The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1915-08-05

1
We're not even in condition, is com
pleteiy undone by the children miss
ing the more important sessions
which generally come near the close
of the term when examinations are
held. There are also many thousand,
of cases where. on account of the very
bad conditions Of the roads, and where
the children live several miles from
the district school. the children are not
permitted to attend the school al all.
the parents placing all of the blame
on the conditions of the roads. This
condition, which is very common
one. results very often in the child re-
ceiving little or no education when
would fit it for fhe living of pro-
gressive and prosperous life.
| The question OF better rural schools
is to-day a most important one in the
public mind, and in travlinE all over
the country. one finds that inthe great
majority of sections the rural popula-
ton is apparently more willing, and
often really eager, to support better
schools and to work for and assist in
the construction of better roads. so
| that the old, One-rOom school can be
succeeded by the large, strong, graded
school which will combine the pupils
| and teachers from several of these iso-
lated district schools. In these grad
ed schools, in many of the rural sec
tiOns of the country, arrangements
have been worked out SO that the
children living at Il considerable dis
tance are transported to and from the
schools in large busses at public ex-
pense. In such school, a better
class of teachers will generally be
found. the children are graded anil
each grade is given separate instruc-
tion along the same plan as so sue
cessfully used in the large city schools,
and the expense on the county is re-
duced to such an extent that the grad
ed school expense added to public
transportation of children costs no
more than the total educational eX-
pense incurred in the locality where
there are number of old, one-room,
district schools. But such conditions
are only brought about and made
possible when the roads are of such
an improved type that the children
can be transported in numbers to and
from the school. regular route be-
ing worked out which runs on sched-
ule and picks up and lets off the
children at the most convenient
points.
Another advantage of the graded, or
Consolidated school. is that it isusual
ly substantial building Of some size,
and the locality in which it is located
soon becomes social and intellectual
center of the community. II also ser
yes as q gathering and meeting place
for public meetings of all kinds, the
great majority of which materially
! benefit the entire community, of which
it becomes the educational and there
by the moral center. The school
wagon, and its more modern sue
Cessor, the motor truckbuss, is fire.
/ Quen.ly pressed into service on many
! special occasions to convey the far
, mers ard their wives to and from
| meetings that are held at the school.
| Elections are also generally held
| there, ard with good roads, the far
mer vote Will turnout almost to .
man, thereby assuring the vote Oh
generally be found to result in better
government.
| The Improvement of the roads also
| has an important bearing on the post
al service in the rural districts.
| Where the roads are bad, rural routes
are invariably short, or the deliveries
1ess frequent. But where the roads are
! good, deliveries are usually made dali
| ly and the routes are frequently
! twelve to twenty-five miles in length.
f:ural residents are generally fond OF
country and State newspapers, the
magazines, the farm journals, and the
/ load OF the rural carrier is not light
by any means. Bicycles are quite gen
3 orally used where the roads are good,
I a.; the carrie. furnishes his own vehi-
T Gle, and it has been found much more
/ economical than the horse where the
roads will permit of its use. Hundreds
of the rural carriers of to-day are
making their tripsin the light and
1 low-priced motor car which is so
! popular and so generally seen where
ever the roads are GOOD.
In conclusion, it is only appropriate
to point out the fact that wherever
a road has hppn imnrovpd there VIII