Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-31

fact was not denied. The robbers had
been captured. Now all this is written
here TO give the reader Of a daily pa
per an Idea Of what correspondent
has to go thru before he sends a
this.
This town has a feeling that they
should do something regarding new
kind OF city government. It's pro-
gressive town and the majority want
10 progress. Petitions have been cir
culated as preliminary steps for
commission form of government. Re-
Gently the city council by ordinance
merged" wards Now there is ex-
pressed doubt as to the legality of such
action, which is unfortunate as the
coming city election may be null and
void. Perhaps the most popular plan
talked of and likely to be adopted IS
that of hiring city manager. VI
course he will have only delegated
power, but il capable man is select
ed by q nearly unanimous vote OF the
city council they will back him up,
when he steps on some mans toes.
An ex-city councilman says no one
capable Of attending to the affairs OF
a city the size Of Iowa Falls can az
ford to give Of his time what Is neces-
sary to thoroughly understand pro
posed public affairs. No ward COUNCIL
man can give the whole city square
deal. when his particular ward Is likely
to be injured or not favored as other
wards But give us business mana
ger, even II we have to send TO some
other state for the right man, let MIN
work and the council will support MIN
and give the whole town Impartial
work and a square deal"
With all Of the present agitation over
consolidated schools perhaps some OF
the opponents OF such system Will
read with more patience and respect
the words Of an outsider In recent
issue Of the Saturday Evening Post we
find on the editorial page, under the
head of 1.-THE Little Red School House,
the following pithy statements:
1t ought to be pretty well under
stood by this time that the one-room
rural district school beloved Of oul
grandfathers is mostly scandalous in
stitution. The typical teacher is sir
just out of normal school. much un.
derpaid, sometimes overworked and
sometimes with only half dozen pu-
pills Of assorted ages.
A Vermont report covering thirty.
two such schools shows that in three
years there were one hundred and
seventeen different teachers. Of whom
-on an average-more than half serv'
ed less than two terms.
A ,,oa 3oritxy 0f fhoEa CphnnlG are
poorly housed and hardly equipped al
adjust a bare little room with desk
a rostrum, blackboard and poison.
Gus castiron stove. That efficient in
struction can be had under such condi'
lions out OF the question.
And there is less and less excuse FOL
the typical one-room, ungraded rura
! district school Our grandfather:
could have that or nothing. In theil
day the nearest town was ten miles Of
| more away and the road all but impas.
sable half the year.
! Now-all over the middle west a
least-there are few rural district:
| that are not within easy haul Of vii
| lase graded school still fewer tina
might not have a fairly equipped
GRADED school within easy haul by con
solidating the districts Already IL
some localities wagon to bring In TIT
country children is as much part o
| the educational equipment as the. ira
ditionai blackboard itself.
Like some other poor institutions tn
little red school house subsists maini!
! on prejudice and mere inertia II edu
eating children is worth all this Ell
| fort. to give them tolerably cficien
I, teaching is worth little more effort
/ The writer of the above seems =
/ forget one ffae..cc:. :!;se s,s prominent II
4 our Iowa consolidated school contro
yersies. It's that of the cost to tn
! taxpayer. Assuming that the consoli
dated school il q big Improvement owe