The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1914-03-31
DR.. CALVIN KENDALL
ON CONSOLIDATION
Tells Of BGnafiCient Results Of
This Scheme.

s State Commissioner of Education
Calvin S. Kendall told the members
of tie Morris County School Board
association and the Morris County
Principals S association Saturday of
the benefits from consolidation of
schools but warned against the too
prodigal granting Of transportation.
In opening Comm 5ssioner Kendall
said THAT little could be done without
the assistance OF the principals and
superintendents, but the principal
factor in the school was the teacher.
More teachers are needed ne said
although there Las been an increase
in the number in the last twenty
years. The numerous enrolment in
the high schools was the principal
cause for this he asserted. Speaking
of other factors in the development
for education he took up the superln-
tendent whom he termed the advance
agent. of education. His principal
duties, he went on, We're to create
conditions so that the teacher can
do her work without waste The
child spends only Cne cut of six of
her waking hours in school and these
should be made the most of. The
commissioner predicted that the time
would come when the schools would
be in session forty-eight hours a week.
He commended the attendance officers
and said they should try to make it
possible for the home aud the school
/ to get together.
He spoke in favor Of the consoli-
dation of the schools saying that a
recent efficiency test showed that
the pupils of the city schools stood
higher than those of the rural schools
due to the grading of the former.
Make a pupil a producer rather tnan
a consumer" he said in discussing
industrial work in the schools, each
should be taught to be competent to
work with the hands, The school
boards and the local heads of schools
should be conservative in the GRANT
ing of transportation he asserted,
, holding that it was better for a boy
Of fifteen to walk a reasonable dis
tance to school. In closing he said a
battleship recently launched had cost
within $4,000,000, as much as the
schools of the state last year. The
country's tobacco bills would pay all
the school bills for a year, while the
candy and automobile bills would
contribute enough to pay two-fifths
of the school bills.
At the request OF Commissioner
Kendall resolution was passed re-
questing the vote of the assemblymen
and senator on the three appropria-
tions being asked for by the state
board of education.
Morning and afternoon sessions
were held. The report of County
superintendent j. Howard Hulsart
was heard just before noon recess.
Wonderful progress had been made
in industrial work especially in
domestic science. An advance in the
salaries of women teachers from $610
to $632 and the mems from S77S to
$S49 was also reported. Eight new
buildings have been built during the
year and six others are proposed,
besides Improvements proposed for
others including the local schools.
An increase in attendance was also
reported, the average reaching over
ninety per cent. except for the first
two months of this year when it fell
to eighty-three per cent.
w. b. Leighton was reelected presi-
dent of the School Board association
at the afternoon session, Howard
Blanchard was chosen as vicepresi-
dent and j. Howard Hulsart, the
county superintendent, was reelected
secretary and treasurer.
DR.. Hulsart announced to the asso-
citation that DR.. d. Hunter McAlpin,
who has taken considerable interest
in the promotion of the study of
agriculture in the schools, had sug-
gested offering "a prize of 800 to the
principal and the school whose child
rem stood highest in these contests.
The details of the offer We're left to
the association.
A. W. Beabout, of Chatham, spoke
in defense of the boy who is unable
to master the same things that the
bookish boy does, but who is efficient
in some other respect, stating that
those subjects which are difficult
for him should be eliminated and
others in which he is more proficient
substituted.