Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-06
STATE INSTITUTION HEADS TES-
TlFY AS TO VALUE OF
GOOD READING.
INFLUENCES
LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE
Superintendent kuser, Of Industrial
School For Boys. Points Importance
of Making Good Books Available
Minnesota Librarian Tells of Work
Among State Wards.
TO TimesRepuolican.

special to TimesRepuolican.
Des MOines. Dec 6.-Books have
wonderful influence on life and espe-
cjally on the lives Of boys and girls,
in the opinion of the heads OF our state
institutions and members Of the board
Of control who discussed this question
yesterday at their quarterly conference
at the state house. Miriam +. Carey,
supervisor Of libraries, Minnesota state
hoard OF contrO.; ". L. kuSer superln-
,erdent OF the industrial schoo! Tor
bows at Eldora: Judge Robinson for
rner member OF the BOARD of control,
and Others all testified 10 the value 81
good books on the lives Of men and
women.
Superintendent Kuser read paper
on The Boy and the Book" Some OF
the points ne emphasized were the fol-
lowing:
If We will carefully guide theSboy
in his reading during the iiTst Twelve
years OF his life little fear need be teIt
as to his book selections atterward. Too
many times We say 10 him-you must
read good books. Go 10 the library ana
Sc: something worth your while. we
offer no suggestions as to the kind OF
book 10 get and when the boy hnds
himself in the shadow Of the long rows
OF sheives and books ne is apt 10 hoist
the white flag and back OUT as he Is
10 tackle the job or making d svirr-.
ton from the serr!ed ranks before him.
Here is where help should be given, noI
Quiy in the selection Of suitable book
but also in pointing ont the uses OF the
tools OF the trades-catalUss and refer
enCe books.
Book Pre-eminent.
1t is not the purpose oi this paper
IL outline a reading course Tor Dogs
but rather 70 indicate feebly some OPP
portun!ties. benefits and beauties o.
good reading and perhaps place warn
ing signs at some dangerous places.
There are so many good books It is
difficult. had We the time, 10 name q
list Much advice and many lists are
available and 10 those we would
refer the interested parent or teacher.
Some books are there, however,
which are vita! and must De read. Re-
garded purely as literature the oloAe
stands pre- eminent. In poetry. il
oratory. in logic, in biography, in his
tory, in rules Of moral conduct gov
eminent and justice, il is the source
Of supply, the great base upon which
all else is erected. 1t is the one book
all boys should have and know some
thing Of. The boy Joseph endured NO
more than many an Immigrant boy OF
al NJ F,f
old are inspirations for the boys of to-
day as they were for the lads of thou
sands Of years ago.
Reading must never be assigned as
a punishment or made a task. II should
ather be regarded as privilege and a
pleasure; a relief from work and duty,
as it were, for we must not lose sight
OF the fact that a boys reading must
first of all furnish pleasure and DOyish
enjoyment. Neither is it we'll to have
set times and require boy to do his
reading then, willy, nilly. one should
be IN mood TO read and Samuel
Johnsons reflection man opght to read
just as inclination leads him Is douDly
true of a boy so Ear as the daily time
or season of his reading is concerned.
AS to just what books boy should
read 1t is difficult to determine with
out knowing the individual, intimately
Different natures and dispositions re-
qulre different books. We should also
keep in mind the fact that a multitude
Of books distracts the mind. A few
good books read and read until the
author is virtually part OF the reader
is much better than too much fresh
reading matter"
Books For Criminals.
In her discussion of the work of su-
pervising the libraries under the Min
reSota state board Of control Miriam
z. Carey, of st. Paul, declared that a
condemned man should have the right
to an environment which will insure
him a chance TO improve. Society has
the right tc methods Of dealing with
all its wards which will change them
to citizens. She declared that the sup
plying of the proper books to men in
prison afforded an opportunity for
making Of them assets, not liabilities,
| citizens, not wards.
DR.. W. \. Bryan. assistant physician
| at the Cherokee state hospital, dis
cussed the educational trea tment Of
the IuSaUe III paper ledu " LIE Cci-
| ference. Some of the points ne made
! follow:
An attempt has been made to take
| those individuals who have reached a
| condition of chronic dementia and by
| the methods of the kindergarten i'm
| prove their mental condition and make
| them more useful members Of society.
| The work is as yet only partly organ
| lied to show that much good can be
| accomplished. A combination OF the
| Froebel and Montessori systems W ed
ucation has been used but a special
method must be devised to fit the par
t!cular need of this class Of patients.
There is also an attempt made TO
| point ont the necessity for a systema :