The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-06-09
Presentation of Diplomas BY
Vice President Jefferson of
The Board
An Interesting Programme Which
The Seniors Take Pr0mi-
rent Part
From SATURDAYS Daily.


high school days last night, COM
mencement exercises being held in
Mankato theatre, and the building
being crowded to its capacity with
relatives and friends OF the young
people who, had now completed their
school days, and were ready for col
lege or duties of every day life in the
work a day world The stage was
handsomely decorated with palms and
spirea, and tiers of seats had been
arranged for the students. Lamm's
orchestra opened the program with an
r overture and played the march as the
long procession of young women and
young men marched slowly down the
left aisle, up the improvised stairway,
and took their places on the stage.
The sight of the splendid class OF 1916
brought forth a storm of applause, it
being enc of the largest classes ever
graduated from the local school. The
young women wore dainty gowns OF
white, and carried flowers or wore
bouquets, and the young men wore
neat dark suits, and sometimes a
boutonniere.
Rev. R. W. Hobbs delivered the
invocation, an eloquent pleS for the
best things in life for the graduates,
and for their fortitude during LIES
trials before them. The combined high
school glee clubs then sang "a Vision"
by Nentwich, the mixed voices blend
ing most tremendously in the pretty
song. Miss Fanny Pitcher, musical
director of the schools, was in charge
of the singers.
The Salutatory Address.
Miss Ruth Hjermstad delivered the
salutatory address, taking as her sub
ject "The Illiteracy Test for Immi-
grants" She explained in a clear and
concise manner the tests with which
the United States tries the foreigners
who land on our shores, requiring that
all must master the rudiments of
education before being admitted to
citizenship. These tests are practical,
simple, and easily applied, and would
exclude the undesirable. She drew at
tention to the fact that some means
was necessary to restrict immigration,
as the strength of the nation depends
on the intelligence and strength of the
working people. People from South
Eastern Europe come here, she said,
not expecting to stay, but to accumu-
late few hundred dollars, after which
they could return to their own country
and live in luxury the remainder of
their days, as small sum of United
States money is fortune in their
country. Only about ten per cent of the
inn, ioyrso re. clys
al people, the majority coming here
with no education toward earning a
livelihood. Three fourths of these i'm
migrants enter into competition with
out poorest and most needy laborer,
and they cannot compete with the for
eigners who work much cheaper than
they possibly could, which accounts
for the three million unemployed la
borers in the United States at the
present day.
''We must protect the man whose
only ability is to do, days work"
said Miss Hjermstad 1.-THE illiterate
foreigner furnishes large per cent of
the criminals, and to be illiterate to-
day means to be shiftless, and un-
fortunate. The burden of such foreign
ers taxes the community, and the re-
suit is bad. Self preservation is as
much a law of nations as of people,
and our duty is to our own people,
first, and foreigners second. 1t is a
high ideal that each and every nation
provide for it's own illiterate, and not
transfer the. duty to Others"
"The Well Balanced Meal"
essay on "The Well Balanced Meal
She told of the chemical value of food,
and their action on the body, and ad-
vised the use of fish, meats, eggs and
milk to supply worn out tissues of the
body She also told of the necessity of
eating fruits, green vegetables and
grains, as they were of great i'm
portancei to the welfare of the BODY,
and advised healthy exercise in mod
Grafton. With good advice about the
daily menu, and suggestions as to
what it should comprise, Miss True
proved that what one ate affected their
general health to very large extent
and that their happiness was de-
pendent upon their health. Applause
greeted the close of her instructive
talk.
Miss Lucille Fisher pleased the au-
dlence with violin solo, "Cavatina. y
by Raft, and was enthusiastically ap-
plauded. Miss Fisher is an accomp-
hshed violinist, and her selections are
always well chosen and graceful,
rendered.
THE School as a Community Cen
ter" was capably explained by Miss
Norma Bierbauer, whose clever ar
guments proved that as every com
munity must have some sort of a
community center, the school house
was the most appropriate place, and
the one which would prove
the most pleasing. to the peo-
pie. Churches had not proven very
successful places when attempts had
been made to use them as commu-
nifty centers. but the school, being
nom sectarian, everyone could &C
there without hesitation, and was
most desirable in all ways, making
an ideal social center. After long
days work people naturally look fol
recreation, and the plan of using
school houses as meeting places had