Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-12

work here, which I think should
not be forgotten in days to come.
In the first place., the most Inn
portant consideration for anyone
whose duties connect him in any
way with q public trust concerns
the law. If the law is clear in Its
specifications he can hope for rea-
sonable success. If 1t is indefinite
and vague and, worse still, con-
Trajectory, he can hardly hope to
succeed--he may, indeed, while
trying to do his best be ground
between the upper and the neither
millstones.
First of all one should remember
that education is a public trust.
There is a certain confusion in the
minds of the people of California,
and, most of all, in the minds of
certain lawyers, as to what the law
governing the public schools of
California. is. Until this confusion
Is cleared up differences are sure
to arise, in school administration
here In the early days California
established a state school system,
and the state was Adivlded into
school districts, leaving no part of
1t that does not fall within a school
district 1t created a body of state
laws for the control of public edu-
cation and wrote in the constitu-
tion of the state provision that no
public money shall ever be appro-
priated for the support of any
school not under the exclusive con-
troll Of the officers of the public
schools.
This is large school district. It
is forty miles from one side of 1t
to the other. 1t employs 1913
teachers to instruct $4,000 children.
Last year 1t expended 1876, 1S9 so.
We have 115 schools at the present
time. The district Is too big for
good work, and there are too many
schools to permit of reasonable
economy in school keeping. Did
you ever stop to think that Los
Angeles is u very expensive type
of city? 1t has a population of
100000 spread over an area more
than three times as great as that
of certain other cities of the same
population. If the same popula-
ton occupies three times as much
ground as another city of the same
size 1t Is evident that it will take
more money to provide streets,
police and fire protection, health
and schools in this city than in the
other one. 1t is impossible to run
country schools as city schools, and
many difficulties are due to arise
by the annexation of so many coun-
try schools.
The high school situation. here Is
very much better than it was four
years ago. We had two high
schools then, and for the last two
or three years children had to stand
in line to get into them. Now we
have six high schools,aand each one
is unique and specializes along its
own line. The Hollywood high
school has twelve and one-half
acres of ground suitable for almost
anything. but 1t will specialize in
courses in home making for girls.
The work in classics will be done in
the Los Angeles, which is one of the
best literary high schools, If not
the best, in the west. General edu-
cation along manual lines and spe-
cial opportunities for technical in
struction is offered at the Polytech-
mic high school, which is, as every
one knows, one of the leading tech
nical schools of secondary grade in
this part of the world.
The Manual Arts high school is
nearing completion-that part of
1t which we were able to build after
the DOuu sui was ueCluSQ. he
main building is not being erected.
The lack of money to build repre-
sented almost exactly the amount
the bond suit cost the people of this
community in dollars and cents.
When the bonds were voted the
cost of building was lower. A dunn
my plaintiff entered suit and the
bonds were tied up for several
months, and in the meantime build
ing became 10 per cent more ex-
pensve. When the court finally de-
cded that the action was entirely
satisfactory it was possible to build
only two-thirds of the school,
The Manual Arts high school will
give a general education in Eng
lish, science and manual work. The
Gardena high school is an agricul-
tural high school. It has = four
teen acres and is prepared to teach
agriculture in the highest and most
advanced way. The San Pedro
high school will specialize in ma
rine biology.
The elementary schools are
more important than the high
schools-indeed they are the most
important part of the school sys-
tenn. There are no fads taught in
them. Special attention is given to
health training. 1t is not taught in
a pathological manner, but more
along normal lines. Morals are
taught to every child from the time
he enters the first grade until he
leaves the eighth grade. This is
the most important work we do.
We cannot teach religion in the
public schools, but attention must
be given to the study of human
conduct, and in this study our re-
suits are satisfactory.
TEACHERS ARE UNDERPAID
In conclusion DR.. Moore said that
he teacher is the most important per-
son in the public school system The
.eacher Is more important than the
members of the board of education or
he superintendent of schools. The
qualifications of the teacher must be
nigh. He must be thoroughly trained
'or teaching is a profession, fine art
md the teacher should be compensated
The maximum salary for the grade
in Berkeley is $1,000, in Oak
and it is $1,000 and in San Francisco
t is 1924. In Los Angeles it Is 1884
It is just as hard to teach in Los An
seles as it is in Berkeley and Oakland
)r San Francisco. He said this differ
snce in compensation should not OBJ
ain.
Prior to DR.. Moores address club
adopted the following self
resolution:
Whereas, Los Angeles employed
the noted civic architect, Charles
Mulford Robinson, to prepare plan
for the Identification of the city,
which plan was adopted by the
council, ana
Whereas. That plan provides for
adding to the park system the pres
ent site of the State Normal school