The Penn's Grove record., 1910-03-25
Boom Our Public School

Being one of the ignoramus products OF
the Old PENIS Grove Academy, as we
used to dub it in its earlier years, I would
like to express a few of the truths as they
appear to my mind in reference the High
School question that is agitating a few of
the taxpayers of our little Borough. The
pros and cons aie we'll worth debating,
but it would require a wiser mind than
solomon's to decide this question salts
factory to all, because it touches the
pocket-book. 1t was always thus, when
anything was advocated that would be
OF advantage to our little town. Penn's
Grove will surely advance, and the more
rapidly by granting this generation and
the future one the best opportunities and
facilities to secure a higher grade of edu-
cation and produce the best possible
results.
In the earlier days of our school, during
the winter time, when the scholars from
the country section attended, the school
rooms were crowded. Those scholars are
the parents and grandparents OF the
present school population, and they have
seen addition after addition attached to
that building as the population of our
town and the numbers of our school
children increased. So have the grades
of education advanced, till it is positively
necessary for our scholars to have the
advanced grades of learning to- keep up
with the times. Our school is graduating
a number of teachers each year. What
chance will they have if they do not Sc
cure this higher grade of education?
Only to fill an inferior position. The
old saw that 'money is the root of all
evil" holds good in this question, for it
seems to inculcate a narrow selfishness in
the minds of some who possess it, when
it would call forth such expressions as
Il have no children to educate and should
not be taxed to educate some one else's
Children 81 can send my children away
to be educated, " ''Our community is not
over-run with ~millionaires and only a few
are able to send their children away to
receive a higher education"
II labor received its proper share OF the
profits produced by it, and was not COM
PEELED by the selfish greed of the Trusts
all its earnings to provide for the bare
necessities of life. all children might have
equal opportunities to procure proper
education to enable them to fill any posi-
ton required of them. Some persons
have Inherited money or property, and
some have been blessed with more pros
perlty thai others and accumulated the
means to do justice by their offspring,
and it would only appear fair that those
who are so favored should not object to
bearing their proportionate share OF any
expense necessary for the future welfare
of the community in which they reside.
There was just such a 'hornet's-nest''
stirred up when furnishing free books to
schools was advocated, The objection
among the taxpayer was SIT will cost an
increase in our taxes" but they do not
stop to think Of the advantage it will be
to their children and their children's
children, nor what advantage it is to live
in an educated community. They have
forgotten the twelve scholars that have
already graduated from our high school.
All of Them doing good work and pre-
senting positive proof that our high school
has benefited our community and is still
needed. Every citizen should be proud
of it.
Back to the woods to the old fogy idea
that We do not need it, and lot US adj
vance with the rest of the world instead
of retrogading. Let us have a model
high school, taught by the best teachers
we can procure, and do not be so narrow
and selfish that we are afraid to 60 into
our pocket-books for an extra dollar Or
two for an extra good cause.
AN OBSERVER,