Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-05

DeS Moin0S, Nov. S.-ThO second 0ay
of the Iowa state teachers convention
hero promised to break attendance
recordA The total attendance yestsr-
day reached nearly 5000. and the del
egates were still coming into Des
Moines this morning.
Tho annual election Of officers Was
the important event on today,s pro-
gram. The nominating committee to-
day reported to the convention tho list
OF nominations which are to be formal
ly passed upon at the business ssssion
tonight. They are,
President. Joseph s. MCGOWAN. high
school principal. Sioux City; nrst vice
president q. z. Marshall. high school
principal. Davenport; second vice
president, Miss Agnes Helsig. grade
school principal Mason City: third
vice president, ID. B. Heller. superin-
tendent. Seymour: secretary. o. Z.
Smith, superintendent. lndiauola;
treasurer. G. w. Samson. Iowa State
Teachers College Cedar Falls: sxecu-
tive committee member. w. l. Hanson.
superintendent, Burlington.
William Lowe Bryan, president OF
the University Of Indiana. was to de-
liver tho principal address at ton1ght's
session. Departmental meetings and
round tables occupied the day.
Arithmetic Reform Urssds
II the Iowa State Teachers AosociA-
ton adopts the recommendation Of one
of its special committees. school chil-.
dhen In this state win not have 70
learn cube root, exchange. ths metrla
system. long division Of froGslous,
moro than one system computln9 M
j'terest ptogrSsstonss AposnecaE1oZ~
weight. docimals beyond three a4UfeA
and . lot Of other hard part &c axttia-.
! methic. Neither win they be required
to learn to spell correctly more th1n
1000 words and . lot OF things In;
geography and history which they
must now know.
It became known yesterday that the
committee would recommend con-
siderable reduction in the work given
Iowa school children. The COMMITTEES.
OF which q. NJ. Wilson. OF Ames. was
chairman. will make It's report to the
educational council Thursday morning
at the auditorium
Tho Recommendation on elimination
Of arithmetic topics follows:
ANY teacher can estimate the use.
fulness OF the above by testing her.
self. her family, or some farmer or
business man as to the practical use
made Of any OF tho above during the
last year." says the report. In a city
Of considerable size, the committee
found practically no use for any OF
the above among large group of pro-
gressive business men. and they read
lily agreed that the topics should bo
omitted from the work for grade chill
dren. A recent examination OF two
popular arithmetic tests showed that
one of them gave 16 2-S per cent OF
the printed space to the above topics.
| the other 90 per cent. Their omission
! would free more than 90 per cent OF
the pupils energy for the better mas
terry OF the essentials and the practi-
the application OF the arithmetic work
to WORTHWHILE situations"
Caiis Desks Prison Cells.
Arthur D. Deans. OF New York UniA
versity, declared before the Iowa State
Teachers Association hero today that
for his part he would do away with
the little cells called desks in schools
in the early years" The eastern edu
Gator who Is also supervisor OF indus
trial work in New York state, said
there was great need of the public
schools training the plumber. the car
penter. the machinist and the chauffeur
as thoroughly as the doctor, the
preacher and lawyer.
AS to desks in the early years he
said:
"The more child wiggles, the more
1t develops. II you believe 1t Is we'll to
| tie child down. as teachers some
times try to do, just blind his eyes. tie
his hands and feet. plug - his ears.
and see what he amounts to in five
years. He will be n fool.
| 'The school should develop the pupil
not only in figuring. writing or in
geography, but in character. in health.
and in those other respects shown to
be necessary"