The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-11-28
TEACHERS FLOCK
TO CORN PALACE
CITY THIS WEEK
Attendance Already
Far Exceeds any
Previous Year
WILL REACH l,OO)
Brilliant Array of Talent Fea-
ture of First Meetings.
Presidents Address.
WILL REACH 1,OO)

meeting of the South Dakota State
Educational association which con
yenes in this city today, tomorrow
and Wednesday. The visitors began
to arrive in numbers Saturday night
and all trains yesterday We're pack
ed with those arriving for the meet
ings. The attendance at two O'Clock
this afternoon had reached the larg-
est number ever recorded on the first
day OF the meeting and it is probable
more are yet to arrive.
The Mavin hotel is headquarters
of the association and here the reg
~istration board is in session. Many
features have been planned for the
week and the Commercial club OF
Mitchell is taking charge of the en-
tertainment.
The program opened this afternoon
AT the Gale theatre. The first number
was a selection by the Mitchell band.
entitled "Inspiration OVERTURE by
Daily. This was followed by the in
vocation, pronounced by DR.. j. S.
Hoagland Mayor A. f.. Hitchcock
made the address OF welcome and
superintendent II. c. Johnson of Alb
erdeen in Wen chosen words, respond
ed. The high school boys glee club
then rendered Il number. so, Lovely
Night" The president of the associa-
ton. DR.. G. w. Nash OF Aberdeen,
then delivered his address ON the sub
ject, Some South Dakota Education
al Problems" a vocal solo, by Miss
Rachel Doyle, "A Perfect Day" was
the next number. This was followed
I Inv m ~ ItyanT1np nNtan1n . tnnGt,t ~
committees and adjournment.
Presidents Speech.
President Nash in his talk said in
part as follows:
Just thirty years ago this teach
ers' association vas organized. Its
history was graphically pictured in IA
recent presidents address and we
listened with grateful hearts as the
deeds OF our educational forbears
We're r%ecounted. We have since placed
a marble statute of the first presi-
dent in the state capitol at Pierre and
| trust that we are now striving to
make the association itself a living
monument to its worthy founder.
"On this thirtieth anniversary we
may fittingly review some of the ter
ritorial and state school problems
which have been successfully solved
and also consider a few of the i'm
portant matters yet remaining for So
luton.
Since the first Dakota school
house was erected at Bon Homme,
fifty-tWo years ago, the march of edu-
cation has been steadily onward and
upward. The first territorial superin-
tcndent organized the public schools
from FIT. Randall to Sioux City and
made a record for thorougllness much
appreciated by the pioneers; the old
idea OF distinction between the educa-
ton a. black and white children was
early eliminated from the territorial
law; the township system was intro
duced, but has not been allowed to
do its perfect work: the land prob
lem was correctly solved and a school
fund OF one hundred million dollars
is our probable heritage; the endow.
ment lands We're wisely distributed
and. when these are converted into
money, our state institutions will be
freed from many of the anNieties
which attach to the struggle for bien.
NAL appropriations; the school lib
rary law has provided a splendid line
OF wholesome reading matter for city
and country districts; the provisioi
for township high schools has made
possible the very best educational ad-
vantages in rural or semi-rural COM
munlties; progressive improvements
in the certification laws have digni-
fed the profession OF teaching and
improved the quality of our teachine
force: the recent advancement Of oul
educational standards has given to
u best trained teachers proper rec
ognltlon IN other states of the union +.
eighth grade graduates have beer
multiplied through the operation OF
the law which gives to them free high
school and normal school advantages.
and the high schools have correspond
ingly increased in number and i'm.
proved in quality; the growing inn
portance of the Reading Circle work
is the development of a genuine pro-
fessional spirit among the teachers
OF the state: and tie value of edu-
cational administration which mag
mites manual training, domestic sci
ence and agriculture is realized as
the dawn of a better day begins to IL
Illuminate our Dakota prairies.
The past is rich in glorious ach-
levements, but the future, with it's
more glorious promise, lures us on.
Never before has the world moved
with such rapid strides, and South
Dakotans must catch and keep the
step. While as teachers We ear nei-
Their dictate legislation nor command
popular support of cur beliefs, VIC
may at least give expression to our
sentiments and ask for them a re
speetful hearing. AS your president
of the year, shall therefore dare to
discuss u few of the problems Of the
hour
He then Went on 10 describe the
state schools and their needs and told
OF the appropriations needed for each
He also went into detail on how TIC
BEST and most economically maintair
these institutions, and presented the
following table telling the complete
story of land grants and sales. taken
from the last report ot the land com
missioner;