Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1915-11-18

seek to retain The services OF
teachers who have proved their
worth and this serves two pur-
poses. IL increases wages and
lenGthcns terms. Progress we
teachersin appreclative communi-
ties are receiving from $500 20
5000 per month.
4 There are 3,349 children al
school age in this county and an
average daily attendance OF
l757.6 pupils. Our schools are
well equipped and our school
boards arc not hampercd for
funds, the total amount OF cash
in hands OF county and district
! trcasurers belonging to the dis
tricts June Both, 1915, being $50
9O7.67. With capable teachers
! and plenty of money our schools
should advance rapidly in the
/ next few years. But our county
is large, being about thirty-fvc
miles wide by forty.eiqht miles
long and we have too many one
room schools, but this can be
remedied by consolidation.
No phase of educational sys-
TEN OF Emmons county is receiv,
ing quite as much attention al
4 the present time as consol-
idation. 1t remains for con
solldation to solve the school
problem in North Dakota,
and in fact, of our nation.
Our higher educational institu-
tlons are, comparatively speak
ing, well cared for and are doing
/, good work, while our open coun-
| ty rural schools are laborina I'M
der the great handicap that is al
ways found in the one.room
rural school. We do not mean to
say that no good has enlanated
from them, but it is d fact that
the rural school is not in harno-
ny with the advancement of our
best educational systems. Ii has
served.its purposes and is rapidly
going out of date. Claxton, u.
S. Commissioner Of Education,
has set the time for the cxtinc,
ton OF the one-room rural school
at twenty years from now, and
we hope and believe thai he is
not far from correct, in spite of
the fact that Emrnons county has
not one rural consolidated school
to boast Of. Many of our best
citizens scott at this idea and are
continuing to build fine, up-to-
date, one-room school buildings.
However, we expect consolida-
ton to come, as the rural tele-
phone and mail route, and the
parcels post have come. Their
practicibility was doubted and
criticised and finally accepted
only after thorough trying out
of their merits and denerits.
! Generally speaking, the exper-
mental stage of consolidation
has passed and it only remains
now to be more generally ac-
cepted. Consolidation means a
school OF greater worth, dignity
and usefulness. 1t will provide
equal educational opportunities
for all our boys and girls. Ii Gre
ates a community center and lifts
the social standard, which will
eventually stop the drift to the
larger towns and cities. 1t brings
i the good and desirable things Of
! the city to the country, and elm:
/ mates its evils, makes a more
productive school at less expense,
provides adequate supervision,
| and conserves more largely the
health and morals of the chill
dren. II makes possible the Sc
curing of better trained teachers.
1t increases the enrolment and
makes ii possible for greater
number to graduate from the
eighth grade and high school. 1t
increases the value of real estate,
a factor which more than elm,
mates the bugaboo of high taxa.
ton. To be sure the consolidat.
ed school is not perfect and will
be Improved on as long as it ex.
lists, but in the present stage OF
our educational system there has
not yet been suggested an insti.
! Continued on Eighth Page