The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-06-05
BUSINESS COURSE
TO BE ESTABLISHED
Special School Meeting Took
Favorable Action.
NO SPECIAL TAX WAS VOTED

Because the Warrant consaihca NJ
Article Providing for tho Raising Of
Money Committees Idea 20 Have
tho Course Extended.
Forty or more men and about hall a
dozen women assembled IA the hlsh s.h"o'
nom Tuesday evening IA attendance on
the speelal meeting u the incorporated
SCHOOL district called Tor the purpose OF
taking action ON the question OF a com
mercial course Ia connection WIN ihs
hirh eohoal The sense Of the meeting
vas that the prudential committee take
stems toward the installation OF such
ours as a patt Of the regular school cur
riculum, aud the committee Was author
ised 10 finish aud equip two rooms ON INC
third floor Of the high school building, 70
procure a teacher iof such course anu
10 borrow such funds as might To heo1
ell for the work before the nsuiaI sen"o.
meeting in July. II was the intention ui
those present 10 vote a special tax OF ~
Der cent for the work bat II was found
that the warrant for the special meeting,
drawn by Judge j. l., Martin, contained
no article relative To this matter.
The meeting was called 10 order by Dr.
IL ID. Ilolton and after the reading oil
The warrant hy Clerk W. \, Gilbert Rev.
u. q. :. Osgood outlined briefly the ldca
OF the prudential committee WITH tesafI
10 commercial course. Mr. osfoou
thought the ideal plan would be to have
the commercial course Postgraduate hut
ms sueh an arrangement would probably
bar many pupils TO whom such course
would be OF great benefit the committee
considered il better plan 10 have u eA.
tend through the four years, the htst
two years being devoted to the regular
English branches and the last Two 70
stenography, bookkeeping and all that
pertains to q practical business training
Mr.. Osgood estimated that a TAX oi
cents ON the dollar OF the grand list would
raise sufficient money TO equip ana mann
tain such a course for year.
l.. Il. Adams SAID that a coihiheiclal
course such as the committee wished 10
establish would in no way interfere with
the present college preparatory course
but would be decided addition TO the
present high school curriculum, lie be,
iieyed that the 70 per cent OF high school
graduates who do not 90 70 higher lhsli,
futions of learning should be as. well
equipped for their life work as the -
per cent who do, and 1t was his opinion
that four years course would DE worm
enough more in the end to pay the Puplls
for taking it. Mr.. Adams spoke oil the
need of thorough practical training IN
business as il is now carried on and said
that the establishment OF commercial
course would in his opinion increase the
attendance at the high school by keep
ing in pupils who would otherwise leave
to 60 to work. NJ II
In response to a query from W. IL.
Brackett as to whether a tax OF cents
would be sufficient Mr.. osgood sad he
thought it would, giving the following
estimates: Cost of fitting rooms, sl,2oo;
desks, etc, $500; typewriters, 5000; teach
er. 81 900 to $1,000; heating, $500.
Principal 4. b. Smith SAID he would
hate to have a commercial course estab-
Ished il 1T were to interfere with the
present high standing OF the school as
college preparatory institution. lie
thought. however. that the school was
not doing as much as it ought Tor those
who did not intend TO go to college, ana
he believed that commercial course
would give the bright ones chance to
make more of themselves. Mr.. Smith did
not hesitate to say that IN his OPINION
a commercial course would not prove
panacea for all education Ills Tor the
reason that the personal equation enteIs
expressed himself in favor OF giving the
boys and girls every chance possible to
qet the best and most valuable kind OF
an education, and on this account be,
lieved thoroughly in the commercial
Mr., Ospood read a letter from George
w. Pierce in support of a business course
that should not be made post, graduate,
and then spoke himself In behalf OF
course of at least four years on the ground
that all pupils needed thorough general
training in addition to any technical eau
cation. ,.4;,
j. Z. Martin then offered a resolution
TO the effect that it was the sense OF the
meeting that the prudential committee
establish commercial COURSE,
M, Austin, IT,, opposed the idea OF nav.
ing the commercial course postgraduate
affair on the ground that it would be
more or less waste of time for those
pupils who were intending to learn trades.
He also spoke of the Importance OF
thorough knowledge and command OF Eng
fish to those intending to enter business,
saying that this was OF more Necessity
than stenography or typewrltlng.
+;d ~ 81 f. Mr. issh Martin in and It was carried
unanimously. Mr.. Martin then moved
that a special tax of 10 cents be raised
with the understanding that if 1t proved
more than enough the regular tax could
be reduced in proportion, but an enquiry
from w. H. Vinton brought to light the
fact that the warrant contained no artIcle
allowing the raising of money. Mr.. Mar
tin said he supposed there. was sueh an
article in the warrant for he had drawn
the call himself, but the facts proved him
mistaken. n 40
w. II. vinton then moved that the
prudential committee be authorized 70
EQUIP two rooms on the third floor OF the
high school building for a commercial
course, to procure teacher and 40 other
things necessary in connection with the
establishment Of such a course and that
the committee be authorized TO borrow
snch money as might be needed for this
work the understanding being that the
necessary amount be appropriated at the
regular school meeting in July.