The Press., 1915-03-10

The Junior Epworth League of the Methodist church presented An Evening in Japan. on Friday even ing. The whole program was much enjoyed by large audience j.
 Two new cases of diphtheria have been reported to Health Officer Park hurst, Thomas Foley of West Main street and John Revetto near the fair grounds. This makes total of four cases within two weeks. .s. To the Editor of The Press: @'
 Will you grant me the privilege of your columns to set before the public certain important facts with regard to our schools, some of which are commonly overlooked? I am writing on my own responsibility as a citizen and a member of the school board, without in any sense claiming to represent the board as a whole. I want to reach not only those especially interested in schools, but also business men who are in the habit of figuring out the cost of things.
 The opinion is frequently expressed that the town is spending a great deal of money on it's schools, perhaps altogether too much. As matter of fact, there are fundamental reasons why any educational system must be costly in Stafford. We could not possibly spend much less. To bring our schools up to the desired standard of efficiency, we should have to spend somewhat more, even though we should at the same time effect some considera ble economies Of the 168 towns in the state, 79 are spending more than Stafford for each scholar educated Furtherm Ire, 99 towns 1 are paying their women teachers a l higher average salary. Of the 68 towns which pay lower salaries, only two maintain full-course public high schools. Necessarily high school teachers command higher wages than grade teachers. Leaving them out of consideration, Stafford would rank 129 in the average wage paid women teachers, with monthly salaries averaging under $40.
 The minimum cost of education in Stafford must necessarily be high, on account of its large area and thinly scattered population outside of the principal settlements The town is required by law to provide common school education for all children not otherwise provided for. It must also furnish free transportation for scholars | living beyond reasonable distance from school. We are obliged to maintain eight one-room schools with an average registration of Ills pupils each. In seven of these the teachers receive $32 per month. and in the eighth, the princely sum of $40. The average expense for salaries in these eight schools is about $2. S4 per month for each pupil taught, as against, for instance, $1.2 for each pupil in the Springs school. In other words, we are teaching over 200 children in the borough school for what it costs us to teach 92 in the one-room schools, and are doing it better. The outlying schools are necessarily costly, because there are only few pupils for each teacher, making the per capital cost high. This expense, unfortunately, canuot be reduced, for if these schools were to be closed their scholars would have to be transported elsewhere at considerable cost, and some risk to health.
 It is the necessity of maintaining these one-room schools that makes our system cost so much, even though wages are pathetically low, and educational results nothing to be proud of. Putnam, enrolling 60 more pupils than Stafford, can, be- cause of it's restricted area, get along with seven less teachers. This means economical management.
 l I gather from the latest report of the State Board of Education that there is no other town in the state the size of Stafford which pays such low wages to grade teachers. This is not record to be proud of. With out fair wages you cannot get good teachers, and without good teachers you cannot have school efficiency. The writer happens to know that several of the best and most ex- perienced teacher in the borough school have applied for positions else. where, simply because the town does not pay them anything like what they are worth. A bad teacher is a public calamity. The loss of an exceptional teacher is worse one We cannot do justice to the rising generation unless we are willing to spend money enough on schools and teachers really to equip the children for life and citizenship. Percy V. Norwood
 Stafford.
 Mrs. O. Depeau is recovering from a serious illness.
 Miss Julia Loughheed is the guest ot Misses Florence and Hester Wal bridge of Old Mystic.
 Mrs. H. Ramsden is spending a week with MT. Ramsden in Dalton, Mass, where he has position.
 Milton Soule and family of Hyde. vile have moved into the home o1 Mrs. Soule's father, Miner Fairman.