The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-08


work which lies before you. You
should avoid as much as possible in
creasing the number OF state officers
and commissioners, and all state Of
hcers n all institutions of the state
should be held to strict business meth
DDS and accountability.
AT some future time during the
present session of this legislature 4
may wish to present to you for your
thought and consideration a message
or messages upon the subject of the
finances OF the state. and also as to
other subjects that / believe should
be brought to your attention. You
and / have come into Office, with the
exception of those senators who are
h~old-overs, at the same time, and
have not the best idea or understands
ing as to the financial affairs and con-
ditions of the state. I have some
times thought that it would be bet
ter were the legislature, instead Of
meeting Immediately after the cleo.
ton of a governor and state officers,
to meet the year following. Then the
incoming officers might have the ops.
portunity to thoroughly inform them
selves as to the affairs of the state, its
needs and its financial conditions, and
thus be able at the c~onyening Of the
Legislature to intelligently present
their views to the legislature for their
consideration.
There are certain subjects o. prob
lens that are confronting you and to
which / wish at this time to call your,
attention.
Education.
The people of this state are deeply
interested In the education of their
children, and the United States census
reports of 1910 show that North Da-
kota occupies a most enviable position
in that illiteracy In this state is al.
most nil and that the state stands well
at the head of ali OF the states In that
every citizen has at least some educa-
ton. / believe strongly in rural edu-
cation and In the consolidated country
school, for the reason that where
township into school rather h
into thre or four or more, that there is
the opportunity to employ more and
better eache and to give the pupils
a much better chance for education
where they can be divided into classes
and grades han is possible where they
are divided into many classes under
one teacher in a little country school.
BY having stronger rural schools, the
day may be at hand when they shall
educate the children for country life
Instead OF educating the country chill
dren for city life, one of the problems
Of today is to keep the farmers upon
their arms and to keep them from
drifting to the towns and cities, and
one of the main reasons they advance
for leaving their farms is that they
may have the chance to give to their
children better education than the
country school affords them. The on
lidat country school will take care
of this to a large extent, n at the
same time will AFFORD a social center,
which is a necessity in a state like
ours through b long winters, and
where the people of a community may
W the opportunity to get together
for social recreation and enjoyment.
Many OF the high schools in the
small towns in the state are opened
too early In the fall and before many
OF the boys, at least, can well be spared
from the work which they have to do
upon the farm, and 1t would seem
activities about the first of October
rather than earlier, that 1t might be
better, less expensive, and the attend-
ance would be more uniform,
The high school should be the peo-
pies academy helping to equip for the
life's work the boys and girls who
cannot go away to school. The courses
of study and the terms of the high
schools should be SO arranged as to
the young folks both of city and sur
rounding country. Efficient and prac-
tfcal high schools must sooner or later
relieve our state Institutions from do
ing secondary schOol work.
One of the big items Of expense to
parents are text ooks. We should
have a uniform system OF text books
for the state, and I believe hat the
law could be so framed and so safe
guarded that there would not be the
chance for the people to become the
npnxr nF a q vtruS 4