Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-12-20
NINE NEEDS OF KANSAS.

1 NAS NAC H, nNCdS L ouOulu Hkc
to see enacted into laws, but want
to suggest only a few of the things
that would be, in my judgment, very
helpful,
County Demonstration Agent am
thoroughly convinced that We should
have a law that would permit any
board Of county commissioners. on
petition Of ten farmers from each
township Of the county, to employ a
county demonstration agent, said
agent to be chosen by the Kansas Ag
ricutural College and to be directed
in his work by the said agricultural
college, the salary Of said agent to he
not more than $500 of public money.
Lend the School Fund.- want a
law enacted that will require the en-
tire state school fund (now more thar
8 million dollars) to be lent out to
farmers who live on farms, on first
mortgage farm loans at not to exceed
five per cent interest, and on from
eight to twelve years time.
Automobile Tax to Roads.-The
prosperity and the pleasure Of farm
ers depend largely upon good roads.
Why not have state tax for automo-
biles and thus support a state high
way department with a force Of train
ed engineers to supervise the building
of good roads and bridges, with the
remainder to be returned to the coun.
ties to be expended on county roads?
School Supervision out Of Politics.
1t is a shame that we permit our ru-
raj schools to suffer by political
changes in the office of county and
state superintendents. The oonstitu-
ton should be changed and a system
of appointment by merit adopted that
would treat our rural schools as our
city schools are treated. One city in
Kansas has had one superintendent
for over twenty years, while its cOun-
ty has had in that same. time seven
superintendents.
The County the Unit of Taxaticn.-
We have one of the most iniquitOus
systems Of school taxation in Amer.
icl. The rich district is favored and
the poor district is burdenad. All are
interested in the education Of all. Let
us put our school taxes into one fund
and educate all the children of the
county as the people Of a city educate
their children.
Consolidate Small SchoOls.-Iwould
Ike to have a law that would auto
maticaly close every school with an
attendance of ten pupils or less and
attach 1t to another district and then
provide transportation for the child
rem.
District Adoption and Ownership of
School Books.-In the midst Of all
the talk about school books, state
adOptions, state publications, ETC., the
one best plan, in my judgment, Is sell
dom mentioned. Our neighbor ON the
north, Nebraska, has had a compul.
sorry law of really free books for all
its school for twenty-one years. Each
school district chooses its books from
large list approved by the state
department and buys them as II buys
It's coal, paying state approved
price. Ten legislatures have met
sipce the adoption of that law and
not an amendment even has ever
passed a committee. | was living in
Nebraska then and helped write the
law and aid in its passage. The peo-
pie would have no other system.
Health authorities opposed it at first,
but soon saw that under this system
they could control epidemics much
more effectively than under individual
ownership of books. Nebraska gets
the best books in America and also
gets the lowest prices, and 1t ge:s
many other advantages. This Is the
lest way out.
Aid Vocational Work.-0ur Kansas
high schools should train our boys
and girls for the practical duties ol
life in Kansas. We should give more
attentioQ to agriculture, manual train
ing and home economics. would
require every county high school and
every Barnes" high school to main
tain courses in these subjects, al
courses Of said schools to be approx
ed by the State Board of Education
and would give each Of these schools
state Ed to the amount Of 500, tn,
same as We give for maintaining tn.
normal" co .s'
Protect e. l. While this 4
the last T. the least importan
measure in list. It is an estat
j hshed fact tai tie quail Is the mos
L. L