The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-23
EXHIBITS BY SCHOOL CHILDREN
WHICH INTEREST AND PLEASE
Forward Steps In A Country
Towns Educational
System
Head Training and Hand Production
Real and False Blue Laws-A
Towns Liberties With Trust Funds
Two Coons From One Shot.
Especial to The Farmer.l

Redding, Oct pa showing of veg
setables, fruit and flowers that would
have done credit to a county agricuI-
turaI fair was made at the exhibition
given by the pupils of the Center pub
lie school last Saturday instruction
in agriculture was last year added to
the list of studies and the exhibits af-
forded a gratifying demonstration of
some of the practical results There
was also a fine showing of canned
fruit-pears, peaches and strawb erries
put up by the children, and Miss
Myrtle Warner had on view a plate
of fresh ripe Strawberries of her own
raising. On one wall of the school
room hung samples of the needIework
done by the pupils, this department
including many aprons and some well
executed pieces of embroidery Live
stock had representation in the farm
ing section in the shape of a, big bull
calf which Arthur Sanford brought to
the school yard to be judged, while in
the poultry line coop of Buff Orping-
tons entered by Miss Elizabeth San
eggs which produced ten chickens and
all of them lived In the art depart
ment the most notable exhibet were
well done sketch portraits of Mark
Twain and Augustus st. SGaudens ex-
ecuted from copies by Miss Edna Ken
mel Pupils and parents alike were
present and proud over the success of
the exhibition, which took place under
the auspices of the State Board of Ed
uca ton, while the many general Wis
itors inspected the display with keen
interest and were free with compli-
mentary comments.
A crowded audience attended, the ex-s
erciseS held in the evening and heard
addresses by E. F. Brundage, state
Supervisor of Agriculture for several
public schools, E. F. Boyd, school SUI
pervisor for Roxbury, Southbury and
Woodbury., and E. Ward Ireland, local
supervisor. Mr.. Boyd set out to give
history of Connecticut's public
school system from the beginning. At
ter an hours talk he concluded with
out having reached the nineteenth
century. He told among other things
how the State school fund originated
from the proceeds of the sale by Con-
necticut Of land which now forms a
large part Of Ohio, and how the Town
Deposit Fund represented part of a
surplus which the National Govern
ment apportioned among the States in
1896 Connecticut divided her share of
the allotment among the towns with
the proviso that the income be used
for educational purposes. Both the
National and State a11otments, how
ever, were coupled with the condition
that the money should be paid back
row add to the general information
given by Mr. Boyd some specific in
formation regarding what Redding did
with her share of the allotment, the
amount CT which was 81, $50. Instead
of putting it into some safe form of
investment and using the income for
the purpose designated, the town ap-
prCpriated it outright and used the
money. giving in acknoW1 dgn1ent
therefor her note Of obligation. This
yearly appears in the annual report
liability 1t is in fact remotely
contingent liability, Is it is highly i'm
probable that the State will ever call
upon Redidng to pay the note. The
case shows that the towns more re-
cent action in using the principal of
trust funds bequea thed for the upkeep
of ce1ne terry plots was no new thing
a matter of general policy, the lib
eTty taken with the school allotment
having established d precedent.
In his address Mr.. Boyd quoted from
the old Blue Laws of the State an
alleged statute which provided the
penalty of hanging for boys of 16 or
c der who should De convicted OF dis
obedience to their parents or of bias
phon1y. Some of his hearers wondered
if there We're ever really and truly
such a law and if instead it were not a
part of the fiction incorporating as
such law that SONG satiricaI author
Gad become largely thing of mem
Org. By reason pr the severity of the
penalties provided for trivial offenses
both hideous and ridiculous, but they