The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-15
The Board of Education Took
Action On Matter.
EXPENSE WILL BE At $4,000
State to Pay Half; Other Bust.
ness Before the Trustees
Last Night.
From thursdays Daily.


Steps toward securing an agricul.
tural school for Mankato were TAX.
en- last night when the board of ed
ucation authorized Superintendent F.
]. Sperry to file an application for
such a school with the proper state
department.
regarding the prospects for a new
school of this kind, George W. Scher-
er read rather lengthy report. pre-
pared by Superintendent Sperry at
an expense of much labor and time.
The report was divided into six Sec
tons: First, desirability: second,
scope of the work; third, cost of
installation, locally - approximate:
fourth, scope of work to be offered;
fifth, local demand; and sixth, pro-
cedurc.
School Is Desirable.
That such school is desirable,
there is no question. Mr.. Scherer
stated that he recently had a talk
with State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Schulz, who said that it
was planned TO place these agricul-
tural schools in the smaller cities
rather than in those the size of Man
kato, for the reason that they would
have better facilities for being closer
to the farms. He had not planned
on placing one at Mankato, but as
Lake Crystal and Mapleton applied
before Mankato' did, their names are
on the list first However, he as.
sured Mr.. Scherer that he would take
it up on the Benson-Lee act and see
what could be done for this city.
The report in part reads as fol-
lows:
Scope Of the Work.
THE Putnam act provides that
schools maintaining a full four years
high school course in this subject,
including instruction in plant and
animal husbandry, soil structure
farm crops and horticulture, manual
training and household economy,
with proper provision for English,
mathematics and science, may draw
state aid of $4,000, and If other dis.
tricts be united with it, $3.50 for
each district so united as "associa-
ton bonus" Such schools must have
at least one technically trained in
structor each in manual training. ag-
riculture and home economies, must
cultivate not less than ten acres of
an experimental farm and must pro-
vide adequate tools, laboratory equip.
ment and materials with proper
class rooms, shops and laboratories.
They are expected to cooperate
with the state institute force in ex-
tension work at various points
throughout the surrounding territory.
and to maintain winter short
courses.
''The Benson-Lee act provides that
schools which do not maintain ex-
detrimental tracts and which provide
instruction by teachers with techni-
cal training in agriculture and either
manual training or domestic sci
ence may earn the same aid that the
Putnam schools do, except that the
agricultural aid is cut to $1,000 and
the bonus for association is not
available. These schools are re-
quired to organize work in agricul-
ture to include:
First. A course based on text
books, bulletins and lectures.
Second. A laboratory course, in
Guiding physical examination OF soils,
testing Of seeds, preparation OF
weed seed cases, milk testing, grain
judging, stock Judging, etc.
Third. Special work along some
line of local interest, such as dairy
ing, corn breeding, small grain. po-
tatoes, fruit, poultry. stock raising,
etc. g.,
Fourth. The organization of insti-
tute work in cooperation with the
extension division of the college of
agriculture.
Fifth. A winter short course for
farm boys and girls-to include re-
views in common branches and civ
les, ETC.. and some practical demon
STATIONS and tests in some of the
laboratory work above listed.
1t is the expectation that the dis.
trict will spend at least as much
money in addition 10 the state aid
as that allowed for agriculture
Expense to District $1,000.
Mr.. Scherer thought that with
an additional expense of $4,000, of
which $1,000 would be paid by the
state, making an actual expense of
$1,000 for the city, the school could
be easily installed in Mankato. The
motion that Superintendent Sperry
file application for an agricultural
school was carried.
Certain members of the school
board, who were not present at the
meeting last night, We're given an
excellent lesson in attendance. The
fact is, that those who were pres.
ent were given a nice little treat.
The students and teachers of the
domestic science department, in re-
turning the appreciation for what
the board had done for them, had
made a large assortment of ginger
bread. "rocks" and cookies. These
were of an unusually good quality,
speaking we'll for the domestic sci.
ence department Of the local high
school,
communication from A. Bashaw,
whose bill for some plastering, which
had later fallen off, was read and
placed on file. Mr.. Bashaw claimed
that it was not his fault that the
plastering had fallen off, and that it
was not right for the board to with
hold a part Of his bill.
Mrs. Smith of the school commit
tee reported that as yet no plano
had been purchased for one Of the
schools, as the committee was in no
especial hurry, preferring to take
more time and secure a good piano.
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