The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-06-17
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Letter in the V1ntOn Eagle.J
Office of the Board of General APP
praisers, Treasury Department, Unit
ed States Customs Service, New
York City, June 2, 1915.-My Dear
Mr.. Murphy: | have Just read your
editorial in the vinton Eagle on
Deyoe and the public schools.
l am deeply interested in the
growth Of the public schools, and
especially with reference to the rural
school. I think magnificent start
was made when Iowa few years ago
adopted the consolidation act and
thereby permitted the country school
to be made attractive and of vital
force in the progress and develop
ment Of Iowa.
The city school has taken very
advanced step in the introduction Of
domestic science and manual training.
This school will always take care Of
and protect ITSELF The question for
Iowa to consider is as to the country
school, remember the school I at
! tended when IA years of age in Henry
| county, had an attendance Of seventy
three. When I attended a home COM
| ing at Mt. Pleaasnt few years ago
the same school had an average daily
attendance of nine. How can you ex-
| pect school of that size to be a
| potent influence in any community
| Therefore, your editorial, bringing to
the peoples attention recent legisla-
ton, is a timely one.
I have been interested in the New
York city schools. They are exceed
ingly advanced. In nearly every
| school in the city lectures are given
by prominent men on subjects con
nected with the curriculum, and es
pecially as it affects city chilren
These lectures are free and can be
attended by anyone.
My experience in this city has
satisfied me along another 1ine-that
the future of the American common
wealth depends practically on agri
culture. What would have occurred
to this country if it had not been FOL
the enormous products of the soil ir
the years 1913 and 1914? You may
talk of your manufactures and theil
production, but they in no way cores
pond with the production of the soil
Our exports today are practically 81,
600 100000 in excess of year ago
and three-fourths of this can be
traced to the products of the soil. The
! manufa ctories are still running.
have recently been in community
where the cotton mills are going day
and night. The steel mills are hav
ing large orders; yet with all this i
is agriculture that is bringing to thi:
country the gold that is coming II
great quantities.
Iowa, taking from the soil nearl,
81 900 900 year, Is not instructins
the farmers boy and girl In agricul
| ture-in how best to obtain from thi!
source the greatest amount Of pro
duct
The consolidated country school o
at least sixteen sections where from
100 to 200 children are In attendance
will make the school attractive, will
keep the boys upon the farm, ant
; thereby will increase rather than de
crease the population of Iowa.
Iowa is great today not by reason
, OF the growth of it's cities, but be
cause of the wonderful growth of it
farms. The supreme question in low;
is how to maintain the growth AM
. development of the farm: how t,
make it a place in which people low,
to live. The city will take care o
/, itself It is always splendid omel
! to have the country growing taste
than the city. That nation is not il
: the best condition when the city
growth exceeds that of the country.
| Mr.. Murphy you could not engag
| in a more fruitful occupation for tn
/ success of splendid Iowa than to IN
sist on the state aiding and assistin
: in building UP the country school: an