Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-08
PATRONS PAY THE PRICE
AND SECURE GOOD TEACHER
Between Teacher and Pa
irons When More Equipment is
Needed - Cattle Feeder Declares
Packers Benefit From Price Agitation
Wilson'S Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.

try schools caused by the lack Of
equipment, scant attendance, low
wages paid teachers, and want of in
terest on the part of school officials
with little knowledge Of school needs.
and of a public that hesitates to tax
itself to the extent that would furnish
FUNDS to overcome some Of these OBJ
stacles that block progress in school
improvement In the case Of the aver
age rural school district the central or
consolidated school enthusiast is with
out doubt justified to a, considerable
degree in his criticism of the present
system and in the results of it's opera
ton. A conspicuous exception here and
there, however, illustrates the fact that
rural schools are not always what
they might be made if advantage were
taken to the full extent that oppor-
tunity affords with the system just as
it is.
A neat, up-to-date school building
occupies the csnter Of district No 6,
Lake township. few miles north and
west Of here. About forty children at
tend school there. Miss Eva Elefson,
the present teacher, is the holder of a
state certificate The district pays her
the highest wages possible er nm the
public funds and an additional sum
secured by popular subscription. That
is the method they employ to obtain
a first-class teacher. The enthusia stic
support Of the people who send chill
dren there for instruction is the added
incentive upon which reliance is placed
to keep her there Once each year a
basket social'' is held for the purpose
of raising money for some needed
equipment. An entertainment, program
and a supper form the features of the
evening. Las. week, at a gathering OF
this kind, s45 was raised to finish put
ting a modern heating plant in the
school house. Everybody living in that
district must nave attended and re-
manned until a late hour for there
were many VIGOROUSLY late breakfasts
turnout the neighborhool eaten dur
ing the succeeding forent on. A good
library. globe. maps, and other ap.
paratus have been provided there hare
tofore Nothing is heard about sending
the children to the town school where
they can learn something" AS to the
tangible results obtained by these ef-
AOA 10 IL - WIZ IAAokS Ab y SAA4POSAs1OAh 'AsAA
the best rural schools Of the state at
the latest state fair this school secured
first prize for a general school exhibit
and at the county fair the result was
the same. Those most active in fur
thering the welfare Of the sch 'ol de-
clare that while perhaps some changes
in school government are needed, there
is no excuse FOR the neglected appear
ance of poorly equipped schco! houses
nor for the fact that inferior under
paid teachers are in charge there, but
that the condition of the rural schools
and the results obtained from THIN are
due in most part to the attitude and
efforts in their behalf Of the people
living within their respective districts.
That there is such a thinS as good
rural school,.
One Of the largest cattle feeders of
this section when asked his opinion
of the outcome of the government
meat probe replied that the feeder
ought to oppose all such movements
so far as his own direct financial well
fare is concerned. He insisted that the
invariable consequence Of all agita-
ton Of the kind is a falling off in the
price paid by packers for beef. That
the average cattle feeder can't for the
life of him explain why he feeds cat
tie year after year anyway and that if
these Investigations are kept up much
longer every feeder in the country will,
align himself on the standpat side of
every political and economic PROPOSE
ton that comes before the public no.
tice.
Anyone not yet fully convinced that
road grading in Iowa ought to be done
early in the season can learn some
thing in this line by inspecting a job
of this kind that was done la tie last fall
on one of the principal roads leading
from Clarion For several years this
road has been in extreme need Of i'm
proyement and last season the call be-
came too strong for further resistance
and it was decided to put IN a grade
more than mile long. Deciding to
build grades and securing the neces-
sary help fcr the worl. are two very
different propositions these days how
ever. and the job was in an unfinished
state when freezing weather came. Now
those who must use that road are
travelling along just inside the line
fence of the adjoining farms. What
they will do when spring comes is
question Certain it is that they, will
not use the road. Three feet OF Wright
county mud is too much for even
Wright county horses to pull loads thru
during the spring months especially. 1t
is safe to say that hereafter when q
strong call comes from those interested
in this particular highway for grading
up the road it will not be Give us q