The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-12-17

County Board of Education.
The annual meeting of the Burlington
County Board OF Education was held In
Burlington on Friday. There was large
number of members OF the township
boards present and the meeting was an
interesting one.
There were several animated discus
sions, the school law coming in for crit
ticism on several points.
A resolution was adopted requesting the
State Board of Education to return to the
system of bookkeeping formerly used by
district clerks, or else introduce system
that will not be so complicated as that
now In use. The resolution cited the fact
that the books which district clerks are
now compelled to use are such as to re-
quire more than ordinary knowledge of
bookkeeping. and attention was called to
the fact that the majority of district clerks
are not expert bookkeepers. 1t is known
that the State Board contemplates another
system even more complex than that now
In use, and the resolution asked that a
simpler method be installed.
Clarence L. Hazard, of Beverly; Dr.
Hugh LeJambre, of Bordentown; Walter
Black, of Chesterfield; Cooper H. Prickitt,
Burlington, and Samuel s. Fort, Wrights-
town, were appointed committee to con-
fer with the Boards of other counties with
the idea of forming State federation.
1t was also decided tc have committee
to act in conjunction with the County Y.
M. G. A. to look into the advisabilty of
establishing trade school for the boys
or girls In order to make school life more
of an assistance to the pupil in an en-
deavor to gain livelihood.
A. B. Meredith, assistant Commissioner
of the State Board of Education, gave
very interesting talk on the school laws
as they exist, and said efforts were being
made to have the laws more uniform and
to make school life something more than
machine work, whereby certain number
of lessons was the main object.
Miss Elizabeth Kite, of the Board of
Charities, said she had observed the work
of school boards throughout the state and
she felt that good work was being done,
but she was inclined to the belief that
there was room for improvement in many
country districts.
Otis B. Read, secretary of the County
Y. nj. G. A., in brief talk gave mum
Der of instances where the boy could not
get work because he was not educated In
many of the branches required, as eighty
eight boys out of a hundred did not finish
their proper school education.
In some instances the boy has been sent
to prison because he did not know how to
do various kinds of work and got into
trouble. The boy wishes to- work and In
many instances will work for So a week
and pay nearly all for car-fare. He fur
Their suggested the establishment of a
trades school. which would be instrument
al in solving the problems which now con-
front the boy.
The appeal of the county secretary met
with the approval of the board, and the
following committee was appointed to act
with the Y. M c. A. to consider the ad-
of establishing such a school:
County Superintendent Herman A. Stees,
County Prosecutor Samuel A. Atkinson
and James Mccormick, of Burlington
township.
There was suggestion that boys should
be given more instruction in agriculture
and that something should be done to
keep the boys at home on the farm. This
subject was presented In glowing colors
and 1t seemed to have very rosy hue
until Professor William @. Sullivan, of
the Mount Holly High School, took the
opposite view. He said there was not
much fun in getting up at four O'Clock in
the morning. milking several cows, get
ting breakfast by candle light, going out
In the fields to work until shutdown, milk
Ing more cows. and going to bed in order
that the same routine might be followed
the next day. 1t reminded him of the
pictures that recently appeared in some
newspapers in which fellow receited
what he had to do from A. M. until
the next morning, and then went to bed
with the idea that he was ''lucky boy,
with nothing to do It'll tomorrow"
A new constitution and bylaws were
adopted andithe old staff of officers were
reelected as follows: President, Francis s.
Day, Palmyra; vice president, Charles G.
Hatcher. Smithville; secretary, 1. Edward
Harrison, Jacobstown; treasurer, Harry
]. Dennis, Delsneo; trustees for three
years, Arthur E. Prickett, Medford; Ben
jamin Lippincott, Cinnaminson; William
A. Donaghy, Palmyra.