Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-02
State Superintendent OF Schools
Gathering Facts for Pre-
sentation
RELIEF FOR RURAL SCHOOLS
TabuIation of Facts Will Show Deplor-
able Conditions, He Decares-con-
solidation, Grading and classifica-
ton the Needs-Party Circle May Be
Restored.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. 2.-To induce Iowa
legislators to take some action to re-
pair the present deplorable conditions
of country schools, State Superintend-
ent John F. Riggs intends to supple
ment his annual report, filed yesterday
with the governor, with data to be
gathered while the general assembly
is in session,
The state superintendent will send
to every school teacher in the state
an addressed postal card with the re-
quest that she fill out and mail 1T on
Dec. 16, giving the average attend
ance in her school for the month end
ing at that date. This will show the
attendance at that time of the year
when the students are most numerous.
This date the state superintendent pur-
poses to tabulate and give to the mem
bers. He says it will show a deplor-
able condition. Some country schools,
he says, have an attendance OF but
two and three, while in some counties
where there are several city schools
the average attendance per teacher is
but ten. This data will be given in
support of consolidation of schools In
the country schools at present, he SAYS,
there is no classificatio whatever. One
school of which he has personal knowl-
edge has less than dozen students
and forty-two recitations a day. The
state superintendent urges that there
should be consolidation of the schools
and then grading and classification.
Transportation to consolidated schools
could be arranged for the students.
Such change will be recommended
by the school law commission ap-
pointed in conformity with action of
the Thirty-second general assembly.
That committee reports to this COM
ing assembly.
There is considerable speculation as
to what action the legislature will take
, respecting restoration of the party cir
Gle to the ballot. Either this must be
done or there must be a definite law
to make the voting machines conform
with the purpose of abolishing the cir
Gle. The machines used in Polk coun-
ty last month had a party lever, so
that a straight ticket could be voted
by merely pulling the lever Many
contend this was in fact restoring the
circle. 1t is expected a law will be
passed prohibiting the use of the party
lever or restoring the circle to the
ballot so as to make the voting alike
all over the state.
The Indian mound exceeding in size
any ever opened in Iowa, on the farm
of r. v. Thompson near Mitchellville,
will be excavated under the auspices
of the state historical authorities Mr.
Van Huyning, of the state historical
offices, is now engaged sinking shaft
ito ascertain whether it is really
mound. He believes there is little
doubt but that it is a burying place of
the Indians. Work of excavating will
probably be done this winter.
This newly discovered mound ex-
!ceeds in size the Boone mound that
was opened last spring and created so
much interest by the discovery of In
S<APSSSO0
Mr.. Van Huyning will make report
to the state society in the course OF
few weeks.
That there will be renewed efforts
to secure an anti-Sunday theater law
in Iowa at the session OF the legfsla-
ture convening Jan. II, is now certain.
The fight promises to be close one
with an extreme likelihood of the meas
ure becoming a law. In several Iowa
cities during the past month mayors
have ordered Sunday amusement
places closed This is taken as fndica-
tive of the rapidly growing sentiment
against Sunday amusement places.
That there should be an exception in
the case Of Des Moines and other
larger cities because of their size will
find little support as New York has
long had an anti-Sunday theater law
and it is enforced. Several organiza-
tions in the state have signified their
intention to support and lobby for such
a law. The bill as will be prepared will
probably carry in it's provisions all
theaters, amusement parks, etc.
The constitutional amendment sub
mitted to the people for the last timo
on Nov. 8, carried by the largest ma
iority ever given a proposed change
to the constitution of Iowa.
This amendment strengthened the
drainage laws of the state.
1t carried by a vote Of 194.261 to
1O5. .72O, having thus majority of SS.-
541. About 175,O0O voters who went to
the polls to vote for candidates for
office ignored the amendment, alto
gether. . Fortunately, in this state, an
amendment submitted to the voters
does not have majority of all Of the
votes cast in the election, which is true
in some states.
Polk county was the banner county
for forgetting the amendment. Here
about 90 900 votes were cast. but the
amendment only got 1854 while only