The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-05-24

THE Grant County News last week
in its attack upon the candidacy of
Mr.. Purdy for clerk of courts asserts
that the Office of county superintendent
has Ost more to run it than it cost
under his predecessor. This is true
because the efficiency and attendance
at the schools have increased, and
this largely through the personal
work and energetic supervision of the
present superintendent. For instance
when Pro-. Purdy took charge of the
schools the number of pupils taking
the Sth grade examination was 80 and
81, but through the personal work of
the superintendent among the teachers
| and pupils of the schoolsthis has been
increased to 1876 and 1873, or a 40 per
cent increase, and there are at present
over 400 pupils in the 7th and Sth
grades. This increase OF attend ance
has been largely secured by the per-
sonal e%ndeavors OF the superintendent
who believes tn at the boys and girls of
the county make the mistake of their
lives when they leave school before
passing from the Sth grade. That be
has succeeded in increasing this at
tendance to the extent he has is some-
thing upon which both the superinten-
dent and the county may be congratu
ated. Ii cheapness is to be the stan
dard then Prof. Purdy hes certainly
made a mistake in getting these scores
Of boys aud girls to remain in school
through the Sth grade, as they can be
turned out before they reach this
point for less money to the county !.
Surely this is not the spirit or inten-
ton OF our educational lava, and
Prof. Purdy has not so considered it
to be, for he has pursued his work
with the belle: that the efficiency of the
public schools should be- made the
criterion rather than their eheapness.
1t was In this belief that he hss of his
own volitiOn multiplied the work in
the Office since he took possession OF
it, and has classified and indexed the
records of the Office and systemi7ed
it's various departments. When he
assumed charge of the Office the vari.
Gus school libraries were in 9 chaotic
condition, so that it was impossible to
tell what books we're in them, or what
supplementary books we're needed,
and duplications we're constantly
being made when new books were
added. Today the books in the
libraries have been classified, trans
ferred and ~indexed, so that tho county
superintendent's Office can tell JUS
exactly what there is in each library
and what would be most needed. And
as with the libraries so it Is with tn,
other departments of the superinten'
dents Office, all records being CLASH
fed and filed, and the Office IL recog
nized by educators and those having
business with it to be one of the mos
systematically arranged and conduct
ed in the state.
That there has been no extravaganza,
or waste of funds can be seen b.
reference to the Offices in adjoining
counties-Roberts, Day, Brown, Cod
ington and Deuel. counties each hav'
ing q deputy at a yearly sslary--S2'
to $40 q month more than that O
Grant county, the state law provid
ing that q deputy may be employed in
q county with seventy-fve schools,
Grant county has SO schools, bu'
the superintendent has only required
an assistant during the busy portion
OF the year and when he has been re
qnired to be away from the Office visit
ing the schools.
That Prof. Purdy has made thu
county superintendent flee COS