The Detroit times., 1913-10-06
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN,
Times WasAin0t0R Bureau. No. 705
Metropolitan Bamk Building.
SAxs Lo En- HNnC

Times WasAimOtoR Bureau. No. 704
Metropolitan Bonk Building.
A few weeks ago Secretary Hous-
ton. Of the department of agriculture.
called >public at
Rural School tention to the un-
Conditions. satisfactory condi-
ton of rural
schools In most parts Of the United
States. Since that time officials OF
the United States bureau Of education
have received q number OF letters
pointing out the need OF better organ.
ICED and better equipped schools for
the teaching Of children In rural CON-
munities. and giving descriptions OF
the schoolhouses In some commun-
tiles which we're unsuited for educa-
tional purposes, but which are the
best which the people will provide.
One OF the horrible examples
which has been called to the atten-
ton OF Commissioner p. p. Claxton.
of the bureau Of education, 10 In q
letter which has just been received.
Although the school IL In such bad
condition that 1t Is not typical Of rural
schools In this country, the average
person will understand that just few
| of such schools as are described Will
account largely for the difiiculty In
keeping boys and girls on the farm.
DR.. Claxton's correspondent sends him
the following description, which the
director Of education thinks Ia the
worst school which has been brought
to his personal attention.
| The schOolhouse was built forty
years ago by the patrons Of the school
on donated land. The building IL Is
feet wide. % feet long and 8 feet high.
There are 76 children Of school age
who should attend this school. and the
enrolment last year was Sc. The
| building contains 20 seats from an
abandoned Negro school nearby, old
ldilapidated and uncomfortable, and
they accommodate only 40 children.
The others sit on anything which they
can nnd.
The school owns no stove, the only
one In use last winter having been
borrowed from an abandoned school
No one knows where one Will be Sc
cured for the coming winter.
The foundation has rotted down,
the floor given away and large crack
In the wall at one corner let's in wind
rain and snow. The door Is on, the
floor is full Of cracks and there isn't
q whole window in the building. The
children shut the old blinds In bad
weather and stun their hats and caps
into the broken windows. Some Of
the withdrawing Is on.
The old closets have rOtted down
and no building Of any sort is now
provided for the purpose. An OLD
cistern abandoned 26 years ago was
used for q cesspool until the cistern
house fell down This old cistern Il
half full of water, filth, dead rabbits
dead chickens, rotten timber and al
most everything else. and Is q breed
ing place for mosquitoes Bites from
these mosquitoes have caused sores
and sickness among the children and
parents.
The sanitary conditions in and
} around the school may well be imag
, ined when the total absence Of closets
!, and the close proximity OF the oper
cistern cesspool are considered.
THE children are compelled to car
Try their drinking water distance o.
a half mile. Although Sc pupils were
enrolled last year, many Of the patrons
say that they would rather have theil
children do without education thar
have them attend this year under the
conditions stated in the foregoing"
DR.. ClaxtOn agrees with Secretary
Houston and other national leader!
; that everything possible should b'
done to meet the condition OF rura
schools over the country, including
the schools OF the open country, thu
villages and the small towns. Three
! fifths OF the army Of twenty million
OF American school children are en-
rolled In the rural schools, and educa
tional experts agree that one Of tn,
: most important duties of the people O
this country is constant improvement
l OF these schools. both In eQuipmen
> and In the grade OF teachers employ
. ed. This, Of course. means greater ex
!. penditures for school buildings an,
!. larger salaries for the teachers, bu
officials of the bureau Of education be
lieve that increased efficiency Of tn
children will more than justify the In
) creased expenditures for their prope
education.
The day of wild speculative move
. ments in irrigated lands Is rapidl
. passing accordin
Il irrigated 81 se1slS pe1Iul
: Lands. 9Q1 10 slI8dx9 O
clamation service
c. j. Blanchard. statistician of thi
bureau OF the department of the int
rior. has just returned to Washington
after a tour Of inspection over variou
government projects. and he reports
!, that in practically every state values
are getting back to bed rock; tina
people are thinking little about lant
booms. but more about conservativ,
and well organized systems OF farm
ing.
Much Of the land in the irrigated
sections of the west was sold at fabu
, lous prices because Of the sensational
returns some fruit growers made OF