The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-05-17
In Letter to Boards and City Superintend.
ents, Wilson Lays Stress on Voca-
tional Training and Teaching
Of Thrift
"ACCIE" INSTRUCTION
In SUMMER is URGED
Suggests thai Children Be Kept Busy o1
Gardens During Jnue, July and
August; Enid and Tulsa
Blaze Way

Oklahoma City, May distressing
the Importance of vocational training
and thrift teaching and suggesting
that teachers of agriculture in city
schools be employed throughout the
summer, State Supt. Wilson, in a let
ter addressed to all city superintend-
ents and boards of education, writes
as follows:
"Within the last few years, vocas
tional training has become entrenched
in the course of study offered by the
public schools. Especially Is this
true in cities. One of the greatest
problems in connection with our en-
tire school system today is the teachs
ing Of thrift. The introduction Of vos
cational instruction has helped great
deal in this respect.
"In the older cities school savings
banks have been established, and as
result the school children have
saved many thousands. of dollars that
otherwise would have been spent for
something of no particular value to-
the children or for something actu-
ally detrimental
"The schools ought to do their part
in securing positions for worthy boys
and girls who have no one to assist
them in securing positions and who
must necessarily work during vaca-
tion in order to earn money with
which to pay their expenses during
the next school year. The time will
come in few years when the teach
ers in the schools will give especial
attention to securing positions for
worthy boys and girls who want work
during vacation.
1--WE have asked our schools this
year to do something along the line
of thrift teaching. Many have re-
sponded. In some cases the school
savings bank has been established.
In others clubs have been organized
and students have discussed the plaas
for making money or spending money
judiciously and have even made in.
vestments.
"In all high schools the subject Of
agriculture is being taught not be-
cause it is required by the constitu-
ton and the statutes but because 1t is
the one industry upon which this
country depends for its prosperity.
In discussing this subject in number
of cities during last winter suggest.
ed that the teacher Of agriculture IN
the high school should be employed
for the full year and if given yaca-
tion it should be given during the
months of December and January and
that he should by all means be on
duty during the months of June, July
and August Two cities, Enid and
Tulsa, are taking up this work this
year. These agriculturalists will SUI
pervise school gardens, supervise the
work done by boys on vacant lots and
truck patches, and look after the
trees, shrubbery and flowers on the
school grounds. 1t is my candid opini
ion that every agricultural teacher
ought to be employed by these schools
during the summer months and th6
boys who want to make money should
be given a chance to cultivate vacant
lots and truck patches about the
cities, thus making the city more att
tractive, giving the boys employment
and a chance to make some money.
The citizens of the town should en-
courage these boys to cultivate the
vacant lots and truck patches and
should give them first consideration
when buying produce. In the event
more produce is raised than can 5o
consumed a market should be secur-
ed for it. In larger cities where there
are a great many boys to work and a
great deal of vacant property. If q
few enterprising citizens would sup
port the boys. they could establish