Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-08-08
MONEY NOT LACKING
X is Men That the Educational
Movement Needs.
Or. Fletcher OF United States Bureau
Of Education Says Income for Com
mon Schools 10 $4o3, 647 ,2ss, an
Increase Of SO Per Cent.

Notwithstanding one who is con
yersant with the educational history
OF the world will fail to see evidences
of a movement which can not be
matched from the records Of the past"
declares DR.. Fletcher b. Dresslar OF
the United States bureau Of education
in report on educational progress
for the first decade of this century.
The report has just been issued 1or
tree distribution. Greece, and Rome
in the days of their greatest advances
knew naught OF school buildings as
they exist today. Far more money ID
invested In public school property
than was requQired to maintain all the
machinery OF our federal government
in 1910.
but let US not boast of good works
and forget those useless expenses OF
our so-oahed enlightened civilization!
We spend each year for purposes
which all reason and scientific 1nvesti-
cation condemn AZ harmful, enough
money 10 duplicate all our school
buildings and have millions Of dollars
left Tor providing worthy Fairgrounds
for children"
In proof OF the assertion that the
people OF the United States are max
ing unparalleled expenditures for edu-
cation, DR.. Dressler cites statistics COL
lected by the bureau Of education
which show that the total income
from all sources for the common
schools has increased from $2l9, 1885,
$50 in 1900 to $4OS,647,2s in 1909.
This Is truly remarkable show.
Ing" DR.. Dresslar continues The
school population has increased only
III the neighborhood of Is per cent.
while the total income for common
schools has increased more than 80
per cent"
las indicated 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 1t emphasize, as already In
dicated, the Willingness Of the people
to support their common schools In
an immediate and direct way, but 1t
should furnish q striking object lesson
to those states which are yet afraid.
apparently, 10 trust the people with
power TO tax themselves for the ade-
Quate support OF their common
schools.
Those states which still persist in
preventing the people from exercising
the right to local taxation for school
purpos1 are surely out of line with
the democratic faith 30 strikingly
shown by these figures. Whatever
Qualms may arise at times on account
OF civic inefficiency in other lines Of
sndeavor, 1t is plain that the American
people believe In the education OF
their children. and are willing to pay
for 1t directly. out OF their own peck.
cts"
AS further indication of the large
increase during the decade OF Amer
teas investment In education, DR..
Dressler notes that the total value Of
all school property has increased from
t550.000,000 In 1900 to the enormous
sum Of 1868, 000. 900 In 1909. Great out
lays have also been necessitated by
the increases In teachers salaries.
whose monthly wage has risen about
IS per cent. for the men and 25 per
cent. for the women.
In view of the TACT also that the
school term has heightened from 144.3
days of 1900 to 1853 days In 1909, the
teachers, who are paid by the month,
have hAG q further actual increase In
salary, and at the same time have
been able to increase their educational
effectiveness In this particular alone
by some eight per cent
Ar,ong the deplolable factors in the
educational trend 1t Is the relative
elimination of men teachers from the
public schools. This elimination has
been going on steadily and rapidly
since 1880" In the first decade of this
century the proportion dropped from
80 men in each 100 teachers to only
about Fl in the 100, a decrease OF
nearly 80 per cent In ten years. Dis.
cussing these figures, Dr. Dresslar said
there Is no doubt that 1t is unwise to
intrust SO important matter as the
teaching NJ boys and girls so largely
to women; but the facts are known
and have been for many years, and
yet the hoped-for change does not
come"
Another regrettable circumstance in
our educational development is the
slight attention given to those finer
instincts of our nature expressed In
poetry, music and art" Especially is
this true OF instruction In music THE
American people," says DR.. Dresslar,
ARE eye-minded, and moving pictures
seem to suit their desires better thaa
music. In some way the people should
be taught to hear the significant things
of life as we'll as to see them"
DR. Dresslar also takes up the urg
ent need and almost universal demand
for voca taonal training In this con.
nection, he says: I'VE must not give
ND our endeavor to create in this coun-
try high standards Of general culture,
but we must make our educational
work function more efficiently In the
common duties Of life. Our big prob
lem is that of creating democracy
which will not be limited largely to
mediocrity."
Severe Criticism.
DR.. Hedge and DR.. Bartol spent