The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-02-14
GREAT ADVANCE
IN EDUCATION
Greece and Rome in Their
Palmiest Days Had Moth
ing to Compare With our
Schools

Wnlcn can not DC matched from the
records OF the past" declares DR..
Fletcher B. Dresslar, of the United
States Bureau of Education, in re-
port on educational progress for the
first decade of this century The
report has just been issued by the
bureau for free distribution. Greece
and Rome in the days of their great
est advances, knew nought Of school
buildings as they exist today. 'Tar
more money is invested in public
school property than was required to
maintain all the machinery of our
Federal government i'm 1910.
'But let us not boast OF good
works and forget those useless cx-
pcnscs of our so-called enlightened
civilization. We spend each year for
purposes which all reason and scien-
tinc investigation condemn as harm
full, enough money to duplicate all
our school buildings and have mill
lions of dollars left for providing
worthy Fairgrounds for children"
In proof of the assertion that the
people of 3hc United States are maxi
ing unparalleled expenditures for
education, DR.. Drcsslar cites statistics
collected by the Bureau OF Education
which show that "the total income
from all sources for the common
schools has increased from S2t9.7G5,.
9S0 in 1900 TO $4O3.647,2S9 in 1909,
"rhis is truly u remarkable show.
Ing" DR. Dresslar continues, tho
school population has increased only
in the neighborhood of 15 per cent,
while the total income for common
schools has increased more than SO
per cent
"As indicatdl above the large item
in this increase IS the income from
local taxation This fact adds great
significance to these figures; for not
only does II emphasize, as already
indicated the willingness of the peo-
pie to support their common schools
in an immediate and direct way, but
It should furnish a striking object
lesson to those states which are yC/
afraid apparently, to trust the lpeo-
pie with power to tax themselves for
the adequate support of their com
mon schools.
Those states which still persist IN
preventing the people from exerci7-
ing the right to local taxation for
school purposes are surely out Of line
with the democratic faith so strik-
ingly shown by these figures What
ever qualms may arise at times on
account of civic lneficiency In other
lines of endeavor, 1t is plain that the
American people believe in the d-u-
cation of their children and are will
| ing to pay for It directly, out of thciF
own pockets"
As a further indication of the large
increase during the decade of Amer
| ica's investment I'm education, DR..
Dresslar notes that the total value OF
all school property has increased
| from S55O,O0O,0O0 In 1900 to the
enormous sum Of s96S,OOO.0OO in
1909. Great outlays have also been
| necessltated by the increases in teach
ers salaries, whose monthly wage has
risen about 35 per cent. for the men
and 25 per cent. for the women.
In view of the fact also that the
school term has heightened from
l144.3 days in 1900 to 1853 days in
| 1903. tho teachers. who are paid by
! the month, have hail a further actual
increase I'm salary. and at the same
| time have been able to increase Then
educational effectiveness In this par
| ticular alone by some eight pcr cent
Among the dcplorable factors IN
the educational trend is the relative
| elimination of men teachers from
the public schools. This elimination
has been going on steadily and rap
idly since 1850" In the first decade
of this century the proportion
dropped from thirty men in each lO'
teachers to only about . I'm the hun
dred decrease of nearly 80 pei
cent. in ten years Discussing these
figures. DR.. Dresslar salp "thcre Il
no doubt that 1t Is unwise to intrus
so important a matter as the teach
ing of boys and girls so largely L
women; but the facts are known an'
have been for many years, and we
tho hopod-for change does no
come"
Another rcgrcttable ciroumstanc
in our educational development is tn
slight attention given to ''those fine
instincts of our nature expressed j.
poetry, music, and art" Especial
IS this true of instruction In music
"The American people" says ID
Dresslar. "are eye-minded, and NOV
ing pictures seem TO suit their de
sires better than music. In some wa
the people should be taught to hea
the significant things of life as we
as to sec Them"
DR. Dresslar also takes up the ul
gent need and almost universal dc
mand for vocation training. l
this connection, he says; I'VE mus
not give mp our endeavor to crea'
in this country high standards 2
general culture, hut we must maR
our educational work function MOI
efficiently in the common duties
life. our big problem Is that OF cr'
ating democracy which will not
limited largey to mediocrity'
piles Cured In o To ii Days.
Your druggist will refund money
PAZO OINTMENT fails 70 cure al
case of Itching. Blind. Bleeding. !
ProtrudinR Piles In TO IA days. ou
Costs about the same, tu-thu-sat-
y n n u Il IS X 4
LaRue Letter.