The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-11-19
SUPT. S. R. LOGAN
ANSWERS CRITIC

Editor Pioneer:-In your last issue
appears rather violent TRADE or
school matters signed by one r. ]
Christian. From the standpoint of
its personal attack no attention would
be paid to this philippe, since l am
too busily engaged in the effort to
build an efficient educational system
for the benefit of all the children and
for the lasting benefit of the country
to give heed to such. But in as much
as it makes number of loose and
random statements concerning the
policy of the present administration
here, as we'll as an important policy
Of the leaders of the movement for
rural betterment of United States
over; and since such statements might
be taken seriously as fact by some
few who are not familiar with the
situation, perhaps it would be we'll to
and explain briefly the situation
which has evidently given rise to it.
The real irritation seems to lie in
the fact that, against the protest of
Mr.. Christian, who appeared to be
more than willing to sacrifice the vel
fare and wishes of large majority
Of the persons affected by this route
in order to have his own children
transported over shorter route, the
children who were transported to
Elliott School last year were this year
sent to the new Leon School, which
is much nearer for a majority of the
children in dispute and which, being
a large centralized school, offers bet
ter instruction and accredited high
school work. We're the routeing of
this wagon reversed at this time, re-
sulting in it's being sent to the Elliott
school over a route much longer than
its present route to Leon school, do
not believe more than three children
living beyond walking distance on
the route could be induced to go to the
school that Mr.. Christian wants them
to be compelled to attend in order that
his children may have only little
way to ride. Indeed these two or
three would lose more than they gain.
ed. | believe the others would rath-
er provide transportation to the Leon
school at their own expense than be
transported to the Elliott school at
the expense of the District. 1t is
the same old spirit Of Tom Jones or
Bill Smith who wants school house
located on the corner of his farm.
We see plenty of it; but mostly it is
ashamed to show itself in the public
press.
As for consolidation in the District,
| do not think anyone will accept Mr..
Christians statements as authorita-
tive. / should think he would be ex-
ceedingly suspicious of his own de- I.
ductions. He seems to intimate that
it is quite the usual thing for children
to have to take the wagon by seven
o'clock or earlier. l challenge him
to find dozen children in the entire
district who have to take the wagon
earlier than seven thirty. think we
shall soon be able to show that the av-
erage time spent on the road under
our consolidated system is less than
the one room system. l will un-
dertake to prove this by reference to
any county in the state except two.
His own children, who live at the ex-
treme end of the route, two miles
farther than any others on the route,
and total of six miles from the
school, take the wagon at about fif-
teen minutes to eight, frequently
three or four minutes later, and reach
,he school at about fifteen minutes to
nine. How many hundreds of thou
sands Of children even in the city are
on the road this long? A good many,
A foot or riding part of the way at
he expense of their parents. There
Ire thousands OF cases like this in
he state of Montana, with sometimes
only a one room school at the end of
he journey
1t was suggested to Mr.. Christian
'efore the route was established that
f he preferred to send his children
he three miles to Elliott school, the I
3oard might allow him a reasonable
mount to deliver them himself, as
hat would enable them to secure
lriver for the others to Leon very
much cheaper since the distance would
'e greatly reduced thereby. This he
mphatically declined. He proposed
o have everything just exactly as he
wanted it, regardless of whom or how {