Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
The Report Of the Vermont Education
Commission Discussed,


The educational commission has made
It's report To those Of US familiar with
the Carnegie report. there is little that
is new except pages and pages of arEu-
mcnts to belittle Vermont colleges and
Vermont normal schools and the tables
AZ the end
II is with regret attack this report.
1t has made several exceedingly important
recommendations that should be embodied
i'm law at the coming session. For eX-
ample. tenure for teachers during good
behavior higher salary schedule for
teachers, compulsory supervision for all
towns greater assistance from the State
to towns with small grand lists. But
coupled with these good recommendations
are others that will greatly iniure our
State. If we do not wish to see Vermont
become a game preserve for few wealthy
men or forest region for the big paper
companies, we must fight a number Of
these recommendations and fight them
hard. The same forces that have pushed
these recommendations thus far will at
tempt to embody them In law. The time
to begin the fight is now. by pledging the
candidates for representative to vote
against certain measures When the Leg
islature Is in session we should see that
the men we send there keep their prom
ises.
The commission says Vermont Is pre-
eminently an agricultural State. To con-
tinue an agricultural State we must keep
families on the farms. Yet the commits
sion in one of its first recommendations
urges very emphatically the consolida ton
of rural schools The number of schools
they would close Is shown by the fact
that they recommend the 100000 We paid
last year for transportation, be increased
to $125, 900 for next year. More than SIX
fold Increase Do you believe in this
wholesale closing Of schools? If not
pledge your man at Montpelier to fight
It. Except In favored localities the climate
and topography of Vermont is not adapt
ed to transportation of pupils. No scheme
was ever devised more conducive to rap
idly omptYing our country towns Of their
inhabitants than consolidation OF schools
and transportation of pupils. Parents
will not submit to II for long. We hav"
consolidated schools in this town. What
Is the result? In each district In which
We have closed the school every family
having school children has moved out of
the district or Is preparing to 20. I could
cite many other towns with similar eX
perence Wherever consultations have
taken place i'm our Vermont towns a like
exodus has taken place, the rapidity of
the movement depending on the distance
and difficulty of reaching school Trans
portation may work fairly well in a level
state like Illinois or Il warm one like
Georgia but 1t IS a most serious mistake
In Vermont. In every back town in the
state whore consOldn ton has been at
tempted fathers and mothers are saying:
we shall sell as soon as We can and
move near enough SO that our children
can walk to ana from school"
Are the voters in our small towns going
to allow their districts to be stripped of
their inhabitants? II not pledge your rep
rcSontat'vc to fight against consolidation
PHd make mandatory the school bcing
placed within walking distance of the
school children. Do our rapidly growing
cities and villages wish to see their growth
continue? If so pledge your representa-
tive 10 fight to keep the school near tn ,
farms Your stores need the trade from
a heavy farm popula ton in the outlying
districts. Your workman need the food
products from those farms, Rem"mbcT
you cannot keep families on the farms
unless YOU put n good school near tho
farms.
Settle this question now with the men
asking your votes for election day. DO
not be ovorawed by the members or the
educational commission. They are worthy
men. But how many of them are far
mers? How many get their living by Gull
tiYatiug back farms? How many actual
ly live for even portion of the year
among these rural people from whom they
propose to remove the schools to populous
centers? How many of them have a dol
lar invested in the back farms that are
going to shrink in value when the school
Is shut? How many of the Carnegie COM
mission. which our educational commits
sion follows so closely, We're native Yer
monters? How many We're educated m
Vermont institutions, or have dwelt long
enough in our midst to have an Intimate
and sympathetic knowledge Of our needsY
Nor should We be dazzled by the fact ex-
ports We're employed. In our courts we
are coming TO see experts are very poor
guides,
Let good common sense he the guide Of
our legislators In dealing with this prob
lom. Loe'slatc TO keep families on the
farms, not to drive them off
What | have written, | have written as
Nermontor, an owner of Vermont farms,
who has worked for years on farm |
have two boys I hope to see Vermont
farmers surrounded by conditions making
1t possible for them to remain on the
farms. ] am also In the most complete
sympathy with the attempt to better ed
ucational conditions in our State. But |
wish to see II worked out in the same
level-headed way that our highway prob
lem has been handled under Mr.. Gates
That Is, let us adopt plan that is adapt
ed to Vermont conditions. Not one that
will drive our people from the farms.
Fight to keep the school near the home.
Next week | shall take up other phases
OF the report,
Very truly yours.
IDE q. SARGENT,
AGlapYillo, Vermont.