The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-16

Revelations Of some surprising con
ditions in the rural schools Of Wiscon
sin are limited at by DR.. Charles Nc
earthly of the legislative reference Ii
brary, in a statement today. The
teaching Of agriculture is akin to a
farce, he thinks. He declares that
every county should have an agricul
tural school of its own and a well paid
competent inspector. If farmers in
stitutes were abolished, he asserts, an0
the money used to support county
schools, the state would reap vast
benefit. He indicates that the next
| legislature will have to face this
problem.
DR.. McCarty's statement follows:
1--WE have been doing a good deal
of Boosting about our agricultural ed
ucation in Wisconsin and we have
been rather proud Of our leadership in
| that respect. The fact is that we will
| soon fall far behind in rural school
education in this state unless strenu-
Gus efforts are made to have the next
Legislature put them upon better
basis.
"The Investigations made by the
New York Bureau of Municipal Re-
search in connection with the Wiscon.
sin board of public affairs, shows a
lamentable neglect, especially in
teaching agriculture in these schools
We have boosted Of our short courses
at the university and also Of our
county agricultural schools, but these
are but drop in the bucket and it is
a crying shame that our great agricul-
tural industry should be SO neglected
by the state. 1t is putting it mildly
to say that we are getting some sur
prising results from our investigation
| "The attempts to teach anything
| like real agriculture in these schools
are ludicrous. They have been allow
| ed to fall behind SO long that it will
take great effort for us to catch up,
| let alone lead other states. 1t is the
same problem we met with in dealing
with industrial education. This edu-
cation was for the training Of the
children Of the workers, but the stiff
minded school men turned the whole
| thing into fashionable manual train
ing in the high school. The school
men are doing the same thing in agri-
cultural education. They are giving
US perfunctory anil useless work when
our rural schools should have highly
paid, practical, agricultural teachers
rather than women botanists parading
under the disguise of farmers. 1t is
simply a crime for which we will pay
dearly every day in lessening the pro-
duction of our farms In this great
dairy state we have done practically
nothing to insure the future Of that
industry Where is there a normal
school in this state teaching teachers
of agriculture in a practical manner?
If they are not teaching the most
necessary art, what in the name of
heaven are they doing?
tThe county schools are doing good
work, but the legislature should pro.
vide that man should be employed
by every one at a salary of not less
than $500 to travel from school to
school and show the teachers how tc
instruct in practical farming. Every
county should be compelled to sup
/ port a county agricultural school
with such man travelling all the
time from school to school, Rural
high schools, and many common
schools for that matter, could be vel
provided with few acres Of land
apiece and an inspector with agricul
tural education. A man with prac
tical experience on the farm should
be provided for the state superin
tendent's Office at a salary of not less
than So 800. No state aid should be
given to the rural schools unless ap
lproved by him. The splendid work
now being started by the agriculture
extension department at the universe
ty by which men are secured to trave
from farm to farm teaching as they ec
should be encouraged, but instead oil
two or three men for the whole state
there should be at least one man il
each county doing work. It il sheer
nonsense and poor business to have
iless. If the farmers Institutes were
abolished and the money turned Over
to this work, it would pay tie STATE
a hundredfold in prosperity. These
Emen would not interfere at all will
the work Of other travelling men, o.
whom | have spoken connected Will
the county agricultural schools, if they
would reach the farmers directly anc
not the teachers.