The Adair County news., 1908-11-18
A Modest Expression.

Al ohoW W IHC SOuiCSSy VI Tie
News of last week in offering it's
columns for free discussion of the
question of Graded School for Co.
lumbia. we offer the following as our
view of the matter.
If the establishment of such a school
would be good thing for Columbia,
not some other town IN Kentucky, but
for Columbia, then let us have it, and
the sooner the better. But if not good,
then the promoters of the idea do
wrong in urging speedy decision of
the matter, on the ground of choice
between Graded School and a High
School, when we may not have to have
either. AS is well known there is much
opposition to the new school law pass
ed by the last legislature and some
eminent critics hold that it will be de-
clared unconstitutional. At least there
is great probability that the law will be
either repealed or radically changed.
Two years were allowed. Then if
Graded school is not good for Columbia,
let us wait and see what we have to do.
If representatives of the State Normal
schools had influence at Frankfort over
legislation for the establishment Of
schools that would be largely tributary
to themselves, and would tend to kill
private schools, let us wait and see if
they still have such influence.
The question is then, would Graded
School be good or bad thing for Co.
lumbia. The proposed increase in taxa
ton would furnish money sufficient to
pay fair salary to not more than five
teachers including principal. The law
requires that eight or ten grades be
taught, not less than eight. This
makes it coextensive in curriculum
with the Normal department of the
Lindsey Wilson, in which are enrolled
the greater number of the pupils of
that institution.
We believe that most of those who
vote for the proposed school will do SO
with the best wishes for the Lindsey
Wilson. and with conviction that it is
for the best interests of the town in
general, influenced by no personal
motive whatever.
But ask yourself the question, how
many people of Columbia, at least for
few years under influence attendant
upon the establishment of new school,
will pay three dollars a month when
they can enter the same grade in an
other school free of charge? Seriously
cripple the Normal department of our
school and you will render the contin-
uance of the school in its present form
extremely doubtful.
We RIO not want to discuss the cues
ton from a personal standpoint, but
many people here believe that if you
hurt L. W. T. S. you will hurt Column
bia, and if you kill it, you will then
have graded school of eight grades
taught by about five teachers, and be,
in exactly the same condition as most
other little towns of its size.
At the present rate of tuition, with
the loss of the majority of the town
pupils, we could hardly afford to con-
tinue even if the number in attendance
continues the same.
If we raise the tuition to compensate
for the decrease in attendance so that
the income would remain the same, we
would not get so many is not what
we get out of it that is benefit to
Columbia, but the number induced to
come here to school.
Any comparison of conditions in a
little town like this and much larger
one, like Glasgow, is apparent rather
than real, and would be so even if
their female college appealed to pupils
on the same grounds as our preparato-
ry school. But not even that is true.
Their cours is for finishing and polish
ing the education of young ladies, and