The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-04-14
MERGE RURAL SCHOOLS
ADVICE OF C. C. swain
Spoke On Consolidation at Eagle
Lake Last Night
GAVE SEVERAL REASONS
Better Instruction Can Be Given
Where Attendance Is Much
Larger
from fridays Daily.

from fridays Daily.
C. G. Swain of ST. Paul, state rural
school commissioner, gave an address
at Eagle Lake Thursday evening on
the consolidation of schools. This
was the third meeting of it's kind that
has been held at this point and it is
evident that the consolidation idea
has gotten firm hold on the people
of that community. The Methodist
church, where the meeting was held,
was comfortably filled with people
from the village and those living in
the proposed district. Mr.. Swain is
thoroughly familiar with his subject
and does not mince words in his
talks. He has been termed the BILLY
Sunday" of the consolidated move
ment, because of his manner in go
ing after the subject.
An Age of Change.
One of the main ideas advanced by
the speaker is that this is an age of
change. Business, agriculture or any
of the pursuits of life have kept pace
with the times by employing new
.
putting the matter, it is utterly fool
ish to think that the conditions in
the rural schools are not going to take
on any of the present day methods
He stated that the people everywhere
are interested in talking about every
thing with the exception of schools
and to think that the little red school
house of thirty years ago with it's one
room, one teacher and five or six
grades could prepare the children of
today for life battles of tomorrow, is
ridiculous.
Age Of Specialists.
This is an age of specialists and no
rural school of the old type is suffi-
cent to fit the farmer, the business or
professional man or the women for
the duties that confront the people
today. The consolidated idea, Mr..
Swain said, is no highbrow idea or
the wranglings of panic as the
growing sentiment proves. Five years
ago there were four consolidated
schools in Minnesota and today there
are over five hundred in successful
operation. Last year there were five
hundred rural schools closed, out of
the eight thousand in the state of
Minnesota.
Many Demand Consolidation.
There are so many places in the
state demanding consolidation of
schools, that Mr.. SWANS department
finds it very hard to figure out time
to adjust the matters that come to
their attention. One of the proofs
that the consolidation idea solves the
rural school question is the fact that
no place where the change has been
made is there any idea of changing
back to the old methods. The speaker
stated that the biggest nut the state
ever cracked was the law to place an
extra one mill school tax on all tax
able property.
Distributed Over State.
This money is distributed over the
state and gives an equality never be-
fore realized. Under the present
system and with consolidated schools,
the rich and poor children, regardless
of religion or nationality are given
the same chance. BY the present
methods of taxation the equalization
Of taxation is easily solved. Now the
greater the valuation, the greater the
tax and as consequence Hennepin,
Ramsey and st. Louis counties pay
half of the school tax collected, leav-
ing the other eighty-three countries
to do their part according to wealth
they possess.
The Larger School.
Mr.. Swain brought out the idea
that the larger school accomplished
better work from the fact that where
there is larger attendance there is
more competition. In the larger
schools the pupil who is not what is
called a book worm is greatly bene-
fitted. Where the constructive branches
are taught, the pupil who is interest
ed more in agriculture, manual train
ing or domestic science, receives the
same attention and benefits that the
pupil does who is naturally inclined
to accept the professional training.
The larger school placed the stamp
of dignity on all it's work, which is a
point neglected in the present sys-
tenn of rural schools.
Cooperation Is the Thing.
The speaker touched on the thought
that cooperation in business of all
kinds has proven to be the solution of
many problems and that consolidated
schools are simply another idea of CO.
operation. The question of increased
taxation, transportation of scholars
and many other perplexing questions
were ably handled by Mr.. Swain Mr..
Swain is to talk on the same subject
today at Judson and at Smiths Mill
tonight and at st. Clair Saturday aft
ernoon.
County Superintendent w. H. Deta-
more is accompanying Mr. Swain on
these trips and doing all in his pow
er to help the people solve this great
question of better educational facili-
ties in rural districts.
From SATURDAYS Daily.
Corporal John F. Mueller, in charge