The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-08-18
For Consolidated
School Districts

In a statement issued by school
committee in Douglas county, ap-
pointed to urge the wisdom and I'M
portance Of consolidating the small
er and isolated school districts, the
astonishing statement is made that
"this year the entire state gradual
ed only six students in agriculture.
After very careful study of school
conditions in this state. and in other
states, such as Indiana, Iowa, ,Wiscon-
sin and Nebraska, where more at
tention is paid agricultural studies
the Waterville committee has reach
ed the perfectly logical conclusion
that the solution of the problem In
Washington is to be found in the law
which authorizes school districts to
consolidate for the purpose Of build
ing and maintaining schools of suit
able size and character to meet the
reasonable demands of the state for
both practical and theoretical educa-
ton. By way of emphasis the com
mitee adds:
The problem of creating more
producers and preserving the dignity
and prosperity OF the greatest of all
industries, agriculture, can only be
solved through our public schools.
We must look to the next generation
to carry out this work, and only by
giving our boys in the public schools,
a thorough knowledge Of scientific
farming. with practicai connected
demonstration in soil analysis, seed
selection, rotation. diversi6cation,
tillage and soil building, can they
be led to appreciate the dignity of
farm life and to realize that it is an
independent calling worthy and
ready to respond bounteously to
their highest thought and best effort.
If instead of being put through the
classical and scientific spout with nc
definite aim, every boy could be
turned out Of cur schools a trained
agriculturist, fair proportiofiS 6
them could then be depended upon
to take up the occupation which they
best understand. Thus, labor would
be dignified and even popularized,
while the social, moral and material
benefits to the individual, the state
and the nation at large would be in
calculably increased.
Consolidated schools in isolated d
districts are prime necessity.
The wisdom of the law which
authorizes such school districts to
consolidate is too obvious to need
special emphasis.
More attention must be paid to
agriculture. 1t is one Of the most
vital phases Of popular education.
The larger economic demand OF
today is for more producers. The
increased cost of living, now the
cause of so much popular complaint,
is largely due to the fact that con-
sumers have increased out Of all
proportion to the increase in the
number of producers.
But if a man is to engage in
profitable productive energies he
must know something of the bust
ness he is to engage in; if he is to
become an agriculturist he must
know something of the soil. how
wisely to use and conserve it, and
he must know something of plant
life, something in an accurate
scientific and practical way Of all
things having to do with life on the
farm.
Otherwise he will court failure
for this is an age of scientific farm
ing.
And the Douglas county commit
tee is right when it declares that
we must look to the public schools
to give the young men and womer
of the state this necessary practical
knowledge of agriculture.
In common with other states
Washington has spent, and is still
spending a great deal Of money tc
promote and encourage agricultural
studies; with the aid Of the state
and the federal government the state
college is maintained, among other
things to train agriculturists; We
have number. Of experiment sta
tions, equipped and maintained for
the same purpose; but there seems
to be something wrong with the
methods we employ when it can be
said that only six students are grad
uated in agriculture in the course Of
an entire year in the state Of Wash
ington. s
Consolidated school districts ma,
solve the problem; at least that il
a possible solution submitted by tht
Douglas county school committee
it seems to be a wise solution, prob
ably the only immediate solution
1 and II would ho vunl1 f<x,. all fht