The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-11-18

THERE is going to lively and inter-
esting fight for the balance of power in
the Legislature next winter James r.
Nugent, read out of the party, and to
put it mildly, requested to leave the
Governors Office at Trenton, is again in
the harness and will control nine, if not
ten, members of the lower house. Form
er Mayor Wittpenn also had some mem
bers that were under his domination
and they leaned toward Nugent and
anti-Wilson, but that little matter APP
pears to be on the way to be mended as
Wittpenn has been offered, and will
probably accept, federal position which
will give him prestige and he will be ex-
peated to turn his followers to Fielder
and Wilson. Fielder, it will be remem-
bered, told Nugent that he did mot need
his support in the last election and
practically spurned him. Nugent is not
the sort of man to lightly pass over such
slight and as he is possessed of much
political cunning and has many fol-
lowers there is all reasonable probability
of his making himself felt at Trenton
during the next session. Notwithstand-
ing he was shown out of the Gubernator-
ial presence, and that he was turned
down by Fielder he came up again smil-
ing and it is a fact that cannot be dis
puted that he has not been tucked away
as snugly as it was hoped he would be.
There are lively times ahead for Fielder.
OF COURSE the teachers institute is
not worthless institution. Whenever
people are congregated together to hear
educators talk the result cannot be with
out some value. Interchange of thought,
whether upon technical school subjects
or something entirely foreign, is instruc-
tive to the teacher who listens. But the
question is: Are these institutes of suffi-
cient value to warrant the closing of the
public schools to the children for two
days?
This curiosity is suggested by one
the declarations made by speaker be-
fore the Atlantic and Salem County In
stitute yesterday. He voiced the opin-
ion that too much time was consumed
in giving the boy an education. He
believed that the system should be re-
formed so that boy would be able to
matriculate into college at Is, instead OF
Is and 20 and %, making it possible fol-
him to graduate and earn living before
he becomes an old man.
Certainly the Teachers Institute as
it is conducted in New Jersey helps te
make the condition which the educator
deplores. 1t deprives the school boy ano
girls of two days of instruction. 1t adds
to the bloated list of holidays" includ
ing the summer vacation; and great
many thinking people believe that schoo
might be continued throughout the
summer season at least in the urbar
communities, with much educationa
advantage and very little physical disad
vantage. The success of the summe
schools here and elsewhere would seen
to bear out their argument, too
On the other hand, does the Institut,
really better equip the teacher for he
task of imparting knowledge to tn,
pupil, or is it merely waste of tim,
and means of depriving the pupil o
recitation for two days? No doubt it il
interesting for teachers to know wha
colors are most harmonious in dress, TO
the stout ones to understand that VERT
cal lines are best, for the thin ones t,
know that horizontal lines provide tn,
Il. III 1
TO know that the schools are too formal
but how is all this to benefit the schoo
boy who must master mathematics ant
spelling and master them quickly?
We confess our ignorance, but the sup
position is that some of the educator
can point out the benefits with facility
Atlantic City Press