The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-03-10
No Definite Action Taken On
Smith-Rughes Bill For voca-
tionaI Training
From, Thursdays Daily.

by the school board at last evening
meeting, though tho matter was lalt
before the board by Secretary E. f.
Soaring and the request of Congress
man Ellsworth for an opinion from
the board was also reported. Inc
whole matter was left to Mr.. ELS
worth to act according to his own
judgment.
e. f. Soaring, secretary OF the
school board, reported that he was the
! only one from the second congress
sional district, present at the con-
ference held at the office OF Q. U.
Schultz, state superintendent OF pub
lie instruction, ct st. Paul, on Feb
ruary II, held to consider the Smith
Hughes bill.
One of the principal speakers at this
conference was DR.. Prosser OF the
Dunwoody institute Of Minneapolis
There was quite a lengthy discussion
of the proposed bill, and all the oppo-
sition that came up seemed to be
talked down. and at the close Of the
conference the vote was unanimous in
favor of urging the Minnesota sena-
tors and representatives in congress
TO support the measure.
According to the Smith Hughes
bill, as it now stood, the first years
appropriation for vocational training
was to be S1,7C0,000, and this was to
be gradually increased, until in the
year 1924, the amount of $780,
coo would be the years appropriation
Amount For Minnesota.
1t developed in the discussion that
the state of Minnesota the first year
would get $4,000 1t was also brought
out. however, that with the education
al curricuia as they now are, there
were but three schools in the state
Of Minnesota that could get the bene-
ct of the appropriation. and those
Sere the high school at Morris, Mimi,
the Dunwoody institute at Minneapolis
and one other school. 1t was thought.
however, that the high schools might
so arrange their courses that they
would comply with the government
vocational training requirements and
so get the benefit of the appropria-
ton. IT was figured out that by get
ting $4,000 from the government,
the state financial aid money could be
so managed that there would be, $3.50
more on the average for each high
school than at the present time.
Mr.. Soaring said it was the sense
of that gathering that each schooI
board should take the matter up ano
pass on it and send it's conclusions to
the representative of that district. He
said he wrote to Congressman Ellis
worth, telling him about the meeting.
He received a reply. Mr. Ellsworth
wrote back that he was not altogether
enthusiastic for the bill. 1t seemed to
be along the line of efforts on the
part of the national government to en-
croach on functions that properly be-
longed to the state. At the same time
he had no doubt that the measure
would prove great benefit for the
cause of education and he expected to
vote for it. However. he expressed
the belief that the state Of Minnesota
would not receive from the bill the
benefit that it really ought to receive,
in proportion to its share in contribut-
ing to the national revenues. He
would be glad to know the attitude of
the MankatO school board.
E. Looks Like "Pork."
w. D. Willard said he was glad
that Mr.. Ellsworth had the sand to
say what he did. 81 don't think" he
said that we have any business with
that money. 1t looks to me like an
other pork barrel proposition.
Mr.. Soaring observed that under
present conditions, the benefits would
mostly go to Massachusetts, Pennsyl-
vania and two other states.
'If it is just the idea that we are
going to get some monev from the
federal government said Mr.. Will
lard, 81 do not believe that we ought
to favor it,
Superintendent Sperry remarked
that technical schools were so eX-
pensive that the ordinary community
could not afford them He supposed
that was the idea of this bill.
Judge Evan Hughes said he be-
, lieved that the school board should
simply leave the matter to Mr.. Ellis
worth's own Judgment, and he thought
Mr.. Ellsworth should be so informed.
No motion was passed on the sub
lect, but the understanding was that
the whole matter should be left to
Mr.. Ellsworth to do as he deemed
wise.
There was quite a discussion over
the proposition of the school board
paying the salary of visiting nurse
for the schools alone, but the matter
was simply deferred for the present.
Report of Visiting Nurse.
Miss Abbie Peters, the visiting
nurse, rendered a report, which,
President w. B. Davies afterwards
declared, was revelation to him,
showing the great amount of worl,
that the nurse had been doing. The
report gave quite an array of figures,
month by month, beginning with the
time when Miss Peters first took ul
the work on October II, 1915, to the
last of February. For example, the
following was the report for November
alone: Visits, SO; telephone calls, 16:
massage treatments, %; baths given
Is; inspection of school children fol-
CONTAGIOUS and infectious diseases
nutrition, cleanliness and skin and
eve diseases. 1923: physical examina
ton of school children. 1888: notices
sent to parents that the children were
physically handicapped, So; special
inspection of children who had beer