Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-04
DAILY KENNEBEC J6UkNzE- FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 4, 1s1s

earlier at any time than Sept 20. we
began Sept. % last year. trusting
that your efforts may result In better
health and better lives for the chill
dren of our State and our country,
I am, etc.
Quoting from a letter of recent
date from President Arthur L. Race
of the Massachusetts Hotel Associa-
ton:
"'Replying to your recent COM
munication concerning the opening OF
schools, l will say that / am heartily
in favor Of this movement, and that l
shall be pleased to present this matter
to our members at the next meeting
Quoting from a letter from the
proprietor of the Hotel Rensselaer,,
Troy, New York:
lin reply to your letter Of Dec. Is.
which came to my attention yesterday
on my return to Troy after short
absence, regarding the opening Of
schools early in September, would say
l personally feel certain that our as
ISOLATION would gladly cooperate with
you.'
"Quoting from Prof. H. W. Fisher,
supervising principal of the Washing
ton Schools Of Pittsburg, Pa:
"'My attention was recently called
to movement on foot in New Eng
land, looking toward postpone
ment of the time for opening the an
nual school term until after the first
of October in each year. The writer
has spent a lifetime in the profession
as teacher, nine years as county
superintendent and the past 40 years
as supervising principal in one Of the
largest sub districts in the city of
Pittsburg, Pa. He has had to do with
all phases of educational problems,
and his experience has led him to be-
| lieve that our American children
spend too much of their time in the
school room porting over textbooks
and consequently not sufficient
, amount of time out Of doors, in touch
with nature, where alone are to be
found the themes which make for
vigorous manhood and womanhood.
LAT present many of our city and
rural schools open on the last Monday
in August or the first Monday in Sep
TENDER. Under this pernicous rule,
thousands of children remain in the
country and do not enter school until
after September Is. Close obserVa-
| ton shows that at the end of the
semester. the pupils entering two
weeks after the opening of the school
present as high if not a higher per-
centage of progress as is obtained by
| those entering at the opening OF the
term. This is largely due to the fact
that the first half of September usual
w shows as high an average tempera- :
ture as do the months of July and
August, and children entering school
| in the early days of September. are
listless and long to be out of doors
with classmates.
"'At the present time educators
everywhere are advocating more time
on the Fairgrounds, and millions are
being spent in our congested cities in
securing ample grounds on which our
children MAJ engage in healthful out
of door exercises. Our foremost writ
ers on school administration. school
supervision and child welfare are de-
handing that we first seek healthy
vigorous life before we begin the
routine work of the school. TO MAIN
tain this much desired Vlgor we
should make every effort to give our
children the largest amount or 1resn
air and light possible and for this
reason your writer heartily endorses
the New England movement for post
ponins the time for opening the an
nual school term
"It is the opinion of the committee
that a Universal School Law. post
poning the opening of schools until
after the goth of September would be
a great benefit to the thousands OF
teachers throughout the eastern sec
ton of the United States: great
benefit to the hordes Of school chill
dren, and especially financial bene-
fit to Maine, New Hampshire ana
Vermont, as these three states are
particularly sought for during the
months of June. July, August and
September. and we believe the hotels
would receive nearly as good
patronage during the month or sep
TENDER as any other month except
for the fact that many of the schools
open the last of August or hrst Oh
September, as you will notice by Prof
Fishers letter.
1T will also give the poor student
an opportunity to earn something
during the first 20 days of September
MANY of them are employed in the
hotels and canning industries in the
three states particularly mentioned
and in a great many instances nave
to leave their work to attend school
at a time when it is not only handl-
can to themselves, but to their en-
ployers.
I'VE do not expect every coilege
president. high school and normal
school principal to agree with us &c
the letter in this movement; but there
are so many educational workers tha'
are in hearty accord with this move
ment. together with $1,000 petitioners
of all classes, we feel it ought not &c
be a difficult matter to procure
Universal School Law. If we can nave
the cooperation Of all interested par
ties in New England"
(SigneO
WILBUR T. EMERSON,
Secy- Treas. Maine Hotel Assn.