The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-16
Introduction of
Business Course
From Thursdays Daily.

from thursdays Daily.
II is likely that I'm the near future
a commercial course, including book
keeping. typewriting. stenography
and other subjects of practical i'm
portance i'm business will be intro
duced into the Mankato high school
and possibly into the seventh and
eighth grades.
The matter was preached at the
meeting OF the school board last
evening by w. b. Davies, the presi.
dent. All the members present seem.
ed to be favorably disposed to the
project. and all were there except
Judge Evan Hughes and DR.. ]. s.
Holbrook.
Trustee A. Bashaw wanted to
know what the high school had been
doing all these years, IL II did not
teach what was Of practical use in
business.
T. ]. Sperry, the superintendent,
said he presented the matter to the
committee on schools last spring.
but II never came before the board
At that time the board had been
under considerable expense on &C
count Of the new forge and other
improvements and there was no de-
sire to make any changes that would
increase the cost of running the
schools.
Like Courses Elsewhere.
Some of the board members re-
marked that there were such courses
i'm the high schools Of the twin
cities and Duluth. Mr.. Sperry said
this was true also OF the high schools
of Faribault. Rochester. Owatonna,
Redwing and Winona.
Mr.. Davies said II was not fair
that those students who are In.
clined to mechanical work should
have work in the high school along
this line while others who are not
so inclined. but intend to 90 into
business should be obliged after
graduating from the high school to
take a course I'm some business
college.
The matter was left In the hands
OF the committee on schools investi.
gate and report TO the board.
Mrs. b. ID. Smith presented rec.
ommendation on the part OF the
school committee that an additional
high school instructor be employed
TO teach the subjects of English and
history
DIR. w. A. Beach showed that II
cost at present fifty cents more per
pupil per month In the academic de.
partments of the high school than Il
did five years ago to pay teachers
salaries, although five extra teachers
had been added I'm manual training,
agriculture and like subjects.
Superintendent Sperry showed that
five years ago there were thirty-one
pupils to eie teacher, whereas last
September there were thirty-fve
pupils TO the teacher. The force was
then enlarged so that there were
now thirty-two pupils to the teacher
Mr.. Sperry said II was true that
the cost of teaching was higher per
pupil than 1t was five years ago. but
he said that this was mainly due
to the increased cost OF living and
the necessity of paying higher wages.
Cost More Per Pupil.
DR.. Beach remarked that 1t cost
far more per pupil in the high school
than 1t did in the grades. and the
superintendent asked the doctor
whether it did not cost more to
keep an. eighteen-year-old girl than
six-year-old boy.
The recommendation of the com
mittee on schools was at length adopt.
ed unanimously and the matter was
referred to the committee with full
power to act.
The superintendent reported that
request had been made for q
farmers short course In agriculture
during the days of the triple con.
, vention in Mankato on January 20
to -. lie recommended that PROBES.
sor C.. II. Shumway OF the high
school be granted a leve OF alb
sence from his class work to take
charge Of this course and that the
use Of the high school building be
granted for this purpose. He also
presented request on the part OF
twenty farm women who would be Ia
the city at that time for instruction
In domestic science by a high school
teacher. He recommended that Miss
Erickson, the teacher of domestic
science at the high school, be given
charge of this matter. These recon-
mendations were adopted.
On the recommendation OF the
superintendent, the use of the high
school building was granted also
for the convention of agricultural In.
structors, which was to be held In
Mankato about the time of the
triple convention. Agricultural In.
structors from the high schools of
all parts OF Southern Minnesota will
be here on that occasion.
Aid Teachers Convention.
MIR. Sperry also presented a re.
guest that certain rooms OF the high
school be turned over to the use
of the Southern Minnesota Teachers
association during the convention
that that body would hold in Mankato