Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-01-23
MUST DO THE WORK
Children Entering Industrial Exhib-
its Must DO Work of Pro-
ducing Themselves.

Last year, as near as we can get
at it, there were about 10000 chill
dren engaged in making or raising
something with which to compete for
prizes in the industrial contest. That
was only little start in the work,
but it was a great stimulus to future
effort. AS a result of the inspira-
tion gained last year we hope to
have practically every one of the
1850 school children of the state
engaged in some phase of the work
this year.
TO those who did not get inter-
ested last year, and are not familiar
with the rules of the contest, we
wish to say that they are very sim
pie. The most important one is that
the children must do the work them
selves and that the parent or guard
ian will be required to sign a state
ment to that effect. In raising gar
den, some one else may plow the
ground and harrow it, but the child
must do the rest-the planting, cul-
tivating, harvesting, etc. In raising
poultry the child does not have to
own the parent flock, but must set
the eggs and feed and care for the
chickens they exhibit.
One of the main objects of these
contests is to get the boys and girls
interested in doing something. To
teach them to do something practi-
cal, something worth while, some
thing by which they can earn a liv-
ing when they grow up to manhood
and womanhood. And the only way
to learn how to do something is to
do that thing with your own hands.
If you show something that someone
else has raised or made you are
cheating yourself cut of the most val
liable part of the contest-the ex-
perience gained by doing it yourself.
Not only that, but in showing
something that is not the product of
his own effort he is practicing de-
ception, cultivating dishonesty and
laying the foundation for a life of
dishonor and trouble. He may be
successful in deceiving others. No
hnt hiD1cnlf n1 he 6
his own family may ever know that
he has cheated, but that is enough.
In doing what he knows is not right
he loses respect for himself, and that
is a long step in the wrong direc-
ton. When a person loses respect
for himself he soon loses the conf
dence and respect of others. ITO
thyself be true, and it follows as the
day follows night that to no other
man thou canst be false Every
child should early in life get this
principle firmly fixed in his mind.
and through life never depart from
it.
Parents, don't think you are fa-
voring your child by giving or loan
ing him something to take to the fair
to win prize with, for you are not.
On the other hand, you are doing
him an absolute injustice. You are
cheating him out of the valuable ex-
perience of learning how to do some-
thing, and at the same time educat-
ing him to be dishonest. Character
building is the most important part
of the early education of the child,
and the greatest value in these in
dustrial contests is along that line
forming in the child habits of indus
try, economy, system, honesty, self
reliance and all of the traits that go
to make up the good citizen.
There will be many valuable
prizes for the children at the State
Fair again next year, but none of
them will be worth as much as
clear conscience and the experience
gained by raising or making some
thing with which to win the prizes.