The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-29

ers' convention was the report Of tht
committee. on education. It's report wa.
given in full as follows:
Report of Committee on Education
Your committee has assumed that its
work is to lend its aid to every effort
to strengthen the educational system
Of our state, and particularly in tlc
matter of educating the boys and girls
OF North Dakota to look upon aericul-
ture as an honorable and interesting
pursuit, to give the farmers boys d
training that will open his eyes and his
understanding to the beauties of ma
ture surrounding him and get his mind
and hand busy with the problems of the
farm rather than those of the distant
city. We know that today the only
natural resource developed in North
Dakota worth mentioning is agriculture
and even when the vast riches Of coal
in western North Dakota becomes
available we will still glory in remain
ing mainly an agricultural state It is
therefore only the part Of common
sense that an association such as this,
whose aim is largely the Improvement
Of the material. and financial condition
of North Dakota give considerable
thought to ways and means OF making
farming profitable, Of making farm life
on our prairies pleasant and agreeable
and surrounding our children with con-
ditions that shall prepare them for a
life Of happy usefulness.
Educate the Adults.
Your committee believes that much of
educational value can be accomplished
In Disseminating knowledge among the
adult population. In the first place the
members Of this association should
themselves grasp every opportunity to
learn better farming methods and the
principles upon which these are based.
We should advocate and encourage the
formation Of farming clubs, the secur-
ing Of good farm literatures such as Is
furnished free by the state library COM
mission at Bismarck, the holding of
| farmers institutes and the building of
convenient and comfortable farm
| houses. Rather than listen to COM
| plants against the winds on our open
prairies, let us encourage an intelligent
enthusiasm for tree planting. If the
| sociability Of close neighbors seems
| lacking, let us decrease the distance
by extending the rural telephone sys-
tenn and by building better roads. II
our children are not getting the beno-
fit of as good schools as our city cous-
ms have do not listen to the suggestion
Of leaving the farm to go to the better
school, but set Immediately to work
to get the better school on the farm
and in our country villages.
Training Children.
This leads us to a consideration of
the matter Of training our children for
useful citizenship in our agricultural
state. The time is fast approaching
yes, it Is at our doors--when our edu-
Gators will fully realize that true educa-
ton must include the training of the
hand and eye and ear as well as the
mind, that abstract principles are
learned mainly because we are to apply
these to concrete things. 1t is true our
common school curriculum is pretty
full as it is, but we believe that means
can and should be found to correlate
the subjects of reading. language and
even arithmetic with the elements of
agriculture and that work with ham
mer and saw at the bench and with the
hoe in the school garden will give
added zest to the study Of the more
purely intellectual subjects. We see
absolutely no reason why our high
school courses should not include agri-
culture and manual training for the
boys and domestic science for the girls.
1t is with peculiar pleasure that your
committee at this point presents con-
crete evidence Of the awakening Of our
state to the Importance Of readjusting
our educational system to conform to
the particular needs Of North Dakota.
II is a fact probably not generally
known but q fact nevertheless that the
last session of the legislature enacted
laws designed to promote agricultural
education that are not only progressive
but absolutely revolutionary II put into
general operation. The practicicability
of some Of these laws is yet to be de-
termined, but their enactment proves
that the sentiment is aroused, and what
we need now mainly Is intelligent guild
ance Of this sentiment. Permit me to
give brief synopsis Of these laws.
New Laws.
House bill 90, introduced by Mr.
Davis of Grand Forks county, provides
for the establishment of state agricul-
tural high schools, While the govern
or found 1t necessary to veto the APP
preparation for the first year, neverthe-
less the money provided will become
available for the year beginning July
/, 1912. This law provides for state aid
OF $4,000 annually to each Of five high
schools that own and operate a tract
of not less than ten acres as a school
garden and for demonstration, said
tract to be located not more than one
mile from the school building. Further
requirements demanded are very ex-
tended courses in agriculture manual
training and domestic science. and OF
course, the employment OF teachers
specially fitted to teach these subjects.
and the possession OF the necessary
laboratory facilities.
Senate bill 295, introduced by Mr..
Gibbens OF ToWner county, provides
for the establishment OF a county agri-
cultural and training school--a county
school maintained for the purpose of
giving instruction in agriculture, do
nestle science. manual training, and
for training of teachers for the rural
schools" To organize such school at
a given place in the county petition
signed by at least 300 freeholders of
the county must be presented to the
board of county commissioners who
Will submit the question TO popular
vote. If the proposition receives q
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