River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-06-27
More Concerning Domestic
Science
To the Patrons of the River Falls
Public Schools:

Public Schools:
! Basing my action upon the fol-
lowing premises, | am recommend
ing that this school district provide
for the physical training of its
pupils, and proceed to the introduc-
ton into it's schools of Domestic
Science, Manual Training and Agri-
culture, some one or all of them.
First: The state law says that
school districts supporting a high
school and containing city within
their limits shall provide for the
physical training of their pupils.
Second: All the above branches
are recog nized by the state as a
vital part of the work of the schools,
one of them, Agriculture, being one
of the subjects required to be taught
in the common schools, and the
state grants special aid to districts
doing work in them.
Third: A large portion of the
community wants them in the pub
lie schools.
Fourth: The district is in good
condition financially. Without in
creasing the tax levy one cent, $1,000
per year can be diverted to the in.
PRODUCTION and maintenance of
these courses. If all three courses
are introduced, the state will
give the district special aid to the
amount of $1050. This will give US
more than $4,000 per year for the
courses, an ample sum as | am pre-
pared to show. Hence, the courses
can be introduced and maintained
without any increase of tax, except
for the BUILDING, of which ! speak
later.
Fifth: The city is in splendid
financial condition, and the intro
duction of these courses into the
schools can in no wise cripple it.
The city is building the new bridge,
and will build the new city hall, and
will pay for them within a year
without extra tax and without bond
issue. 1t is evident then that the
introduction of work into the
schools which will benefit every
child in the schools, every home in
the community, and the community
itself, can in no wise cripple the
city financially.
Sixth: The world does move.
Work in these branches is as inn
portant and necessary as any other
work done by the schools, many say
more important and necessary.
Other communities similar to ours,
Spring Valley for instance, have
recognized the work and introduced
| it. We should not lag behind.
Seventh: The children of this
community have right to as good
training as the children of other
communities with whom they must
compete.
Therefore, for these and other
reasons, and, remembering my first
premise and the fact that while
River Falls has thus far ignored the
law the time is at hand when some
thing must be done, recommend
that this district provide for the
physical training of its pupils, and
begin the introduction of the branch
es named above into its schools,
/ first by building, this summer
/ and fall, preferably on the north
west corner of the school ground,
structure approximately 54x72, the
lower story, a half basement, to be
devoted to Domestic Science and
Manual Training, with furnace
room and dressing rooms, the main
floor, full size of building, to be
gymnasium for the physical train
| ing of the pupils; and, second, that
i it provide for the introduction this
i fail, or as soon as the building is
| ready for it, of either Domestic
] Science or Manual Training set
ting aside the $1,000 named above to
be used for that purpose, and look
| ing ahead to the introduction of the
/ other work in the near future; and,
third, that the payment of the build
ing be provided for by nine bonds
/ of $500 each, one to be due and paid
each year, the first to be due Feb. l,
! 1914.
This recommendation can be
adopted, ard the building built and
the work introduced as outlined,
and the only increase of taxation
necessary, if any, will be to provide
for the building, which increase
need not be more than fifty cents on
each thousand of valuation. That
4 is, if You were assessed $1,000 this last
year, your school tax was approx
mately So. For this next year, it
need not be increased. For the
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