Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-10-12

or the meeting. referring 10 lne
school controversy which had
ragged in that section for years.
Mr.. Tate said he believed in rows
if they would result in good to the
cause of education. In concluding
his remarks he introduced DR.. r.
L. Jones, of Murfreesboro, as the
speaker of the day and spoke very
highly of his ability.
DR.. Jones prefaced his address
with the statement that he had
come to talk in the interest of the
children. The best community
in the world" he said forcibIy,
was the one that offered the
most advantages for the growing
man. " The trend in the state, he
said, was toward closer organi-
zation or Capitalization, and that
our schools in our twentieth cen
tury depended upon our getting
larger and broader in our ideas.
Speaking about the influence of
invention on the world he said
that people no longer lived in a
small community, one of limited
horizon, but in the world. He
dwelt upon this idea in vigorous
language. Comparing churches
and schools, he said you could rail-
| ly around the schools but not
around the churches, for the
churches were divided into sects
with varying opinions, but the
school was the one idea, the i'm
provement of children, and could
promote the cause Of education
without any Of the divisions of
doctrine. Speaking for cooper
alton he recited the history Of the
cooperative creamery movement
in the state, and showed how sue
cessful it was. The same success
could be achieved in the cooper
ated or centralized school move
ment. where schools could be
centralized to advantage. He
showed conclusively the disadvan-
tage a teacher labored under in
attempting or being forced to at
tempt to teach fifty to sixty child
rem thru eight grades, that the
classes were too many for the
hours in school, and that it was
an impOssibility to get results.
His address was not all solid,
brain Wearying discussion, but he
showed a witty VEN at times
which shook his hearers in laugh
ter. He got off several good
stories illustrating points, and en-
gagged in a witty combat with
Prof, Tate in which each return
ed some hot shots. DR.. Jones has
been State superintendent Of Pub
lie instruction, and filled the Of
flee very creditably. He has a
finn grasp on the school wants of
Tennessee, and is a man of high
ideas. He is a big man physical
Iy, also, and stands a giant among
his fellow men, and possesses a
voice Of singular power
DR.. N. B. Moore, Of Whitwell,
was then introduced, who is pres
ident Of the Whitwell Special
School District. He spoke brief
ly on the utter impossibility Of
one teacher attempting to teach !
eight grades. Later he spoke
in favor of the consolida-
ton idea.
Prof. }. J. Higgins, principal |
Of the Marion County High |
School, then addressed thepeople.
Prof. Higgins showed very plain
ly the poor results to be attained
by a teacher in attempting to
teach eight grades. He showed
how impractical forty-minute
periods were where eight grades
were to be conducted in a school
Of thirty or forty during a six
nour school day. Hespoke of the
of the children thru the
grades as now resulting that the
nigh school had to establish a pre-
oaratory two year term before
pupils sent them as having passed
he eighth grade were qualified
n enter tho hioh school He hn-