Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-12-20
TOO MANY HOLIDAYS.


A great teal of unfavorable comment
h, been heard on sll sides about the
long Christmas holidays given in the
~ lie schools Of the county. More
Al I'm two weeks At Christmas time is a
llrx holiday for school children, and
br AXIS 10 upon their studies. We
mi ,hf smile at il all, were the possi-
bilites of more extended holidays not
~ ring us in tn face The winter is
coning IN. After while severe
weather will set in Then the school
furnace will not work IL is a way
school furnaces have 10 bitter ccld
weather. Then there will be break
of week or two in school, and the
child, en- will b. dism ssed because the
heat is Inadequate. Measles, scarlet
fever. diphtheris mumps. and other
such things may cause the school to be
CLOSED, and the school year is gone wi,h
more holidays than anything else.
Apropos uf the too-many holidays
subject, the following from the Tow
son Union News appeals TO us strong
ly:
when the United States took pos
session of the Philippine Islands we
found that about one day in three was
legal holiday. most of the occasions
being celebrated in honor of some more
or less well-known saint, This great
surplusage of dies non greatly in
terfered with business and to it many
attibut,d the lack of progress which
existed under the rule of Spain.
But we are fast catching up with the
Dons. A few years ago all the holi-
days generally observed were Christ
mas, the Fourth of July and Thanks
giving Day. Now their number is le-
gion. and in addition the Governor is
empowered to name as many special
DAYS as he may see ct. The Governor,
however, seldom exercises his peroga-
tise, and then ONLY when some bankers
and brokers, weary with four or five
hours work a day handling other peo-
pl1 money. ask him to include Sat.
urday when a regular holiday falls on
a Friday. so they may have week end
Of four days.
We have an abundant sympathy with
children, and a good deal for teachers.
but we think it is going little too far
to give two full weeks holiday in our
public schools for Christmas. The
teachers are paid for the whole time.
and the break comes right at the time
when the pupils are doing their best
and most importantwork. People now
living can remember when school chill
dren received Christmas Day only as
holiday. and the leap was considered 3
great one when the respite from school
stretched from the day before Christ
mas until New Years Day. inclusive.
Ii it is desired to shorten the school
year it would be better to take the sur
plus from the fag end, when the
weather gets warm. the children are
worn out and it is far better for them
to be cut of doors than in a stuffy
school room.
The tendency to idleness is progres
sive In. olden times the working day
was twelve hours long and holidays, as
we have said. were few. Since then
,he hours have been cut TO ten, to nine.
TO eight or less. ana if we were to
make them but four operatives would
still take their paid time to change in
to their street clothes. shine their
shoes. etc. instead Of doing these
necessary personal services on their
own time. If We mistake not this
country is already paying 100 little at
tention to work and study and too
much to play. aud day of reckoning IS
pretty close at hand. Remember the.
fable of the grasshopper and the ant