New Ulm review., 1913-02-19
Needs OF City
School System
Immediate Necessities Of Our
Schools Pointed Out By
Supt. Hess
Larger Building and More
Practical UseOf Present
~.. Facilities.

General approval marked the sea-
timent of all who heard Supt. Hess
speak on Public School Education"
at the Congregational Church Thurs
day evening Of last week. Tie
occasion was one of the regular meet
ings of the Mems Club of the church
but as the subject was one of general
interest an invitation to the public
had been extended by the Club. The
audience filed the church lecture
rooms and listened most attenuvaly
to the interesting and instructive talk
given by the man foremost In edncsr
tional work in our; city. Mr.. HesS
is q fluent speaker and has his sab-
ject so well in hand that his audienco
did. not realize that he spoke ~
more than an hour with very tew
digressions from the main line o
thought.
Supt. Hess. in opening: his address,
gave several reasons why his toDtc
was most timely, first among them
being that the expenditure for school
purposes is the largest single item
of community expense and it be-
hooves taxpayers and parents to be
well informed on subject which
deals with that which is Of greatest
| value to the nation, that is, the edu-
cation and welfare of the coming gen
Grafton, and to know how the In
mense sums which are paid out an
nually for such purposes are being
utilized.
Other reasons given were that the
scope of education is constantly shit
ing and It requires some effort u
keep abreast of what is going on N
the educational world and that just
at the present time the common schoq
system is under a fire of criticism
that seems to be wholly destructive.
The speaker outlined the history
of the common school in America.
showing the evolution Of the pro.
cesses of education from the fanny
instruction through the dame schooi
and private school to the public sch0oii
system of today. His talk here WAS;
very interesting, giving incidenta
showing peculiarities of various SEC
tions of the colonies in their treat-
ment of the matter, Of educating ae
children and the differences existlix
between the Northern and southern
settlements. The history Of the de-
velopment of the common school was
carried on thru the periods following
the adoption Of the Constitution and
showed how public school education
progressed by leaps and bounds In
the central and western states aftec
receiving congressional aid and In
petus.
In addition to the supplementary
education furnished by the old time
academies" said Mr.. Hess, I'VE must
take into account the value of cer-
related course in manual training in
farm work and in domestic industries.
which by reason of industrial condi-
tions were rigidly enforced on the
great majority Of children. Agricsl-
ture was the leading occupation OF
the people. For half the year at least
the boys were kept home hard at
work, plowing, planting, hoeing, hay
ing, harvesting and taking care Of
the live stock The girls took man
F! ual training course in cooking, wash
ing, mending, knitting, and sewing.
Thus both the boys and the girls were
trained into steady habits of work.
II they lacked somewhat in book
| knowledge the loss was made up to
them by a practical training for the
duties of life. .-. -
"The establishment of urban CEN
ters, the settling up of the vast
stretches Of prairie and timbered land,
the growth of manufacturing all
have made necessary changes in the
form of education which is required.
So much of what was formerly home
work has been removed from the
home that there is little of the OLD
time training for the practical duties
of life and this has led to demand
for courses in home economics n
(Coutinued on last page