Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-10-03
MODERN BUILDINGS
Public School Children to Be
7 Properly Housed.
Id-Fashioned, Poorly Lighted, l'l.Ven
SLATED and Often insanitary Type
Of sehooIhouse Soon to Be .
Thing Of tho Past.

Notwithstanding next generation
Of American public school children Will
carry on their studies In the most mod
ern buildings used for educational pur'
poses to be found anywhere In the
world, according to experts OF the
United States bureau Of education.
The old. hioned, poorly lighted, ILL
ventilated and often insanitary type
of building to which most Of the IA
ihers and mothers Of the present gen
Grafton attended, and which also exist
In large numbers in many cities TO-
day, will be q thing of the past In
few years, II the predictions for the
improvements to be made IN school ar
chitecture come to pass.
The federal educational bureau 10
Just having printed the fourth edit ion
Of the popular publication which was
nrst issued less than three years ago
on schoolhouses In large American
cities, and at the present time plans
have been begun for . large new
bulletin to be published showing mod
ern rural schoolhouses which have
been erected In various progressive
communities OF the United States. DR..
Fletcher B. Dresslar OF the University
OF Alabama, who was the author OF
the first bulletin, will also write the
one to be published on country school
buildings, and it Is expected that the
two books will have greater intiu'
ence in stimulating communities to
put up better buildings than anything
which has been written In recent
years.
The federal government Is doing ev-
erything possible to encourage the
construction of better school buildings
throughout the whole nation. A re-
cent advance along this line was made
when a service was started to lend
to rural communities small models Of
the best type Of public school build
ings. These will be shipped to all
county school officials who request
them, and will be used in villages and
country communities where it is i'm
possible for membe.S Of the school
boards to make visits over the COIN
try and get ideas of typical buildings.
School authorities In practically all
of the larger cities are giving more
attention to modern school building
architecture ornaments today than
ever before. The things sought for
are not architectural ornaments. but
modern designs which will make for
efficiency in every line OF work OF
the public school. Ventilation, good
light and sanitation today are con-
sidered more important than fancy
cornices or other useless decorations.
The old-time school gable or belfry
has practically disappeared in the
modern style of architecture, and ar
chitects turn their attention to fea-
lures which will make for the comfort
Of pupils and increase their efficiency,
rather than to design features which
In themselves are useless and the con-
struction Of which entails waste OF
public money. More than $70.0O0,0 900
is being spent for new buildings in the
United States each year, 1t Is esti-
mated, AID the government. through
It's publications, hopes to encourage
the use OF this money in the very best
manner possible. Various municipal
and state authorities are making use
OF the governments service in fur.
nishing information on standard
schoolhouses, both for the city and
country, and il the children of the fu-
ture generation do not study in the
most modern and efficient buildings
which can be designed it will not be
Uncle Sans fault.