerned. to that class known as dere-
licts. This fact only demonstrates the
wisdom of having in connection with every
public school system parental or special
schools where children showing evidence
of abnormalism shall be given the special
care which their needs demand If they are
to be kept from becoming an expense to
the community through a criminal career.
THE chief business of the public school
(and in this the high school comes last and
therefore yields a stronger influence) is
not with reading. writing and arithmetic,
but with the formation of character. And
formation Is cheaper than reformation, as
the criminal records show.
Money spent upon the public schools is
always an investment, never an expense.
Every dollar paid in school taxes brings
back to the community large dividends in
that great body of educated youths who
are to become the men and women of to-
m~orrow-the thinkers and doors in the
larger life Of the republic which lies imme-
diately before us. AS IL was said a CEN
fury or more ago, Education is the chief
defense OF nations so II can still be said.
in different phraseology. that without the
public school system and the public school
teacher this republic could not hope to last
beyond the span of a generation II
should be written large in the hearts OF the
American people that the public school
pays as an investment-pays In terms OF
happier men and women whose inner lives
have been illumined; pays in terms Of a
more enlightened and intelligent people.
pays in terms Of a more stable and q
broader citizenship, pays in terms OF more
comfortable homes, pays in terms OF moral
growth and spiritual uplift, and pays In
terms OF that inward longing and upward
striving for those better things Of lie which
mark the age as the best age known in the
history Of man"
Statistics have been produced TO show
that the earning capacity OF the average
man increases in proportion to his years
of schooling.
The boy who quits school at the end OF
the sixth grade has an earning capacity,
on the average. Cf from 500 to $3.50 a
year. II a boy finishes the graded school
work and completes eight years schooling
his average earning capacity will be from
$3.50 10 800 a year. Should this boy take
a high school course composed Of four
more years, or a total schooling OF twelve
years, his earning capacity is increased
on the average to frcm $50 to $1,000.
Does not a high school education pay
then, ask school authorities.
Dr. Davidson. the superintendent, sums
up the whole question with the one sim
pie statement:
The nigh school, even when measured
by the standpoint Of the dollar and placed
in competition ard on a plane with the
business affairs, pays as an investment,
pays In dollars and cents and pays the
largest dividends. Il is a trulsm that an
educated people produce more and con-
sumo more Of the worlds products than
does an uneducated people. All this makes
for the material prosperity OF a nation. and
bankers merchants. professional men am
iaborinE men share ALIKE IN this prosper
ity." "rJ